The 20 Best Horror Movies On Netflix, According To Rotten Tomatoes

As October nears its end, it’s time to cram in some last-minute horror movies before its too late. And if you’re a Netflix subscriber, then you’re in luck, as the platform has tons of options to choose from. But here’s the thing: not all of the movies are great. So it helps to know which ones have been endorsed by the critical community. For your benefit, I’ve gone through every horror movie on Netflix and picked the ten (actually, twenty, as you’ll soon see) that have the best Rotten Tomato scores. From critically revered classics to little-seen gems, this list contains a diverse array of horror flicks that will suit movie night during the Halloween season.

So let’s get into it. Below, you’ll find the ten most highly rated horror movies on Netflix, paired with plot descriptions and why you should watch them. My criteria for contenders was that they needed at least 75 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes to qualify. Then, at the bottom of this article, you’ll find an additional ten movies that didn’t quite have enough reviews to make the cut. Altogether, you’ll have twenty options that, according to the critical community, offer the best of the best when it comes to horror on Netflix.

The Most Critically Acclaimed Horror Movies On Netflix

Under the Shadow (2016)

93 reviews — 99% approval rating

I want to start with a horror movie that arguably has the best reviews of any on Netflix. It also happens to be a movie you’ve probably never heard of: Under the Shadow. Set in 1980s post-revolution, war-torn Tehran, this underrated Persian-language gem follows Shideh (played by Narges Rashidi), who is left to parent all by herself after her husband is deployed to the Iran-Iraq war. Shideh struggles to care for her young daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) as air raids ravage the city and tear apart their house. Strange and unsettling occurrences begin to plague their home, and as the terror intensifies, Shideh starts to believe a malevolent spirit, or what’s also known as a "djinn," has attached its ghostly demonic to them. This film directed by Babak Anvari compels by operating on two levels: the supernatural threat posed by the djinn and the real-world fears of war and societal oppression that plague so many. The fear of the djinn becomes a metaphor for the larger cultural and political restrictions that Shideh faces as a woman in post-revolutionary Iran. Her struggles with losing her freedom, her dreams of becoming a doctor and her role as a mother are interwoven with the supernatural elements, making the horror both personal and political in this riveting piece of social commentary.

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Pearl (2022)

215 reviews — 93% approval rating

If you haven’t treated yourself to the best horror trilogy of the 21st century, then ready yourself for one heck of a bloody-good time. From the brilliant mind of writer-director Ti West comes three movies: X, Pearl and MaXXXine, which together offer a critique of the Hollywood Dream as they explore various stages and genres movies have gone through in America. The second movie of that trilogy, Pearl, is actually a direct prequel to the events that take place in X. Set in 1918, Pearl follows the life of of its titular character (Mia Goth), a young woman living on an isolated farm with her strict mother Ruth (Tandi Wright) and her ailing father (Matthew Sunderland). Our protagonist wishes to escape the mind-numbing monotony of the family farm and dreams of becoming a glamorous movie star. But as her isolation deepens and her repressed desires fester, Pearl’s mental state begins to unravel—and there are consequences for such frustration.A very modern take on slasher films, Pearl leans heavily into psychological horror, placing more emphasis on the slow disintegration of Pearl’s mental state than thrills and kills. Mia Goth’s tour-de-force performance is central to this, as the film serves as a character study of someone consumed with the “glamorous life” that’s been sold to them by Hollywood, of someone who’s slowly unraveling psyche leads to savage acts of violence.

Psycho (1960)

117 reviews — 97% approval rating

It should be no surprise that Psycho, one of the most popular and influential horror films of all time, made its way onto this list. The only surprising part is...how is the rating not 100%? This legendary thriller from Alfred Hitchcock begins with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary who impulsively steals $40,000 from her employer and flees the city. During her frantic flee, during which she constantly fears being stopped by the police, Marion stops at the secluded Bates Motel, run by the polite but peculiar Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). As she settles in for the night, Marion is surprised and unsettled by the strange behavior from Norman, who seems to be obsessively controlled by his possessive mother. What follows is a series of shocking revelations and horrific events, as Marion's confrontation with the Bates leads to a tense investigation that uncovers the disturbing secrets hidden at the family’s motel. Hitchcock, known as the "Master of Suspense," carefully builds tension throughout Psycho by keeping the audience on edge, constantly misdirecting the audience as to what the story is truly about. From the opening scenes of Marion's theft to her fateful arrival at Bates Motel (the first hour of this movie features some of the best filmmaking and acting ever) to the impending investigation, Hitchcock constantly shifts the focus, keeping viewers unsure of what will happen next.

A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

369 reviews — 91% approval rating

A Quiet Place was such a resounding success, pulling in $340.9 million from the international box office, that a sequel was all but guaranteed. And while the follow-up from director John Krasinski made slightly less with $297.3 million, many would argue that the franchise truly found its stride in ​A Quiet Place Part II. The movie picks up immediately after the events of the first film, following the Abbott family—single mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt), her deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), her son Marcus (Noah Jupe) and her newborn baby—as they fight for survival in a world overrun by blind aliens that hunt by sound. Forced to flee from their home, the Abbotts ventures beyond the land they knew so well and battle new dangers: both the deadly creatures and the remaining survivors of humanity. Along the way, they reunite with an old family friend, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who has seemingly lost all hope. Like the movie before it, A Quiet Place Part II uses sound, or the lack thereof, as its central tool for creating tension. The film plays with silence and the heightened sensitivity to noise, making every sound, whether it’s a creak, whisper, or accidental noise, carry potentially deadly consequences.

The Babadook (2014)

251 reviews — 98% approval rating

The Babadook isn’t just one of the highest rated horror films on Netflix—it’s one of the highest rated movies on the streaming platform period. And that’s largely because of its influence, as many believe this low-budget film (it cost just $2 million to make) ushered in the wave of high-concept horror that’s dominated Hollywood for the past ten years. Directed by Jennifer Kent, The Babadook tells the story of Amelia (Essie Davis), a widow struggling with grief as she raises her troubled six-year-old son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). Still reeling from the traumatic death of her husband, Amelia faces mounting exhaustion as Samuel begins to exhibit increasingly erratic behavior, claiming that a sinister creature from a mysterious pop-up book, “The Babadook,” is haunting their home. As Amelia’s sanity begins to dissipate, she starts to believe the Babadook may be real, threatening to destroy what’s left of her family. Using a decidedly arthouse approach to horror, The Babadook heavily focuses on the psychological aspects of the genre rather than jump scares or supernatural fright, with the central monster of the story representing Amelia’s repressed grief and mental anguish over her husband’s death. The result is a deeply empathetic film about how tough it can be to make it in this world when you feel all alone.

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

103 reviews — 91% approval rating

My guess is that Bone Tomahawk didn’t reach a wider audience because of its Western elements, as the genre just doesn’t seem to connect with modern moviegoers. But make no mistake: this film’s director, S. Craig Zahler, has quite the following, and Bone Tomahawk has slowly but surely become a cult classic that many horror aficionados watch during the Halloween season. This Western-horror hybrid follows a group of men who set out on a dangerous rescue mission after a local woman, Samantha O'Dwyer (Lili Simmons), is kidnapped by a group of cave-dwelling, cannibalistic Troglodytes. Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell) leads the rescue party, which includes Samantha’s injured husband Arthur (Patrick Wilson), the deadly gunslinger John Brooder (Matthew Fox) and the elderly Deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins). The film seamlessly blends two seemingly disparate genres by merging the rugged, desolate frontier setting with the terror of a cannibalistic tribe. The Western elements are grounded in the stoic, determined characters, the sweeping landscapes, and the slow journey across the wilderness, while the horror emerges from the terrifying nature of the Troglodytes and the absolute terror they unleash upon the world.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

238 reviews — 84% approval rating

As you will can see, Evil Dead Rise’s rating isn’t as high as any other film on this list. However, the difference here is the sheer amount of reviews the movie got while still holding such a high approval rating, making Evil Dead Rise one of the best reviewed horror movies in quite some time. This follow-up to the ever-growing Evil Dead franchise follows estranged sisters Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland). After some time apart, they reunite in a cramped Los Angeles apartment where Ellie lives with her three children. But their get-together takes a terrifying turn when a mysterious book, revealed to be the Necronomicon, unleashes a demonic force that possesses Ellie, turning her into a violent and relentless Deadite. Unlike the previous films in the series that largely take place in isolated cabins in the woods, Evil Dead Rise brings the horror to an apartment building in a densely populated city. But that doesn’t stop this visually intoxicating film from rewarding its audience with extreme, graphic violence and over-the-top gore. Director Lee Cronin embraces the legacy of the Evil Dead franchise by pushing the boundaries of body horror, showing characters being dismembered, maimed and attacked in grotesque ways. Blood flows in gallons in this rollicking great time of a film (especially during the story’s climax), making it a true splatter-fest for the ages.

The Wailing (2016)

86 reviews — 99% approval rating

Any chance I can take to encourage somebody to watch The Wailing is time well spent. Of all the amazing horror films that South Korea has given us in the 21st century, none have been as compelling as this gem from Na Hong-Jin. Set in a rural South Korean village, this supernatural horror-thriller centers on a mysterious illness that causes people to exhibit violent and bizarre behavior before dying—often at the expense of their own family members. The local police, which includes our main character, officer Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won), struggle to find an explanation for the sudden outbreak. Jong-goo’s investigation intensifies when his young daughter, Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee), begins showing symptoms of the illness, leading him to become suspicious of a reclusive Japanese man (Jun Kunimura) who recently arrived in the village and seek help from a shaman (Hwang Jung-min) in a desperate attempt to save her, all while trying to decide if he should trust the Woman in White (Chun Woo-hee). The key to The Wailing’s success is its deliberately slow pacing, which allows the tension to build gradually as Jong-goo’s investigation into the disease’s origin unfolds. Rather than relying on constant scares or action, the film uses atmospheric horror, drawing on the eerie mood of the village and the surrounding countryside. The slow escalation of dread gives the film a suffocating tension, where moments of calm only deepen the unease.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

81 reviews — 91% approval rating

Gerald’s Game (2017)

Netflix seems to absolutely love Mike Flanagan, and for good reason: the horror-centric director has delivered hit after hit for the genre, from Oculus to Hush to Oujia: Origin of Evil to Doctor Sleep. And that doesn’t even include his Netflix series, like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. Many would argue, however, that his best movie yet has been Gerald’s Game. This film based on a Stephen King novel centers on Jessie Burlingame (Carla Gugino), who finds herself in a terrifying predicament after her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) dies suddenly of a heart attack during some sexual role-playing at a secluded lake house. Gerald had handcuffed Jessie to the bed as part of the game, leaving her trapped and unable to escape. As Jessie remains confined to the bed, with no one around to hear her cries for help, she begins to experience frightening hallucinations, flashbacks to her traumatic past and conversations with herself and a vision of Gerald. At the core of Gerald’s Game is a powerful exploration of sexual trauma and its long-lasting psychological effects. The film uses Jessie’s physical confinement as a metaphor for the emotional imprisonment caused by such trauma, with her struggle to escape the handcuffs mirroring her attempt to break free from the psychological chains of her past.

Zombieland (2009)

258 reviews — 89% approval rating

There are lots of dire, gruesome horror movies on this list—so why not close out with a fun one? Zombieland is just as entertaining in 2024 as it was in 2009, back when this star-studded action-comedy exploded onto American theaters with a $75 million box office showing. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, this post-apocalyptic zombie comedy follows a group of survivors navigating a world overrun by the undead. The story centers on Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a neurotic college student who survives by never straying from the set of rules he’s outlined for himself. Along the way, Columbus teams up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a gun-toting, Twinkie-obsessed zombie killer, Wichita (Emma Stone), a clever and cynical survivor, and her younger sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Together, they make their way across the country in an attempt to survive. Zombieland consgtantly maintains a brisk pace, quickly moving from one zombie-filled action set piece to the next, while still giving room for character development and lots of offbeat humor. Along the way, this quartet of awesome actors encounter hordes of zombies, a surprising celebrity cameo and a mix of hilarious and heartfelt moments as they form an unconventional family. The zombie kills are super fun in this one, and the high level of energy never ceases.

Honorable Mentions

Here are ten more critically revered movies on Netflix that didn’t qualify for this list due to too few reviews:

• Alone (2020) 63 reviews — 94% approval rating
• Creep (2014) 35 reviews — 91% approval rating
• Till Death (2021) 41 reviews — 90% approval rating
• Backcountry (2014) 54 reviews — 93% approval rating
• The Old Ways (2021) 43 reviews — 95% approval rating
• Vampires vs. The Bronx (2019) 42 reviews — 90% approval rating
• The Forest of Love (2019) 11 reviews — 100% approval rating
• 1922 (2017) 48 reviews — 92% approval rating
• The Block Island Sound (2020) 31 reviews — 90% approval rating