The Scariest Movies and Shows Currently on Netflix

Horror movies are a blast to watch and what better streaming service to use than Netflix? Netflix has so many incredible thriller, horror, and drama films to watch. On any day, you can watch a movie from the 1970s and one from this decade. The same goes for themes. Not all horror or scary movies are alike. What scares one person, makes another laugh.

For instance, a big fear some people have are clowns. This doesn't mean all scary movies are about clowns. Horror movies can have supernatural elements (ghosts, demons, ghouls, etc.) or real-life elements that are more terrifying. They can be so scary they haunt your dreams. 

So many people turn to Netflix each week. According to Statista, Netflix has about 269 million paid subscribers worldwide. This popular streaming service has grown in popularity in the last ten years. Previously, you could order DVDs for rent, but now it's all streaming. Netflix even produces its own hit movies and TV shows, some of which are horror.

Netflix is constantly changing too. Because of licensing, not all movies stay on the streaming site for long. In other words, the scariest movies of today, or this month, might not be available by the end of 2024. 

To compile this list of the scariest movies now streaming on Netflix, 24/7 Tempo consulted multiple entertainment rating websites like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. We also consulted Netflix and reviewed top trending and rated horror movies and shows. (Click here for 15 movies that will haunt your dreams.)

• Director: Yeon Sang-ho
• Cast: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, and Kim Su-an

"Train to Busan" is an excellent horror movie. Not only are there terrifying scenes and incredible horror makeup, but also a lot of heart. By the end of the film, you're rooting for the absent father who is the main character. This South Korean action horror movie quickly grew in popularity worldwide.

It was first released on July 20, 2016, in South Korea. It grossed $98.5 million against a budget of $8.5 million. On Rotten Tomatoes, this movie has an audience score of 89%. It also scored a 95% on the Tomatometer.

• Directors: Mike Flanagan and Michael Fimognari
• Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, and Henry Thomas

Have you ever heard of "The Fall of the House of Usher?" It's an excellent Netflix miniseries that stars big names like Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood. The miniseries includes eight episodes and has a runtime of 55 to 77 minutes. The series was released on Netflix on October 12, 2023.

So, what makes this series so scary? This gothic horror drama follows Roderick Usher as he unveils his secrets. He invites a journalist and spills everything after his sixth child dies.

• Director: David Robert Mitchell
• Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe

Another scary horror film currently streaming on Netflix is "It Follows." This movie is not a Netflix original. It was released on March 13, 2015, and grossed $23.3 million against a $1.3 million budget. Although moderately successful, it now has a small cult following.

This paranormal movie follows Jay Height as she is targeted by a paranormal entity. On Rotten Tomatoes, this film has an audience score of 66% and a 95% on the Tomatometer.

• Director: John R. Leonetti
• Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, and Alfre Woodard

Released during the same year as "It Follows," "Annabelle" scared many viewers. There is just something so creepy and eerie about watching a porcelain doll. It doesn't help that Annabelle's face looks strange. This film features plenty of jump scares and alarming scenes.

"Annabelle" was released on October 3, 2014, in the United States. It killed it at the box office, grossing $257.6 million against a $6.5 million budget. Although not perfect, it's a fun horror movie to watch with friends in October.

• Director: Ti West
• Cast: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, and Brittany Snow

"X" is an underrated horror slasher mystery. It stars Mia Goth and Jenna Ortega. The movie is set in 1979. "X" was released on March 18, 2022, in the United States. It had a budget of $1 million but grossed $15 million.

So, how did this gory slasher do? On Rotten Tomatoes, "X" has an audience score of 75%. On the Tomatometer though it scored a 94%.

• Creator: The Duffer Brothers
• Cast: Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, and Sadie Sink

Who hasn't heard of "Stranger Things" by now? It's one of Netflix's most-watched shows. "Stranger Things" features a large cast, but mainly tells the story of Eleven and her friends. It's a sci-fi horror drama with a lot of sweet, and terrifying moments. You never know what you'll get. You can cry one minute, and laugh the next.

Currently "Stranger Things" has four seasons, and one is in the making. As of April 2024, there are 34 episodes. The show was first released on July 15, 2016. It's grown so popular that the series even had its own house in Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights.

• Director: Daniel Goldhaber
• Cast: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid and Michael Dempsey

"Cam" is a horror movie that can leave your heart rapidly thumping. This horror film was released on November 16, 2018, by Netflix. It's a psychological horror with about a working camgirl and her thrilling experiences. There are a lot of twists and turns in the film.

"Cam" received both positive and negative reviews. For instance, on the Tomatometer, the film scored a 93%. However, the movie also has a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 54%.

• Director: Leigh Janiak
• Cast: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald, and Fred Hechinger

"Fear Street Part 1: 1994" is an interesting movie that grabbed many people's attention. This movie is a Netflix original that was released on July 2, 2021. It's the first of a trilogy. Parts 2 and 3 were released a week after each other.

This terrifying scary movie is based on "Fear Street" by R.L. Stine, the author of "Goosebumps." The movie did well, scoring an 84% on the Tomatometer.

• Director: Julius Avery
• Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, and Franco Nero

"The Pope's Exorcist" can leave your stomach twisting and turning. This horror film is not a Netflix original but is now streaming on the site. It was released on April 14, 2023, in the United States with a budget of $18 million. The film was moderately successful, earning $77 million at the box office.

Although not a perfect horror movie, it's an entertaining watch. The movie has mixed reviews.

• Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
• Cast: Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale, and Alexandra Masangkay

Also on our list is "The Platform." You can easily get sunk into the strangeness of this movie. It doesn't have any magical or paranormal elements, which adds to the strangeness of the film. "The Platform" is a Spanish film. It was released on November 8, 2019.

The movie is about a man who is sentenced to a vertical, tower-style holding facility where food is dropped down the center via a moving platform. However, your location in the tower determines what is available to eat. This movie is disturbing, which makes it so scary. On Rotten Tomatoes, it scored an 80% on the Tomatometer.

• Director: Mike Flanagan
• Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Carel Struycken, Henry Thomas, and Kate Siegel

"Gerald's Game" is a film that can easily give you goosebumps. You'll want to hide your face while watching. This movie is based on Stephen King's novel of the same name.

It was released on September 29, 2017, by Netflix. This disturbing film tackles strong subjects including abuse. It has powerful lines, including this one at the end, "You're so much smaller than I remember." "Gerald's Game" has a 91% score on the Tomatometer and an audience score of about 70%.

• Creator: Mike Flanagan
• Cast: Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Ghost movies and shows are a lot of fun to watch. Another scary show now streaming on Netflix is "The Haunting of Hill House." This TV show was released on October 12, 2018, and contains 10 episodes. It has a running time of 42 to 71 minutes per episode.

This creepy supernatural miniseries is about the Crain family and their strange experiences at the house. The experiences caused them to flee. On Rotten Tomatoes, this miniseries has an audience score of 91%. Critics agree as the Tomatometer score is 93%.

• Director: Mike Flanagan
• Cast: Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso, and Henry Thomas

Lots of people refuse to play with Ouija boards and for good reasons. There are so many movies about Ouija boards and the strangeness they can cause. This is the same in "Ouija: Origin of Evil." It's a prequel to the movie, "Ouija," and is set during the 1960s.

This paranormal film was released on October 21, 2016, in the United States. It had a budget of $9 to 12 million and grossed $81.7 million.

Streaming movies is so easy. Here are must-see movies you probably missed, now available for free streaming.