The 12 best horror movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix this Halloween

Netflix is ready to scare your socks off

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Since Halloween only comes around once a year, you've got to get your horror film binge watching in while you can. While a Halloween-themed movie like "Hocus Pocus" can be fun to watch, there is nothing better than getting a good scare on your couch. 

Thankfully, Netflix has a slew of horror films that are a part of its “Netflix and Chills” promotion. There are classic horror films that defined the genre, and a ton of new scary movies that are blockbuster hits. Take a look at some of our favorite creepy movies that still make people scream in horror. 

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“The Witch”

“The Witch” follows a Puritan family living in the 1630s in New England. The family is banished from their Puritan settlement and must live on their own near a forest that may or may not be haunted by some supernatural forces. It’s dark and twisted -- everything a good horror film should be.

“The Sixth Sense”

Do you see dead people? Haley Joel Osment certainly did in this classic scary movie that went on to be nominated for six Academy Awards. This movie also cemented director and writer M. Night Shyamalan as a horror movie legend.

“The Conjuring”

The best part of “The Conjuring” is that it feels like you’re watching one of those TV shows that follows ghost hunters in homes that are haunted. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, whose reports inspired “The Amityville Horror” stories. A second movie was released in 2016 and a third installment is on the way.

“The Haunting of Hill House”

This horror series from Netflix has people squirming and freaked out. Netflix’s adaptation of the horror story starts out more like a family drama, but slowly turns into scary thrills. Someone even described it as a spooky version of “This Is Us.”

“Scream” movies

Fans of the "Scream" franchise will often debate which movie is the best, but luckily for you, Netflix has all of them for you to watch. The first “Scream” movie is such a classic, but there are plenty of people who think “Scream 4” is just as good as the earlier movies. 

“Cult of Chucky”

Just like the “Scream” movies, we wish all of the “Chucky” movies were on Netflix, but “Cult of Chucky” is the newest installment of the horror franchise and is pretty scary. Plus, there is a cameo from the brilliant Jennifer Tilly, who plays Chucky’s girlfriend, Tiffany.

“American Horror Story”

Who knew when producer Ryan Murphy created “American Horror Story” back in 2011 that it would still be around today, giving fans twisted and horrifying takes on popular horror genres. There’s been a haunted house, a coven, an apocalypse, an insane asylum and so many more. Actors such as Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates show up multiples times as different characters throughout this anthology series, and it’s hard to imagine the landscape of TV without it. You can binge all the seasons on Netflix. 

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”

When Netflix announced it was creating a new version of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” children of the ’90s collectively got super excited. What Netflix delivered, however, is far from the Melissa Joan Hart teen comedy we were expecting. Instead, Netflix went full horror with Sabrina, and based the series off the Sabrina comic book strip. It’s a more devilish version of Sabrina, and Kiernan Shipka (who you may remember as little Sally Draper in “Mad Men”) is having so much fun playing this devilish version of Sabrina. It’s a must watch. 

“Carrie”

You can’t go through the Halloween season without watching the classic horror flick “Carrie.” Based on one of Stephen King’s novels, “Carrie” is about a teenage girl dealing with bullies at school and an abusive mother. Things take a dark twist throughout the movie, and it has one of the most iconic horror film scenes of all time. If you’ve never seen this classic, we suggest you schedule it in sometime before Halloween. 

“1922”

There’s a reason so many works of Stephen King’s end up as movies. His novella, called “1922," was made into a movie in 2017 and joins the countless other King movies that defy the horror genre. The movie is about a father who convinces his son to help kill his wife, only to have it all blow up in his face, as he’s haunted by the memory of his dead wife. It’s a chilling story, and one you’ll want to watch this Halloween. 

“The Invitation”

You’d think that an invite to an intimate dinner party would be completely normal, but not in this movie. The story follows a man who is visiting his ex-wife’s house for a dinner party with old friends and his new girlfriend. Just like any good horror movie, things become a lot different once the party begins. 

“The House of the Witch”

Clearly the kids in this movie never learned from their parents not to go into a creepy, abandoned house, because that’s exactly what happens in this thriller. Once the group of teens break into this creepy house, you can probably assume who shows up to wreak havoc on the teens. It’s basically “Hocus Pocus” except a whole lot scarier.   


About the Author:

Jack is a Digital Content Editor with a degree in creative writing and French from Western Michigan University. He specializes in writing about movies, food and the latest TV shows.