Need a good scare? Here are the creepiest horror movies on Netflix

A good horror movie needs to go further than just jump scares. Instead, they should get in touch with your inner fears. The Shining is the greatest horror movie for many, but which Kubrick film isn’t, right? But the reason this movie is so acclaimed has to do with many factors, besides its meticulous photography & Jack Nicholson’s performance. This film hits the spot of what a good horror movie should be. 

The Shining uses several fictional horrors like ghosts & creepy sounds to explore real human fears, like the emptiness of becoming possessed by work. A good creepy movie should be able to discuss other human situations through horror, confronting the spectators with themselves. Unfortunately, The Shining isn’t available on Netflix or any other streaming platform actually.

However, we carefully created a list of great horror movies you can stream on Netflix. As the platform updates its catalog frequently, the availability of some movies might change, yet, they’re always worth watching.  

The Witch (2015)

This film is by director Robert Eggers who’s known for other movies like The Lighthouse (2019). For five years, the director did an extensive investigation on witches, colonies, and puritan communities at the New York Public Library. The film’s cultural value comes from the director’s profound investigation of witches. 

The Witch is distributed by A24 and portrays New England in 1630 during the XVII century, around sixty years before the trials in Salem. Eggers wanted to make the audience doubt if the witch was real or if it was all part of a religious fanaticism & collective craziness. Eggers based the film on Cotton Mather’s essays about witches and took deep care of the historical details. 

In fact, the official movie title is written with V because during that epoch W wasn’t common in English. The director’s research is visible in situations like witches not flying on brooms but on branches covered with innocent’s blood. All this can be watched on Netflix starred by Anya Taylor Joy.

Crimson Peak (2015)

By the talented Guillermo del Toro, Crimson Peak is a movie about ghosts & haunted houses but nothing like what you’ve already seen. An ancient mansion in the north of England has dark secrets, that’ll be revealed as the movie progresses. Spoiler, the house is definitely the main character. 

A twisted love story & a haunted house are beautifully portrayed under Del Toro’s magical universe. The ghost’s role in life is giving a warning, their unsettled soul is trapped due to things that must be done but how to can you read messages from rotten walls?

Raw  (2016)

Everyone is talking about Titane (2020) and its Golden Palm in Cannes Festival, but let’s not forget Raw (2016) by director Julia Ducurnau. Besides being a film directed by a woman, which is already something to recognize in a male industry, Ducurnau’s movies also pose interesting postmodern debates. 

Raw tells the story of Justine, a young woman who was raised by vegetarian parents but as soon as she arrives at college and tries meat for the first time, things change. By eating meat, Justine discovers another seductive reality she can no longer escape from, getting in touch with her real self: a cannibal. Raw is absolutely worth watching and you can stream it on Netflix.

Mother! (2017)

A film by Darren Aronofsky must have a little horror, don’t you think? Mother! is an extremely uncomfortable movie to watch and not from a spooky point of view, but from a human one, bloody scenes end up being the less traumatic. Mother! reveals how incapable humans are to relate emotionally in a healthy way, setting boundaries to the people we love. 

Jennifer Lawrence (Mother) & Javier Bardem (him) play the role of a couple restoring a house in the countryside after a fire. The constant presence of visitors makes Mother uncomfortable and causes roughness in the relationship with him, who won’t value her work or listen to her. The movie has several biblical references and could also be analyzed from a feminist perspective.

It’s classic for Aronofsky to portray characters losing their minds, however, this isn’t something exclusive for main characters. Even though there’s a creepy ambiance in the house, what becomes really scary is Him’s egomaniac thirst for validation. Also, the way he discards affective bonds in a cyclical way. Mother is a good movie to think about the way we relate emotionally & live our egos.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2018)

Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his particular style and twisted stories. The director has also been recognized for films like The Lobster & Dogtooth. Yet, The Killing of a Sacred Deer takes horror to a completely untraditional place.

The movie tells the story of Martin, a wealthy surgeon who starts bonding with a boy without a father who starts seeing him as a paternal figure. Things get twisted when this kid starts to condition Martin in completely inexplicable ways, ruining his life & his family’s. 

The Platform (2019) 

The Platform, a dark Spanish film by Galder Gastelu-Urrutia is definitely a Netflix must-watch. Even though the movie’s official release was the year 2019, it arrived on Netflix in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was nearly starting. The movie wasn’t filmed thinking of a global change like this would come, but it’s so well-written that it fits every human’s hard condition. 

The film proposes a sci-fi universe where people either surrender or get locked at the platform, a building with more than 200 floors with a hole in the middle. Every day, a platform full of food will travel every floor, but even though there’s food for everyone, gluttony won’t let people from lower levels eat. 

Hunger can lead to violent ends, The Platform is a movie full of blood & gore scenes definitely not good to watch if you’re eating something. Yet, a great story to think of the darkest face of a post-capitalist society.