Halloween is nigh upon us, and ’tis the season for ghoulish celebrations. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a handy list of well-reviewed movies and TV shows you can stream on Netflix right now, in case you want to get a head start on the spooky festivities. Whether you’re looking for a classic slasher flick, a pyschological thriller, a horror comedy, or even something you can watch with the kids, we’ve got you covered. See below for all of the selections.
(Photo by Magnet Releasing)
This follow-up to the 2013 omnibus film features 26 horror segments — one for each letter of the alphabet — helmed by 26 different directors.
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Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology series boasts spooky environs, provocative themes, and top-notch acting from Jessica Lange, Dylan McDermott, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Zachary Quinto, and Frances Conroy. Seasons 1-6 are available to stream.
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Writer-director Jennifer Kent’s Golden Tomato Award-winning horror film tells the deeply unnerving story a widow and her six-year-old who are bedeviled by a storybook monster.
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This Turkish horror film tells the terrifying tale of a group of cops who stumble into an otherworldly realm.
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Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, and Olivia Cooke star in this reimagining of Norman Bates’ teenage years — those carefree days before he took over the family business and had to deal with constant nagging from Mother. Seasons 1-4 are available.
Arguably considered the first true horror film, this silent era classic tells the story of a traveling hypnotist with a murderous secret.
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A film archivist discovers that the home he shares with his family was the site of a brutal murder and soon finds himself terrorized by evil visions and a dark presence in this Irish import.
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This Netflix animated series based on the classic video game franchise centers on the last in a long line of monster hunters, who attempts to keep his country safe from a vengeful vampire.
(Photo by Warner Brothers courtesy Everett Collection)
Tim Burton’s first foray into stop-motion animation follows a young groom-to-be named Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp) who unwittingly marries an undead woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) while practicing his wedding vows.
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Mark Duplass and director Patrick Brice star in Brice’s psychological thriller about an amateur videographer who agrees to film a man who lives in the woods for a day, only to discover the man may not be all that he seems.
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The latest installment of the long-running horror franchise finds the demonic doll terrorizing a woman in an asylum, while his old nemesis attempts to save her.
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This horror-tinged drama centers on two people who travel to a remote house to experiment with occult rituals.
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While trying to escape their restrictive lives, two teens in a heavy metal band perform a piece of forbidden music that unlocks the gates of hell.
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After witnessing what she believes is a murder on an internet video chat site, a young grad student decides to investigate it herself and becomes the next victim.
(Photo by IFC Midnight)
Ethan Embry and Shiri Appleby star as a couple who move with their daughter into a new home, where the husband — and a deranged former resident who returns to terrorize them — is haunted by mysterious voices.
(Photo by Mélusine Productions)
Edgar Allan Poe’s dark words come to life in this animated anthology including stories such as “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” narrated by the likes of Christopher Lee and Guillermo Del Toro.
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This indie horror film centers on the immensely disturbing life led by a young woman after a shattering act of violence.
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Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood star in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix original adaptation of the Stephen King novel about a woman who is left chained to a bed when a sex game with her husband goes tragically wrong.
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Jack Black stars in this fantasy adventure as author R.L. Stine, whose various Goosebumps creations come to life and terrorize his town. He must team up with his daughter and next door neighbor to stop the madness.
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In this thriller from the UK, a young family moves in to a secluded house, disturbing an ancient evil that resides in the woods nearby.
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Henry Rollins stars in this horror comedy about a grizzled depressive who literally cannot expire.
(Photo by New World Releasing courtesy Everett Collection)
Clive Barker’s 1987 feature debut is a grisly affair that takes full advantage of his twisted imagination and births a memorable villain.
(Photo by Magnolia Pictures courtesy Everett Collection)
South Korea’s highest grossing film ever at the time of its release, The Host is director Bong Joon-ho’s breakout film, a sci-fi monster flick that combines scares, laughs, and satire in service of a popcorn flick as entertaining as it is intellectually satisfying.
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In this horror comedy from New Zealand, a woman sentenced to home confinement discovers her house is occupied by a malevolent spirit.
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Kate Siegel plays a young deaf author living alone who is terrorized by a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.)… who then turns the tables on her attacker.
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A man accepts an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife, an unsettling affair that reopens old wounds and creates new tensions.
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Maika Monroe stars as a suburban Michigan teen who becomes infected with a malevolent spirit after a sexual encounter, and it won’t stop pursuing her until she gives it to someone else — or dies.
(Photo by Diyah Pera/The CW)
In this CW series loosely based on the DC comic, Rose McIver stars as Liv, a zombie who helps police solve murders by eating dead victims’ brains and absorbing their memories. Seasons 1-3 are available.
(Photo by Magnet Releasing courtesy Everett Collection)
Scoot McNairy stars in this a low-budget sci-fi thriller about an attempt by the millitary to contain quarantined alien life.
(Photo by Jonathan Hession/Showtime)
Eva Green and Timothy Dalton lead an ensemble cast in Showtime’s gothic supernatural drama, which draws characters from classic literature like Victor Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and Dracula. All three seasons are available.
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This unusual horror/dark comedy/coming-of-age film centers on a lifelong vegetarian who discovers a taste for raw meat during her first year of veterinary school.
(Photo by Haut Et Court/Canal +/Sundance Channel)
This French series, which aired in the US on SundanceTV and was subsequently remade in English, follows a small mountain community where the deceased begin reappearing, accompanied by unexplained supernatural phenomena. Both seasons are available.
(Photo by Erica Parise/Netflix)
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star in this Netflix original horror-comedy about a suburban couple dealing with the wife’s sudden appetite for human flesh.
Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and John Heard star in this eerily plausible sci-fi adventure about a devastating storm that facilitates a shark attack on Los Angeles.
Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Walken star in Tim Burton’s take on the classic tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
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Directed by Jim Mickle, Stake Land is a post-apocalyptic indie horror road movie about vampire hunters that’s brimming with atmosphere.
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This sci-fi horror hybrid tells the tale of an ambitious actress who is unwittingly enlisted by a sinister organization for a strange performance.
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This wildly popular Netflix original series follows a group of precocious teens in a small Indiana town in 1983 as they attempt to make sense of the supernatural phenomena happening around them. Season 1 is available now, and season 2 is set to drop on October 27.
(Photo by Warner Bros. courtesy Everett Collection)
The demon-hunting Winchester brothers (played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) continue their quest to fight evil wherever they find it in this long-running CW horror series. Seasons 1-12 are available to stream.
(Photo by Weinstein Company courtesy Everett Collection)
Jess Weixler stars in this tongue-in-cheek horror comedy about a teenager who discovers she has teeth in her vagina. Yes, you read that correctly.
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This psychological thriller centers on a man who is convinced the world is on the verge of being overtaken by demons and attempts to hide his fear from a friend. Is he going mad, or is it real?
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This apocalyptic action-horror film from South Korea follows a group of passengers on a commuter train fighting to survive a zombie outbreak.
(Photo by Strand Releasing)
This thriller follows a trouble teen fascinated by vampires who meets another outcast and forms a potentially fraught bond with her.
(Photo by Magnet Releasing courtesy Everett Collection)
This Norwegian found footage horror comedy follows a group of college students in pursuit of a suspected bear poacher who instead stumble upon an unexpected discovery.
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This acclaimed horror hybrid from debuting writer-director Babak Anvari is set in war-torn Tehran and centers on a mother and daughter who may or may not be suffering from the presence of a Djinn.
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This horror film centers on the supernatural chaos that erupts after a policeman discovers a dying man and rushes him to treatment at a nearby hospital.
(Photo by Well Go USA)
This South Korean horror drama centers on a small town reeling from a series of brutal murders after the arrival of a mysterious stranger.
(Photo by Frank Ockenfels/AMC)
Thoughtful and gory in equal measure, AMC’s wildly popular action drama follows the lives of a handful of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Seasons 1-7 are available.
(Photo by Dark Sky Films)
Writer/director Ted Geoghegan makes a strong, stylish feature debut with this horror story about a grieving couple who move to a secluded home after the tragic death of their son; little do they know that their new home has a bloody past.
(Photo by New Line Cinema)
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is a self-conscious meta deconstruction of horror films that also happens to be one of the strongest entries in the Freddy Krueger saga.
Look out! The fifth film in Syfy’s shark-infested franchise is coming: Sharknado: Global Swarming reunites Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) and April Wexler (Tara Reid) in a globe-trotting, chainsaw-swinging shark-tornado adventure.
Can’t get enough ridiculous animal attacks? Check out this gallery of silly and savage cinematic offerings — many, like Sharknado, have lots of sequels if you need more mutant spiders or nightmare hybrid beasties.
Sharknado: Global Swarming premieres August 6 at 8/7C on Syfy.
Whether you need a good laugh, some sci-fi thrills, or a zombie scare, we’ve got you covered with this week’s choices, which also include a few smaller Certified Fresh choices you might have missed, the final season of a popular supernatural drama that just ended, and even an Oscar nominee. Read on for details.
The first two comedy specials Netflix picked up from Dave Chappelle, filmed separately in Hollywood and at Austin City Limits, cover topics on race, celebrity, fatherhood, and his own brushes with controversy.
Available now on: Netflix
The popular supernatural CW drama just ended its series run a week and a half ago, but Netflix already has its final season available to stream for those who might have missed out. Now you can watch the entire series in your jammies.
Available now on: Netflix
This apocalyptic action-horror film from South Korea follows a group of passengers on a commuter train fighting to survive a zombie outbreak.
Available now on: Netflix
This Italian documentary, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year’s Oscars, centers on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in and around the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa.
Available now on: Netflix
Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson star in this adaptation of the E.M. Forster novel about a couple whose love affair blooms against the backdrop of upheaval in the British class system during the early 20th century.
Available now on: Netflix
This French drama-thriller follows a young boy who discovers that the matriarchal society on the island where he lives may hide deep secrets after he discovers a body floating in the ocean.
Available now on: Netflix
Anton Yelchin, Bérénice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Glenn Close, Eric Stoltz, and Frank Langella star in a romantic comedy about a passionate affair between a married woman and an aspiring writer.
Available now on: Netflix
Max Irons, Sam Claflin, Holliday Grainger, and Natalie Dormer star in this drama about an exclusive Oxford University fraternity for the super wealthy.
Available now on: Netflix
Tatiana Maslany stars in this sci-fi drama series about a group of clones who fall into a conspiratorial whirlwind of mystery and deception.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
Richard Linklater‘s latest is a nearly plotless, freewheeling comedy about a party-hearty college baseball team in the early 1980s.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
This gleeful throwback to creature features of old is the story of two guys trying to stop a huge arachnid from destroying Los Angeles.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahani star in Jim Jarmusch’s slice-of-life tale about a bus driver and aspiring poet whose daily routine brings him into contact with his town’s colorful characters.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
The first of director Pablo Larraín’s acclaimed biopics last year, this homage to the Nobel Prize-winning poet focuses on a search for him during the 1940s after his Communist leanings made him a fugitive in Chile.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Based on an acclaimed children’s book by Robert C. O’Brien, this animated tale follows a widowed mouse trying to save her home who encounters a secret society of ultra-intelligent lab rats who have escaped from a nearby facility.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal star in Peter Bogdanovich’s homage to classic screwball comedies, about a young woman whose efforts to attract the attention of a timid musicologist lead to a series of misunderstandings.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
This drama from Chile — another treat from Pablo Larraín — is the story of four exiled priests and a nun who are confronted by their past secrets when another priest appears and causes a stir.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace star in the the original Swedish trilogy, based upon Stieg Larsson’s bestselling novels. All three are available on FandangoNOW.
Available now on FandangoNOW: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
This Certified Fresh documentary is a meditation on art that offers a unique tour of Paris’s famous Louvre museum through the lens of historical events.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
The great writer-director Pedro Almodóvar‘s latest is a drama about a woman whose life is upended after her estranged daughter returns.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
This dark comedy imagines that God is a petulant Belgian slacker with a rebellious young daughter.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino star in this follow-up to Robert Rodriguez’s popular kid-friendly action film, about a family of super spies who take on a double agent and a mad scientist.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Wes Craven’s original horror exploitation classic follows a band of rapists and murderers who are hunted by the parents of one of their victims.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller, and Jennifer Aniston star in this comedy about a company CTO and branch manager who set out to throw an epic holiday party in hopes of impressing a big client.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
This week on streaming video, we’ve got a sequel to a popular thriller, a feelgood sports drama, a Certified Fresh sci-fi movie, a not so Fresh sci-fi movie, and the Sharknado sequel. In addition, Netflix has also added a couple of Woody Allen films, a beloved sci-fi spoof, an iconic romance from the 1980s, and more. Read on for details:
71%
Robin Wright and Harvey Keitel star in this half-animated, half-live-action, all Certified Fresh fantasy about the movie business.
65%
Jon Hamm stars as J.B. Bernstein, a sports agent whose clientele is short on major league stars. So he travels to India and holds a contest to find two strong-armed cricket bowlers who have the stuff to become big league pitchers.
58%
Like its predecessor, The Purge takes place during a 12-hour stretch during which all laws are suspended and criminals run wild; this time, a grizzled cop (Frank Grillo) defends several law-abiding citizens while seeking to avenge the death of his son.
49%
A group of kids discover a small, adorable, owl-like robot from another planet; together, our heroes embark on a coming-of-age journey to return Echo to his home planet and save their hometown in the process.
90%
Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver star in this loving homage to classic sci-fi films; when they’re mistaken by aliens for real heroes, the cast of a popular space TV show is forced to contend with a cosmic threat.
Available now on: Netflix
78%
This throwback to creature features of old is the story of two guys trying to stop a huge arachnid from destroying Los Angeles.
Available now on: Netflix
72%
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey star in this dance-tastic drama that ushered several mini-generations of teen girls into adulthood.
Available now on: Netflix
75%
This documentary chronicles the tale of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who admitted to being an undocumented immigrant in a New York Times Magazine essay in 2011.
Available now on: Netflix
Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gilles, and Claire Holt star in this Vampire Diaries spinoff, about New Orleans’ original vampire family.
Available now on: Netflix
This week at the movies, we’ve got a telekinetic teen (Carrie, starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore); a pair of jail-breakers (Escape Plan, starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger); and a document leaker (The Fifth Estate, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Brühl). What do the critics have to say?
The original Carrie holds a special place in the hearts of horror buffs, so a remake is inherently fraught with peril. And critics say that while director Kimberly Peirce turns in a respectable effort, there’s little in this new Carrie that feels necessary. Chloe Grace Moretz stars as the title character, a teenage outcast with a demanding mom and telekinetic powers. Will the snobby kids at Carrie’s school learn not to mess with her? The pundits say Carrie is competently made, but does little to distinguish itself from Brian De Palma’s beloved original film. (Check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we run down some memorable horror movie remakes.)
God bless Sly and Arnie; it’s pretty inspiring to see the 1980s’ two biggest action stars still slugging it out well into their sixties. That said, critics feel Escape Plan isn’t the best vehicle for their talents; despite a few decent thrills, it’s a middling action flick with a flimsy plot and an overall lack of panache. Stallone stars as a security expert who’s been wrongly imprisoned, so he teams up with a fellow inmate (Schwarzenegger) and devises a plan to bust out. The pundits say the stars keep Escape Plan watchable, but they’re ultimately defeated by inert pacing and a by-the-numbers script.
Like The Social Network, The Fifth Estate is a ripped-from-the-headlines drama about how new technology is impacting our lives. Unfortunately, critics say that despite an impressive performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, this dramatic retelling of the WikiLeaks story is ill-prepared to tackle the issues it raises. Julian Assange (Cumberbatch) and hacker Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) create a site to publish clandestine information. However, when WikiLeaks scores a series of big scoops that infuriate the powerful, the site’s founders become divided on their mission and motives. The pundits say The Fifth Estate is a mostly skin-deep examination of the ethical questions that Assange raised, one that fails to bring its characters to life, despite the best efforts of a strong cast.
Steve McQueen‘s 12 Years a Slave, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender in a drama about a free man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, is Certified Fresh at 97 percent.
All Is Lost, starring Robert Redford as a man whose boat is lost at sea, is Certified Fresh at 94 percent.
An American Promise, a documentary about a pair of African American students in an exclusive and predominantly white private school, is at 89 percent.
Big Ass Spider!, a creature feature about two guys trying to stop a huge arachnid from destroying Los Angeles, is at 80 percent.
Kill Your Darlings, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan in a drama about a murder within the circle of associates that would become the Beat Generation, is at 76 percent.
Camille Claudel, 1915, starring Juliette Binoche in a biopic of the great sculptor, is at 67 percent.
Haunter, starring Abigail Breslin in a ghost story about a teenager forced to relive the same day for eternity, is at 56 percent.
2 Jacks, starring Danny Huston and Sienna Miller in a recreation of a Leo Tolstoy short story set in the golden age of Hollywood, is at 44 percent.
Paradise, starring Julianne Hough and Octavia L. Spencer in a comedy about a small-town girl who attempts to broaden her horizons after surviving a plane crash, is at 24 percent.
I’m In Love With A Church Girl, starring Ja Rule in a romantic drama about a tough guy who softens when he meets a churgoing lady, is at zero percent.
