These are the frightening flicks to watch when scaring yourself is your preferred way to relax.

Look out! The 17 best horror movies on Netflix

These are the frightening flicks to watch when scaring yourself is your preferred way to relax.

By Ilana Gordon,

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

EW's editorial guidelines

James Mercadante,

and Declan Gallagher

on April 7, 2026 6:25 a.m. ET

Tommy Dewey as Monster in 'Your Monster'; Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson in '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'; Anton Yelchin as Pat in 'Green Room'. Credit:

Vertical; Miya Mizuno/Sony; A24

The horror community is still riding high after 2025's *Sinners*, *Frankenstein*, and *Weapons* all took home trophies at the Oscars in March. This month, the hits keep on coming as sequels like* A Quiet Place Part II *(2020) and *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple** *(2026) arrive on Netflix. If you’re looking for the lighter side of horror, keep scrolling till the end of the guide, where you’ll find the musical theater-inspired *Your Monster* (2024) and the dystopian comedy *Zombieland* (2009), which offer scares with a side of songs and jokes, respectively.

Hollywood loves a reboot, but great movies also exist outside of classic IP. Indulge in one of the many exciting films on **’s list of the 17 best horror movies streaming on Netflix.**

28 Years Later (2025)

Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson in '28 Years Later'.

Miya Mizuno/Columbia

Danny Boyle's *28 Years Later *proves the franchise still has a lot to say. Released 18 years after *28 Weeks Later* (2007), the third installment in the postapocalyptic horror series is set on one of the British Isles, where a community has flourished, isolated from the more evolved versions of the infected that still terrorize the region. The film follows 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who must contend with his mother’s growing illness and his father’s inability to help her.

Writer Alex Garland and director Boyle reunite for the first time since *28 Days Later *(2002), and their collaboration meditates on British culture and isolationism in a post-Brexit, COVID-impacted world. *—Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *28 Years Later*: Netflix

**EW grade: **A–

**Director:** Danny Boyle

**Cast: **Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson in '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'.

Miya Mizuno/Sony

The fourth film in the franchise — and the second within the *28 Years Later* trilogy — *The Bone Temple* briefly departs from the dangers of the infected to consider the perils of the survivors. Humanity has been tested in the years since the Rage Virus took hold, and in this, Spike (Alfie Williams) is adopted into a gang of survivors led by Satanist Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), where he finds that his human companions are more of a threat to his safety than the infected. Meanwhile, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) builds trust with an Alpha Infected named Samson, and begins to understand the way the virus manifests. *—I.G.*

Where to watch* 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: *Netflix

**Director: **Nia DaCosta

**Cast:** Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry

The Black Phone (2021)

Ethan Hawke as the Grabber in 'The Black Phone'.

Universal Studios

The ‘70s were the heyday of serial killers, and the villain from *The Black Phone* would fit right in with the John Wayne Gacys and Ted Bundys of the world. Set in 1978, *The Black Phone* focuses on a Denver suburb that is being targeted by “the Grabber” (Ethan Hawke), a serial child abductor and murderer.

After 13-year-old Finney Blake is kidnapped, his sister Gwen starts having psychic dreams about his abduction and location. Meanwhile, Finney finds himself locked in a room with only a broken pay phone that keeps ringing with calls from the Grabber’s former victims who hope to help him escape. A horror film distinguished by its supernatural elements, *The Black Phone* is a terrifying return to horror for Hawke (following his tantalizing turns in 2012's *Sinister* and 2013's *The Purge*), made even more nightmarish by his masked face and frequent giggling.* —I.G. *

Where to watch *The Black Phone*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Scott Derrickson

**Cast: **Ethan Hawke, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone

Creep (2014)

Mark Duplass as Josef in 'Creep'.

Blumhouse Productions/Duplass Brothers Productions

In this found-footage two-hander, a young videographer named Aaron (Patrick Brice) is hired by Josef (Mark Duplass) to record a day of his life. Josef explains that he has an inoperable brain tumor and wants to leave something behind for his soon-to-be-born son, but his eccentric behavior becomes increasingly concerning, and Aaron needs to decide whether to continue filming — assuming Josef will let him leave.

*Creep's* continued success depends on whether Josef can keep finding fresh ways to be unnerving, and he does. (Things get even creepier in 2017's *Creep 2* — also on Netflix — which documents another video project gone terribly wrong.) —*Danny Horn*

Where to watch *Creep*: Netflix

**Director:** Patrick Brice

**Cast:** Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice

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El Conde (2023)

Paula Luchsinger as Teresita in 'El Conde'.

Pablo Larrain/Netflix

Director Pablo Larraín sinks his teeth into Chile's most notorious villain, Gen. Augusto Pinochet, a figure who frequented some of his past works like *Tony Manero* (2008), *Post Mortem *(2010)*, *and* No* (2012). But instead of merely depicting Pinochet's military dictatorship that terrorized and killed thousands, Larraín offers an alternative history that sees him as a 250-year-old vampire who's grown tired of immortality after the countless atrocities he's committed.

Shot in breathtaking, Oscar-nominated black and white cinematography, *El Conde *is a gothic, politically rich vampire odyssey that renders fascists as literal life-drainers, forcing its heartless protagonist to sit forever with his horrific legacy. —*James Mercadante*

Where to watch *El Conde*: Netflix

**Director:** Pablo Larraín

**Cast:** Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger

Fear Street Part I: 1994 (2021)

Kiana Madeira as Deena Johnson and Olivia Scott Welch as Samantha Fraser in 'Fear Street Part I: 1994'. Netflix

It's a familiar setup — a group of clever, plucky suburban teens battling a hooded, skull-masked serial killer who returns from the dead — but this brisk adaptation of the R.L. Stine novel series offers more than just the obvious tropes. The *Fear Street* trilogy is a knowing mash-up of slasher films, ghost stories, and summer camp killers bound together by an ancient supernatural curse.

The second chapter in the franchise flashes back to 1978, and the third film to 1666, exploring a detailed backstory. Plus, the lesbian romance at the heart of the trilogy provides a modern spin. —*D.H.*

Where to watch *Fear Street Part I: 1994*: Netflix

**Director:** Leigh Janiak

**Cast:** Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald, Fred Hechinger

Gerald’s Game (2017)

Bruce Greenwood as Gerald and Carla Gugino as Jessie Burlingame in 'Gerald's Game'. Fantastic Fest 2017

On vacation at a remote lake house, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) plays a kinky sex game with his wife, Jessie (Carla Gugino), handcuffing her to the bed and then dropping dead of a heart attack. Shackled to the bedposts with no chance of rescue, Jessie has to figure out how to survive.

Adapting a Stephen King novel long thought to be unfilmable, *Gerald's Game* fleshes out the story by bringing Gerald back to life as a hallucination, giving Jessie someone to talk to as she confronts her inner demons. Stirring performances by Gugino and Greenwood make this film a compelling watch. —*D.H.*

Where to watch *Gerald's Game*: Netflix

**Director:** Mike Flanagan

**Cast:** Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Carel Struycken

Green Room (2015)

Anton Yelchin as Pat in 'Green Room'.

Punk musicians square off against neo-Nazis in *Green Room*, a horror thriller about a murder that turns into a bloodbath. The punk band the Ain’t Rights are at the tail end of their tour of the Pacific Northwest when they find themselves booked at a skinhead bar. After the band witnesses the aftermath of a murder, the Nazis take them hostage; with only one way out of the green room, it’s up to the band to fight for their right to survive.

*Green Room*’s premise is terrifying enough, but the film’s fear factor is taken up a notch thanks to Patrick Stewart’s performance as the primary villain. EW’s critic writes, “Stewart is way scarier when he’s neither barking nor biting but just purring controlled threats.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Green Room*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director: **Jeremy Saulnier

**Cast: **Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner

Host (2020)

Caroline Ward as Caroline in 'Host'.

People aren’t exactly lining up to return to the days of COVID quarantine, but social isolation and disease restrictions prompted filmmakers to get even more creative with their work. Clocking in at just under an hour, the horror movie *Host* (2020) is one of the best cinematic examples of pandemic artistry, and tells the story of a Zoom séance that goes awry when a demon joins the call.

Director Rob Savage worked with his actors remotely, but relied on them to produce their own hair, makeup, props, and practical effects. Everything about *Host *is DIY and that’s part of what makes it so impressive — and so terrifying. With everyone’s fear fixated on the pandemic, it didn’t seem unreasonable to assume a demon or two might have slipped through unnoticed. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Host*: Netflix

**Director: **Rob Savage

**Cast: **Haley Bishop, Radina Drandova, Jemma Moore, Caroline Ward, Emma Webb

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Zombies in 'Night of the Living Dead'.

George Romero thought *Night of the Living Dead* would be a “one-off,” but his seminal zombie flick has persevered to fundamentally shape the modern horror landscape. The *Dead* franchise spawned numerous entries and imitators, most notably *Dawn of the Dead* (1978) and its well-regarded 2004 remake, and one of the most successful TV series of this century — *The Walking Dead* — wouldn’t exist without this low-budget lark.

Named one of EW’s scariest movies of all time, Romero’s slow-burn, documentary-like approach to the apocalypse is as mundane as it is violent; the end comes not with an explosion, but the slow encroachment of our dead loved ones. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Night of the Living Dead*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A+

**Director:** George Romero

**Cast:** Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman, Judith Ridley

A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott in 'A Quiet Place Part II'.

Jonny Cournoyer/Paramount

John Krasinski crafted a supernatural masterpiece with practically no dialogue with *A Quiet Place* (2018), which follows the Abbott family as they attempt to survive in a world overtaken by aliens with hypersensitive hearing. This sequel picks up where the first movie left off, with Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt), her deaf daughter (Millicent Simmonds) — whose high-pitch-frequency-emitting cochlear implants have given the family an advantage in protecting themselves — and two sons trying to move on from their lost loved ones and destroyed home while connecting with other survivors. A prequel called *A Quiet Place: Day One* was released in 2024, and *A Quiet Place Part III* is expected to premiere in July 2027. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *A Quiet Place Part II*: Netflix on April 11

**EW grade: **B+

**Director:** John Krasinski

**Cast: **Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou

Saw (2004)

Cary Elwes as Lawrence Gordon in 'Saw'.

Greg Gayne/Lionsgate

Long before escape rooms were considered a fun way to spend an afternoon, a pair of Australian filmmakers figured out that mind games make for good horror movies. The film *Saw*, directed by genre ace James Wan and written by actor-screenwriter Leigh Whannell, follows the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell), whose modus operandi is to trap his prey and force them to participate in sadistic games to test their will to survive.

Whannell and Cary Elwes star as Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon, two men who find themselves caught in Jigsaw’s clutches and tasked with committing physical atrocities against each other (and themselves) to survive. The first released in a franchise of 10 movies, *Saw* is, as an EW critic writes, “a gristle-cut B psycho thriller that would like to tap the sickest corners of your imagination.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Saw*: Netflix

**Director: **James Wan

**Cast:** Leigh Whannell, Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes, Monica Potter, Danny Glover

Train to Busan (2016)

Gong Yoo as Seok-woo in 'Train to Busan'. Well Go USA Entertainment

The only thing faster than a bullet train is the zombie infection overtaking its passengers. In the South Korean action horror film *Train to Busan*, Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) is a work-obsessed hedge fund manager and absentee father who agrees to accompany his young daughter, Soo-an (Kim Su-an), on a bullet train from Seoul to Busan so she can spend her birthday with her mother.

As the train departs, a sick woman begins transitioning into a zombie — and infecting everyone around her. These zombies seem to have studied at the *World War Z* School of Swarming; they move at the same frenetic speed, infecting the entire country during the course of the movie's under two-hour run time. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Train to Busan*: Netflix through May 1

**EW grade:** B+

**Director: **Yeon Sang-ho

**Cast: **Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik

Under the Shadow (2016)

Narges Rashidi as Shideh and Bobby Naderi as Iraj in 'Under the Shadow'. Kit Fraser

Living in Tehran during the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, Shideh (Narges Rashidi) and her young daughter (Avin Manshadi) are under constant threat from missile strikes — and from the terrifying djinn that appears to be haunting their apartment. While her husband and neighbors urge Shideh to take her daughter to safety, the spirit taunts her, questioning whether she's a respectable woman and a good mother.

Complex and thought-provoking, *Under the Shadow *makes a unique addition to the horror canon. EW's critic calls the movie "a skilled, chilling feature debut that might follow you around a while after seeing it." —*D.H.*

Where to watch *Under the Shadow*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+

**Director:** Babak Anvari

**Cast:** Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi

Verónica (2017)

Olga Segura as Verónica and Arcelia Ramirez as the psychologist in 'Verónica'.

Everett Collection

In Madrid, 15-year-old Verónica (Sandra Escacena) has a dead father, an absent mother, and three young siblings whom she cares for on her own. In an attempt to contact her dad, she and two friends play with an Ouija board. She cuts her hand, and drips blood on the board — an obvious no-no among Ouija enthusiasts — causing something demonic to emerge and attach itself to her.

Dark forces start to attack, and Verónica's descent into madness is all the more upsetting because it threatens her adorable little brother and sisters. *Verónica* notably wraps up with an explanation of the true story that inspired the film. —*D.H.*

Where to watch *Verónica*: Netflix

**Director:** Paco Plaza

**Cast:** Sandra Escacena, Claudia Placer, Bruna González, Iván Chavero, Ana Torrent

Your Monster (2024)

Tommy Dewey as Monster and Melissa Barrera as Laura Franco in 'Your Monster'.

A horror romantic comedy that riffs on *Beauty and the Beast*, *Your Monster* is a genre mash-up that is sure to delight. Laura (Melissa Barrera) has just been broken up with by her long-term boyfriend, Jacob (Edmund Donovan). Forced to move back home, Laura discovers a monster (Tommy Dewey) squatting in her childhood bedroom. He agrees to give her two weeks to get her life together, and so begins the relationship between a woman trying to move on and the monster who lives in her closet.

Much of the film centers around a musical theater production involving Jacob, Laura, and the woman Laura believes Jacob is romantically interested in, so the film has some songs. But the movie primarily exists as a showcase for Barrera, one of the most exciting actors in this new class of Scream Queens. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Your Monster*: Netflix

**Director: **Caroline Lindy

**Cast:** Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster, Meghann Fahy

Zombieland (2009)

Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus and Amber Heard as 406 in 'Zombieland'.

Glen Wilson/Columbia Pictures

A fusion of zombie rom-com and road trip movie, *Zombieland* stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as survivors of a national epidemic who meet up on the road and agree to head west together. Known only to each other by their cities of origin, Columbus (Eisenberg), a former college student; Tallahassee (Harrelson), a zombie-killing aficionado; and sisters Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin) find themselves breaking all of their apocalypse rules and trusting each other as they head to California in search of a zombie-free space. As EW’s critic writes, “*Zombieland* is a polished, very funny road picture shaped by wisenheimer cable-TV sensibilities.”* —I.G.*

Where to watch *Zombieland*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Ruben Fleischer

**Cast:** Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

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Source: “EW Movie”