Netflix Has Upped Its Horror Game in 2020, and There Are Some Terrifyingly Great Options

If you're looking to watch a bone-chillingly scary movie, Netflix is your one-stop shop for all things spooky, gory, and gruesome. From psychological thrillers like The Perfection to goosebumps-worthy ghost stories like Insidious, there's not one movie on this list that won't scare you to your core. With terrifyingly twisted storylines to real-life terrors, this selection will make watching movies a whole new horror. Get ready for a chilling night in, because these films were made to spook you long after the credits finish rolling.

Additional reporting by Lauren Harano

01
Suzzanna: Buried Alive
Netflix

Suzzanna: Buried Alive

In this totally creepy Indonesian flick, a robbery turns into a murder when a pregnant woman's employees discover she is unexpectedly home during their heist, and though they bury her body in the backyard, she returns to haunt them in increasingly terrifying ways.

Watch Suzzanna: Buried Alive on Netflix now.

02
May the Devil Take You
Netflix

May the Devil Take You

This Indonesian horror flick tells the story of a young woman who, upon learning about her estranged father's mysterious illness, returns with her stepsister to her family's old villa to uncover the secrets of her family's demonic past.

Watch May the Devil Take You on Netflix now.

03
1922
Netflix

1922

This horror is a Stephen King adaptation, telling the story of a farmer in Nebraska, a domestic dispute over inherited land with his wife, and a decision to commit murder — with the reluctant help of his 14-year-son, of course.

Watch 1922 on Netflix now.

04
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Netflix

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

In this creepy flick, a retired horror writer suffering from dementia hires a live-in nurse to care for both her and her Braintree, MA, estate. However, what the writer fails to mention to her new caretaker is that Polly, the fictional protagonist of her most popular novel, The Lady in the Walls, is not actually fictional, and that she may have been killed in the estate the writer now inhabits.

Watch I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House on Netflix now.

05
Ghost Stories
Netflix

Ghost Stories

This Indian anthology horror film comes from the directors of Lust Stories and consists of four short segments, each with their own uniquely chilling supernatural story.

Watch Ghost Stories on Netflix now.

06
The 3rd Eye
Netflix

The 3rd Eye

When two sisters move back into their childhood home after the death of their parents, one of the sisters senses that the house may also be inhabited by a dark, unseen presence.

When it's available: Sept. 28

07
The 3rd Eye 2
Netflix

The 3rd Eye 2

In this follow-up to The 3rd Eye, Alia takes a job in an orphanage, where she meets a teen named Nadia who claims that she possesses the same inner eyes that Alia does and that she hears eerie voices in the walls, the source of which they try to find together.

Watch The 3rd Eye 2 on Netflix now.

08
#Alive
Netflix

#Alive

It wouldn't be Halloween season without at least one good zombie flick! This time, a young man gets left behind when his family goes on vacation — just as a zombie apocalypse kicks off. After two weeks alone, he thinks he's totally isolated, until he finds out that one of his neighbors has survived too, and the two try to communicate to figure out a way to escape from their zombie-filled apartment complex.

Watch #Alive on Netflix.

09
The Babysitter
Netflix

The Babysitter

When a 12-year-old boy falls in love with his babysitter, he soon finds out she's part of a satanic cult that wants to kill him. Yikes is right.

Watch The Babysitter on Netflix now.

10
The Babysitter: Killer Queen
Netflix

The Babysitter: Killer Queen

Two years ago, a boy defeated a demonic cult led by his babysitter, but to this day, no one believes him, even though the babysitter and her friends have all vanished. When he accepts an invitation from his crush to a Halloween lake party, he discovers that old evil isn't quite so dead after all.

Watch The Babysitter on Netflix now.

11
Green Room
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Green Room

This one is gripping, guys. I never knew I'd be so rapt by an unassuming punk band taking on a huge gang of neo-Nazis, but wow, did this one rope me in. I don't think you could ever guess how it pans out.

Watch Green Room on Netflix now.

12
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
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The Autopsy of Jane Doe

This is one of the few movies that have managed to rattle me in recent years. Expect great scares that don't feel too cheap and a dread that lingers when the lights go out.

Watch The Autopsy of Jane Doe on Netflix now.

13
The Perfection
Netflix

The Perfection

This terrifyingly suspenseful film follows troubled musicians Charlotte (Allison Williams) and Elizabeth (Logan Browning) down a sinister path to a place they never thought they would end up.

Watch The Perfection on Netflix now.

14
Hush
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Hush

When a masked killer finds a deaf writer who lives in the woods, things get real scary.

Watch Hush on Netflix now.

15
Insidious
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Insidious

A home is haunted. A young boy becomes possessed. Sinister forces are at work. Are you scared yet?

Watch Insidious on Netflix now.

16
The Witch
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The Witch

Wouldst thou like to sh*t thy pants deliciously? Then thou best watch The Witch, a "New-England folktale" that will have you side-eyeing every goat for the rest of your life.

Watch The Witch on Netflix now.

17
Apostle
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Apostle

A rather recent Netflix original, Apostle certainly packs a punch that's altogether quite crazy and gruesome.

Watch Apostle on Netflix now.

18
Creep
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Creep

You know, I'm more or less tired of the whole "found footage" genre, but this one really does freak you the f*ck out. Who knew Mark Duplass could play such a convincing serial killing psychopath?

Watch Creep on Netflix now.

19
Creep 2
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Creep 2

Turns out, round two is just as tense, wild, and f*cked up as round one.

Watch Creep 2 on Netflix now.

20
Mara
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Mara

After a man mysteriously appears to have been murdered in his sleep by his wife, one criminal psychologist uncovers a pretty gripping case. I'm in.

Watch Mara on Netflix now.

21
The Ritual
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The Ritual

Here we have one of the rare cases in which there's a horrifying monster and they show it in all its glory. And let me tell you, it's truly a sight to see. It all tumbles into one rather haunting tale.

Watch The Ritual on Netflix now.

22
Gerald's Game
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Gerald's Game

I already gave this one a pretty rave review, just because it's so chilling and well-done. It'll really get you.

Watch Gerald's Game on Netflix now.

23
Before I Wake
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Before I Wake

Nothing like a little maddening surreal horror to really add a little kick to your horror movie viewing experience, right?

Watch Before I Wake on Netflix now.

24
Veronica
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Veronica

This one definitely blew up on the internet as a great horror film that will scare the ever-loving sh*t out of you. Probably best to watch it with every single light on, every single door locked, and every single stuffed animal you own.

Watch Veronica on Netflix now.

25
As Above, So Below
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As Above, So Below

If you want a real mind trip that is nearly impossible to figure out, this is your match. It's impossible to tell what's real and what's not, what's up and what's down, and what will give you brutal, brutal nightmares. Have fun!

Watch As Above, So Below on Netflix now.

26
Malevolent
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Malevolent

You really won't see the multiple twists coming in this supernatural haunted house tale, added in Fall 2018. And it's super bleak. Isn't that what makes it so fun?

Watch Malevolent on Netflix now.

27
Mercy Black
Netflix

Mercy Black

This 2019 horror flick follows a woman who is released from a psychiatric hospital after she stabbed a classmate 15 years ago to conjure a ghost. When she goes to live with her sister, she realizes that her nephew is obsessed with the same ghost, and she must try to save him from the demonic evil that's about to take over.

Watch Mercy Black on Netflix now.

28
Sinister
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Sinister

True-crime writer Ellison Oswald just bought a house, only to find a snuff film showing the brutal deaths of a family that lived there before him. He vows to solve the mystery of their deaths, but realizes living in the house might lead his family to the same dark fate.

Watch Sinister on Netflix now.

29
Shutter
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Shutter

One more Japanese-inspired turn for the road. While not as well-known as, say, The Ring or The Grudge, I guarantee this one will still give you the same kinds of deep-seated chills.

Watch Shutter on Netflix now.

30
The Forest
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The Forest

This chilling horror movie follows a girl who is on the search for her twin sister who disappeared in a forest in Japan. Her journey takes her into the dark depths of the wilderness where tormented souls of the dead prey on those who enter their territory.

Watch The Forest on Netflix now.

31
Death Note
Netflix

Death Note

Loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, this supernatural thriller stars Nat Wolff as Light Turner, a high schooler who discovers a mysterious leather-bound notebook that has the power to kill anyone who's name is written in its pages. He and his girlfriend (who's played by Margaret Qualley) team up to eliminate all criminals, while an eccentric detective (played by Lakeith Stanfield) attempts to stop them.

Watch Death Note on Netflix now.

32
Demonic
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Demonic

A group of amateur ghost hunters gets slaughtered while exploring an abandoned haunted house. Now, it's up to a psychologist (Maria Bello) and police officer to figure out what happened.

Watch Demonic on Netflix now.

33
Sabrina
Netflix

Sabrina

Not to be confused with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, this equally chilling horror flick follows a toymaker and his wife, who find themselves terrorized by a demon doll after their niece tries to summon her late mother with a Spanish paper-and-pencil game called Juego de la Lapicera.

Watch Sabrina on Netflix now.

34
Eli
Netflix

Eli

This thrilling drama follows a young boy who's plagued by a mysterious and totally debilitating illness, and his parents, who turn to a doctor who claims she may cure their son — though the process will be intense, and her clean house facility will contain even more mysteries than the boy's illness.

Watch Eli on Netflix now.

35
Clinical
Netflix

Clinical

The 2017 Netflix original film Clinical follows a psychiatrist grappling with the after effects of a terrifying attack, as she must also help a patient who was disfigured in an accident. Also, get ready to fangirl, because it stars Vinessa Shaw from Hocus Pocus as the psychiatrist.

Watch Clinical on Netflix now.

36
Cabin Fever
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Cabin Fever

This 2016 remake of the original 2002 film revolves around a group of five impossibly attractive teens, a secluded cabin, and a flesh-eating virus that throws a wrench in their week-long vacation. Yes, this movie has zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but that doesn't mean it's not a good time regardless.

Watch Cabin Fever on Netflix now.

37
Holidays
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Holidays

You will never look at Valentine's Day the same way again after you watch this horror anthology centered on nine iconic holidays.

Watch Holidays on Netflix now.

38
The Open House
Netflix

The Open House

When a mother and her son move to a family vacation house, it's evident that sinister forces don't want them there. This movie will spook you to your core.

Watch The Open House on Netflix now.

39
The Bye Bye Man
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The Bye Bye Man

Three college kids accidentally unleash a supernatural killer known as the Bye Bye Man. If you think you can handle the horror, watch it ASAP.

Watch The Bye Bye Man on Netflix now.

40
Cult of Chucky
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Cult of Chucky

The killer doll is back, and this time his mission is to kill people in an asylum for the criminally insane. If something like this sounds up your alley, then you'll enjoy this twisted flick.

Watch Cult of Chucky on Netflix now.

41
The Invitation
Netflix

The Invitation

When a man accepts an invitation to a dinner party at his ex-wife's house, things go as one would expect: extremely bad. It turns out she and her new husband have cooked up some evil plans for the rest of the night.

Watch The Invitation on Netflix now.

42
Would You Rather
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Would You Rather

This 2012 thriller follows Iris (Brittany Snow) and seven other people who partake in a deadly game in order to win a large sum of money . . . That is, if they make it out alive.

Watch Would You Rather on Netflix now.

43
13 Cameras
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13 Cameras

A newlywed couple move into a home and are unaware that their every move is being watched. Are you spooked yet?

Watch 13 Cameras on Netflix now.

44
Friend Request
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Friend Request

Clicking "accept" might have been the worst decision that a popular college girl has ever made. Trust us when we say that this 2017 thriller will make you rethink every friend request you ever get.

Watch Friend Request on Netflix now.

45
Don't Knock Twice
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Don't Knock Twice

A demonic witch is involved in this thriller that will scare you to death. Need we say more?

Watch Don't Knock Twice on Netflix now.

46
Little Evil
Netflix

Little Evil

When a newly married man tries to bond with his stepson, he finds out that this little guy might be full of evils like no other.

Watch Little Evil on Netflix now.

47
Truth or Dare
Netflix

Truth or Dare

When eight friends stay at a haunted house, things go horribly bad. See who makes it out alive and who doesn't.

Watch Truth or Dare on Netflix now.

48
The Silence
Netflix

The Silence

A terrifying creature is attacking human prey by sound, but 16-year-old Ally Andrews (Kiernan Shipka) is deaf. When they encounter an eerie cult, things only get worse.

Watch The Silence on Netflix now.

50
In the Tall Grass
Netflix

In the Tall Grass

When a pregnant woman and her brother hear a young boy in the fields, they go out to try and find him. Once they are in the fields, they are disoriented by a sinister force and realize that being lost in the tall grass is the only thing better than being found.

Watch In the Tall Grass on Netflix now.

51
Sinister 2
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Sinister 2

When a single mother and her two kids move into a house occupied by spirits that are on the hunt for young children, things get as horrifying as one would expect.

Watch Sinister 2 on Netflix now.

52
You Get Me
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You Get Me

We'll admit this movie is a little far-fetched, but there's no doubt that Bella Thorne makes for a very compelling stalker who will go to any lengths to get close to a guy after a one-night stand.

Watch You Get Me on Netflix now.