These are the best horror movies streaming on Netflix during this Halloween season. With the spooky holiday just around the corner, now is the perfect time to put together a marathon of scary films and spend a few hours getting terrified in front of the TV screen. And Netflix's catalog of creepy movies is big enough to ensure that any horror lover will have plenty to binge this October.
The streaming giant is certainly no stranger to the horror genre. From including decades' worth of classics to producing and distributing their own original films, Netflix boasts a massive collection of scary movies that range from monster and slasher stories to haunting and supernatural thrillers. There's more than enough to satisfy a userbase looking for scares and thrills.
With such a huge range of movies to choose from, it can be difficult to dig through every offering and find the very best that Netflix has to offer. Thankfully, there are plenty of genuinely solid films currently available for horror aficionados to sink their teeth into, including both cherished classics and more recent productions. Here are the eight best horror movies that can be streamed on Netflix for Halloween 2021.
Jaws (1975)
A genuine classic in every sense of the word, the original Jaws movie has been terrifying audiences since 1975. Even after 46 years, the horrific story of a killer shark set loose on a small island community has lost none of its intensity or shock value. Directed by a young Steven Spielberg and credited with creating the institution of the summer blockbuster, Jaws combines elements of drama, adventure, and horror together to create a truly memorable motion picture. The film's three sequels are also currently streaming on Netflix, but pack much less of a frightening punch than the masterful original.
ParaNorman (2012)
For horror lovers in the mood for a family-friendly flick that still delivers plenty of scares, Laika's ParaNorman is a solid choice. Featuring a heartfelt story, a roster of fantastic voice actors, and stunning stop-motion animation from the same crew that created films like The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings, this charming tale of a young boy gifted with the power to see ghosts and tasked with an important mission is ideal for youngsters and parents alike.
Monster House (2006)
A perfect complement to ParaNorman is 2006's Monster House, a similarly family-friendly animated film that's perfect Halloween viewing for younger horror fans. Released by Sony and featuring GCI animation powered by motion-capture technology (a briefly lived fad circa the mid-2000s), this film follows a group of children who attempt to uncover the mysteries of a living, breathing haunted house that comes alive on Halloween night. For parents looking to find a good film to introduce horror to their children, Monster House is a safe and entertaining option.
In The Tall Grass (2019)
Easily one of the best Netflix Original horror films available on the streamer, 2019's In The Tall Grass is both nightmarish and intense, as one would expect of an adaptation of a novella from Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. The story is deceptively simple: a pregnant woman and her brother pull off to the side of a road in the middle of nowhere, believing they have heard the voice of a young boy calling for help from inside a field of grass. After entering the grass in search of the child, they soon discover that they are stuck, and that the grass itself is toying with their minds. As new characters enter the field and find themselves unable to escape, it becomes clear that something within the grass is not only capable of manipulating time and space, but is also decidedly evil. Part Children of the Corn, part The Twilight Zone, In the Tall Grass is not to be missed.
The Conjuring (2013)
The inaugural entry into what would eventually become one of the most successful cinematic universes of all time, the first Conjuring movie still stands as one of modern horror's finest moments. Based on a real case from the controversial careers of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring feels like a throwback to classic horror in all the best ways, and is every bit as heartfelt as it is intense. While it might've become the basis for an entire franchise, the film that started it all stands as a well-made film in its own right.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
For horror fans looking to enjoy a double-bill of scary movies on Netflix, following a viewing of The Conjuring with its sequel would make for a perfect night of fright. While The Conjuring 2 duplicates many of the same beats as its predecessor, it still manages to feel fresh thanks to its British setting and homages to one of the most notorious real-life paranormal cases ever documented. This was also the film that introduced audiences to Valak the demonic nun, a character whose spinoff movie remains the highest-grossing Conjuring movie of the franchise.
Underworld (2003)
Before being spun off into a series of sequels, the original Underworld stood out as a unique and action-packed take on the traditional vampire/werewolf story. Fortunately for fans of supernatural adventure films, the original film is currently streaming on Netflix in time for the Halloween season. Starring Kate Beckinsale and directed with a stylish flourish by Len Wiseman, Underworld's story of a tough-as-nails vampire hunter caught up in the ancient war between the bloodsuckers and their lycanthrope enemies still packs a punch, and makes for perfect October viewing.
Crimson Peak (2015)
Last but certainly not least is a recent addition to Netflix's roster of horror movies: Guillermo del Toro's stylish and unsettling Crimson Peak. Described by its Academy Award-winning director as a "Gothic romance" rather than a straight horror movie, this frightening film nevertheless packs a terrifying punch with plenty of shocks, gore, and ghost sightings. When a humble young woman falls under the romantic spell of a charming aristocrat, she soon finds herself living in a skeletal gothic manor filled with sickening secrets, the hatred of her new husband's menacing sister, and more than a few spooky specters. Filled to bursting with gorgeous costumes and set designs, oozing with gothic intrigue, and featuring del Toro's traditionally brilliant use of practical effects and monster suits, Crimson Peak is a standout film in both del Toro's filmography and Netflix's 2021 horror catalogue.