The 39 Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now (October 2021)

Welcoming a parent’s new romantic partner is never an easy feat — especially when there’s something rather otherworldly about the new lover. In director Brandon R. Duemmler’s What Lies Below, Libby (Ema Horvath) is introduced to her mother’s new boyfriend, John (Trey Tucker). Though he’s an endearing man on the surface, Libby begins to sense there’s something very off about mom’s new squeeze — predictions that prove to be all too true. A blast of genre-camp, What Lies Below owes its narrative and performances to a number of sci-fi mashups that came before it. That being said, Duemmler’s unique vision is strong enough to raise this aquatic terror-flick to the top of the Netflix-original-horror trove.

Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
Stars: Ema Horvath, Trey Tucker, Mena Suvari
Director: Brandon R. Duemmler
Rating: NR
Runtime: 87 minutes

The director of The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Horns, and Crawl, Alexandra Aja takes a deep plunge into the popular crossover world of horror-meets-sci-fi with 2021’s Oxygen. The film stars Mélanie Laurent as Elizabeth Hansen, a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic pod with depleting oxygen levels, with no clue about how she got there. As the air pours out of her cell, Liz must fight to reclaim any semblance of who she is and why she’s been in a cryo-induced slumber. While the narrative may not be entirely fresh, you’ll want to watch Oxygen for the breathtaking lead performance from Mélanie Laurent, an actor who brings mighty chops to a role that a run-of-the-mill talent could easily phone in.

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Stars: Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi
Director: Alexandre Aja
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 101 minutes

Based on the R.L. Stine book series of the same name, the Netflix adaptation encompasses three films, kicking off with Part One: 1994. Our story follows Deena Johnson (Kiana Madeira) of Shadyside, a community plagued by a history of horrific murders. Many locals believe this to be the result of a hex from an ancient witch named Sarah Fier, but Deena doesn’t buy into the mythos. That is until several of Shadyside’s most wicked begin enacting savage acts upon the small town, thrusting Deena and her friends into an all-out fight for survival. An effective slasher and faithful homage to its source material, you can enjoy all three legs of the Fear Street chronology on Netflix.

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Stars: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr.
Director: Leigh Janiak
Rating: R
Runtime: 105 minutes

Written and directed by Colin Minihan, What Keeps You Alive follows Jackie (Hannah Emily Anderson) and Jules (Brittany Allen), a married couple retreating to a remote cabin to celebrate their first anniversary. While initially idyllic, their happy pilgrimage quickly devolves into a foreboding journey as Jackie soon gives way to a darker side of her personality — shades of her spouse that Jules was completely unaware existed. An unnerving film from start to finish, What Keeps You Alive treads some familiar ground but does so with an incredible acting duo at its helm.

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Stars: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen, Martha MacIsaac
Director: Colin Minihan
Rating: R
Runtime: 99 minutes

Zombie films are a dime-a-dozen, but don’t let that steer you from Robin Aubert’s off-the-beaten-path take on a genre that has most of us rolling our eyes at this point. Focusing on a band of post-apocalyptic survivors in rural Quebec, Ravenous plants us right in the middle of the quiet carnage. As the straddlers lay out plans to escape their besieged hamlet, hordes of the living dead stand between them and any hope of escape. Favoring an indie aesthetic over a cookie-cutter undead splatter-fest, Ravenous may not land with everyone, but its fresh approach to a tried-and-true sub-genre is a mighty effort to behold.

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Stars: Marc-André Grondin, Monia Chokri, Charlotte St-Martin
Director: Robin Aubert
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 103 minutes

Blaire (Shelley Hennig) and her close friends are having a Skype chat when an unknown user joins their conversation, known only as “billie227.” The friends attempt to remove the unknown participant from their chatroom, only to discover that the username belongs to Laura Barns, Blaire’s best friend who committed suicide after a humiliating video of her went viral and is now a spirit seeking revenge against all those who defiled her. Blaire and her friends are forced into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as the afterlife-incarnate of Laura enacts her wretched plan. It may sound cheesy on the surface, but Unfriended is a horror film that works in more ways than one, with a surprising amount of tension emitting from the tiny confines of the teens’ Skype windows.

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
Stars: Shelley Hennig, Moses Jacob Storm, Renee Olstead
Director: Levan Gabriadze
Rating: R
Runtime: 83 minutes

Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), a husband-wife paranormal investigation team, are calling it quits after Lorraine receives a harrowing vision of her spouse’s death during a visit to the infamous Amityville house. One year later, the Hodgson family of London begins to experience a host of paranormal events after Janet (Madison Wolfe) plays with a Ouija board. As the home’s occurrences grow more sinister, media coverage of the haunting reaches the Warrens, who decide to travel to London to assist the troubled family. But the Hodgson investigation could be their last. In this full-bodied sequel to The Conjuring, James Wan doesn’t back down from his directorial chops in any way, delivering a follow-up just as rich as the original.

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Frances O’ Connor
Director: James Wan
Rating: R
Runtime: 133 minutes

After relocating to the Hudson Valley from Manhattan, the Clare family takes up residence in an antique farmhouse. Enamored by his new teaching position (the reason for the family’s move), George Clare (James Norton) all but abandons his wife and daughter and begins a lusty affair with one of his students. Catherine (Amanda Seyfried) spends her days at their new home, feeling isolated and increasingly haunted by a presence roaming throughout. As a host of otherworldly apparitions and artifacts begin making themselves known to Catherine, George’s own skeletons begin creeping up on him and his family. A movie less about ghosts than the disintegration of one American household, Things Heard & Seen presents an atmospheric home and the helpless victims doomed to walk its halls forever.

Rotten Tomatoes: 39%
Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Natalia Dyer, James Norton
Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 121 minutes

After a failed marriage proposal, Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) attempt to make the best of their remote cabin getaway, a stay that comes with plenty of horrific interruptions after a knock at the door at 4 a.m. A mysterious woman asks for a friend who doesn’t live there, so James turns her away. But it was all a ruse to make sure someone was home, as soon after a trio of masked killers descends on the homestead. The Strangers leaves plenty to be imagined, as there’s never a clear motive for the murdering trope, making their deeds all the more dastardly. Featuring top-notch cinematography and a moody atmosphere that erupts from relationship quarrels into an all-out nightmare, The Strangers is a home invasion film done right.

Rotten Tomatoes: 48%
Stars: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward
Director: Bryan Bertino
Rating: R
Runtime: 85 minutes

On their way to a heavy metal show, Alexis Butler (Alexandra Daddario) and her friends Val (Maddie Hasson) and Bev (Amy Forsyth) are harassed by a gang of mischievous boys. After a series of pranks, both parties become amicable, with the girls even suggesting that the pack of rascals follow them to an abandoned mansion. Well, in true horror fashion, things quickly go awry when it’s revealed that the girls are actually part of a Satanic cult known as the Daughters of the Dawn, and they’re looking for fresh sacrifices. An homage to ’80s slashers and cult films, We Summon the Darkness throws a number of genre tropes at the wall, with most sticking.

Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
Stars: Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Johnny Knoxville
Director: Marc Meyers
Rating: R
Runtime: 83 minutes

Zack Synder’s Army of the Dead finds the DC Comics auteur back in his horror stomping grounds (Synder’s breakout hit was 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake). Set in a zombie-ravaged present day, the film follows Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), an ex-pat living on the fringes of a desolate Las Vegas. When handed the opportunity of a lifetime by casino magnate Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) — break into the quarantine zone to make off with a large surplus of cash before the city is nuked — the anti-hero assembles a wrecking team of hardened warriors and experts to carry out the heist with. A massively staged amalgamation of action and horror, the carnage is abundant and the story is rich for Synder’s return to the world of the undead.

Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick
Director: Zack Snyder
Rating: R
Runtime: 148 minutes

When hordes of the undead have taken over, sometimes the only thing left to do is hole up and pray for better days. In #Alive, Yoo Ah-in stars as Oh Joon-woo, a stranded survivor of a zombie overtaking. Sanctioned off in his apartment and cut off from any kind of communication, all hope seems lost when Joon-woo discovers his family is gone. That is until a red dot from a laser pointer lands in his apartment. With the promise of another survivor nearby, Joon-woo picks himself up and attempts to find a way out of his hell-infested residence. Fast-paced, packed with gore, and gripping performances, #Alive unearths terrors in big and surprising ways through its hour-plus runtime.

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Stars: Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-hye
Director: II Cho
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 98 minutes

For 16-year-old Tyler Burnside (Charlie Plummer), life is all about finding a sense of belonging as a high school student in a town plagued by horrific memories of a relentless killer. Referred to as “The Clovehitch Killer,” the slasher murdered 10 women before disappearing without a trace. That is until Tyler discovers a series of photographs in his father’s possession that suggest the patriarch and The Clovehitch Killer may be one and the same. Featuring a haunting lead performance from Dylan McDermott as the father in question, The Clovehitch Killer takes a patient approach to its scares, weaving a portrait of unsettling scenes that slowly bleed into one another.

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Stars: Dylan McDermott, Charlie Plummer, Samantha Mathis
Director: Duncan Skiles
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 110 minutes

Edith (Mia Wasikowska), the American heiress to a mighty family fortune, agrees to marry the elusive but charming Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). Whipped away to England, the bride spends her days roaming the ruinous halls of Allerdale Hall, her lofty husband’s decaying residence. After a series of horrific apparitions make themselves known to Edith, the young woman learns that her dashing groom may have a closet packed to the brim with skeletons and other horrific revelations. An exciting addition to the haunted house sub-genre, packed with exquisite visuals and terrifying ghosts, Crimson Peak is an unforgettable foray into a nightmarish mansion that only Guillermo del Toro could imagine.

Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes

When unexplained phenomena begin plaguing the island and surrounding waters of Block Island, Harry (Chris Sheffield), the son of a fisherman, and Audry (Michaela McManus), an Environmental Protection agent and Harry’s sister, are put on the trail of a mysterious and malevolent force. Premiering at the Fantasia International Film Festival, The Block Island Sound spends its time building a lush atmosphere of dread, a moody tone buttressed by believable performances from the main ensemble and tactful directing on the part of Kevin and Matthew McManus.

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Stars: Chris Sheffield, Michaela McManus, Matilda Lawler
Director: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 minutes

From Saw co-creator James Wan comes The Conjuring, an unnerving dive into supernatural territory. Based on a paranormal case study from real-life mediums Ed and Lorraine Warren (both deceased), The Conjuring begins when the Perron family moves into an antiquated Rhode Island farmhouse in 1971. As a series of disturbing events starts unfolding, the family turns to the Warrens (portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) for psychic assistance. When the duo arrives to quell the Perrons’ fears, their best efforts are soon challenged by the malevolent forces reigning over the ancient residence. John R. Leonetti’s cinematography is a full player here, creating a visual haunted house chiller like no other. Shadows loom, rooms feel too large, and one never feels safe. That’s grade-A horror photography.

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston
Director: James Wan
Rating: R
Runtime: 112 minutes

Reeling from the death of their young son, Mark and Jessie (Thomas Jane and Kate Bosworth) decide to take in a foster child named Cody (Jacob Tremblay). When Cody tells his adoptees of his nighttime fears, the parents dismiss his terrors as nothing more than childlike wonder at play. But when Cody’s dreams start coming to life before the family’s eyes, what begins as a benign series of projections quickly devolves into horrific nightmare creatures that Mark and Jessie are forced to contend with. We’ve all seen horror flicks about kids dealing with their fears. What sets Before I Wake apart from the flock is its focus on the paternal point of view and emotional complexities of welcoming new love while stomaching grief.

Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
Stars: Thomas Jane, Kate Bosworth, Jacob Tremblay
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 97 minutes

A powerful debut from director Remi Weekes, His House follows Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), a South-Sudan couple fleeing their war-torn confines across the English Channel. Suffering a hardship on their way across the water, the pair are granted probational asylum in Britain. Settling into a shanty tenement unit, Bol does what he can to acclimate to U.K. culture as Rial clings to her Sudanian roots. When a series of haunting entities make themselves known to the couple, Bol and Rial begin to question their own sanity as they grapple with the torments and stigma of refugees. A well-balanced amalgamation of social commentary meets unsettling horror film, His House is an absolute must-see.

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Stars: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, Matt Smith, Cornell John
Director: Remi Weekes
Rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes

It’s 1905, and Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) is on a search-and-rescue mission for his own sister, Jennifer. Imprisoned and held for ransom by a religious cult on a remote Welsh island, Thomas journeys to the isle under the guise of a convert. After meeting with several cult members and learning of their less-than-lovely intentions, Thomas is plunged headfirst into a mad world of blood sacrifice and a dark mythos brought to life. Filled with nightmarish imagery, impressive acting, and a hearty story, Apostle is a breathtaking addition to the folk horror sub-genre.

Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Stars: Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Michael Sheen, Kristine Froseth
Director: Gareth Evans
Rating: R
Runtime: 129 minutes

From writer/director Nicholas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother), Piercing is an adaptation of the Ryü Murikami novel of the same name. Reed (Christopher Abbot) has been having a tough time at home. A husband and father with an urge to do something sinister, the family man hires a call girl so he can do the unthinkable to her. What Reed didn’t expect was Jackie, a cunning and unpredictable sex worker, a woman just as twisted and violent as her wannabe-murderer. What unravels is a wicked game of cat and mouse, with hard bets as to who will come out on top.

Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Stars: Christopher Abbot, Mia Wasikowska, Laia Costa
Director: Nicholas Pesce
Rating: R
Runtime: 81 minutes

Bee (Samara Weaving), the babysitter, and Cole (Judah Lewis), the preteen, are the ideal babysitting setup. The two get along great and really trust each other. That is until Cole, at the urging of a close friend, decides to stay up late to see what Bee does when the boy goes to bed. What Cole discovers is beyond anything he could ever imagine, as it turns out that Bee is part of a satanic cult that’s out for blood, and Cole is one of their next victims. A solid genre pic with homages to several camp classics of the ’80s, The Babysitter doesn’t break any horror boundaries, but fans of the genre will love the many hat-tips.

Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Stars: Bella Thorne, Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving
Director: McG
Rating: R
Runtime: 85 minutes

In a mysterious potentially post-apocalyptic Texas wasteland, Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) finds herself completely alone and severed from civilization. As she fights for her survival, Arlen is captured by a band of cannibals led by Miami Man (Jason Momoa). Suddenly in more danger than she was before, Arlen must use every ounce of cunning to survive among the cannibals as she tries to make her way to someone she believes can save her, The Dream (Keanu Reeves). But goodness or badness is really all relative.

Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
Stars: Suki Waterhouse, Keanu Reeves, Jason Momoa
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes

Alice Ackerman (Madeline Brewer) works for FreeGirlsLive as a cam model, a job she’s quite attached to. Alice hides her employment from her mother and is obsessed with being a top-ranking performer on the site. After a date with one of her loyal cam followers, Alice attempts to log into her FreeGirls account, only to discover that her account is being used by a disturbed doppelganger of herself. As Alice attempts to unravel the mystery around her new foe, her own life and celebrity begin crashing down around her. Director Daniel Goldhaber’s electric erotica horror show is a macabre exploration of identity and exactly how much power we give to our digital selves and spaces.

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Stars: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 94 minutes

Stephen King aficionados are sure to be thrilled by this 2019 adaptation of a 2012 novella he co-wrote with his son, Joe Hill. When siblings Becky and Cal (Laysla De Oliveira and Avery Whitted) make a pit stop on their road trip to their aunt’s house, the pair hears a boy named Tobin calling for help in a field of tall grass. The duo dips into the crop themselves, but soon find themselves at the center of a wicked plot involving Tobin, his parents, a grim time loop, and an ancient stone with potentially mystical properties, all within the never-ending rows of grass. A bit of a head-spinner, In the Tall Grass feels like an elongated (and much gorier) Twilight Zone episode. While some have argued that the film overstays its welcome, those in search of a King-flavored fable about literally losing against nature will be more than pleased with director Vincenzo Natali’s novella adaptation.

Rotten Tomatoes: 36%
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 90 minutes

Heart surgeon Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) has it all: A perfect family, a mansion, a luxury car, bourgeois friends, and an unpredictable, mentally imbalanced teenage protege. Martin (Barry Keoghan), the aforementioned troubled youth, is the estranged son of a man who died while under the knife of Dr. Murphy. We’re not sure exactly how Steven and Martin’s relationship began, but after a series of increasingly odd gestures from Martin, Steven tells him they should start meeting less. The next day, Steven’s son is suddenly paralyzed. After rushing him to the hospital, Steven is summoned by Martin once more, where over lunch, the teenage boy tells Steven he is responsible for his son’s condition, and that if Steven doesn’t kill a member of his own family, a sprawl of ailments will befall the rest of his clan.

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Stars: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes

Writer/director Osgood Perkins’ I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is a chilling ghost story about a live-in nurse named Lily (Ruth Wilson) who is hired to care for an ailing horror author, Iris (Paula Prentiss). Taking residence in Iris’s historic New England manor, Lily starts experiencing paranormal events, leading her to question the elder Iris about the history of the house. Denying any kind of phenomena, Lily begins investigating the domicile herself, leading to a series of shocking discoveries and grim truths about the manor’s past. This is a fantastic piece of horror cinema that really drives home the “less-is-more” mindset of filmmaking. A big slow burn of a movie, I Am the Pretty Thing… relies on eerie sound design, lingering camera-work, and a moody score to effectively sell its scares.

Rotten Tomatoes: 58%
Stars: Ruth Wilson, Paula Prentiss, Bob Balaban
Director: Osgood Perkins
Rating: R
Runtime: 87 minutes

Based on Stephen King’s 1992 thriller of the same name, Gerald’s Game was one of Netflix’s earliest successes in the original film game. This profound, provocative story follows a married couple, Jessie (Carla Gugino) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), on a weekend vacation to their lakeside cabin in hopes of reigniting their stagnating relationship. They decide to spice it up with some bondage but Gerald suffers a heart attack in the midst of passion, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed with nobody to free her. Bound and plagued by hallucinations of Gerald and of people from her past, Jessie struggles to free herself and suffers a psychological breakdown. Another fine output from director Mike Flanagan, of Hush (which is next up on our list) and Oculus fame, Gerald’s Game will get the blood pumping despite the story’s bottled setting.

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Stars: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: R
Runtime: 103 minutes

Mike Flanagan strikes again with the nail-biting Hush, a smart horror film that feels extra uncomfortable because the terror of the film seems like it could easily happen to anyone. Author Maddie Young (Kate Siegel) lives a quiet life in the wilderness with her cat — that is until a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) murders Maddie’s closest neighbor, and plans to knife Maddie next. What ensues is a uniquely horrific game of cat-and-mouse, as Maddie must fight for her life against the mysterious madman, a feat made 10 times more difficult because Maddie is deaf. Something the masked invader eventually learns. With Hush, Flanagan flips the killer sub-genre on its head, delivering a film filled with rapid-fire terrors both big and small, and a third act that will have you bound to the edge of your couch.

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Stars: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: R
Runtime: 87 minutes

Ciarán Foy, who brought us Citadel and Sinister II, directs Eli, a slow-burn creeper about an adolescent boy with a rare disease that makes him fall ill when exposed to the outdoors without protection (an ailment similar to the family and children from The Others). When his parents (Kelly Reilly and Max Martini) decide to take him to a remote medical facility, a converted mansion run by the outwardly pleasant Dr. Isabella Horn (Lili Taylor), all is well for some time. The boy, Eli (Charlie Shotwell), is glad to be rid of his intense protective gear, reveling in his newfound freedom. However, outside of his disease shield, supernatural events begin to mount, and Eli tries desperately to convince those around him that things within the house are quite amiss. Performances and atmosphere are top-notch in this Netflix original, which features shades of both The Others and The Omen.

Rotten Tomatoes: 48%
Stars: Charlie Shotwell, Lili Taylor, Max Martini
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: R
Runtime: 98 minutes

The Persian film Under the Shadow drew a lot of comparison to the 2014 film The Babadook, and it’s easy to see why. Both films follow mothers caring for troubled children while supernatural forces torment them. Under the Shadow begins during the war between Iran and Iraq in the ’80s. Shideh (Narges Rashidi), a former medical student who had to abandon her career after the theocratic government took power in the Iranian revolution, became a housewife, living with her husband, Iraj (Bobby Naderi), and their daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) in an apartment in Tehran. When Iraj, a doctor, is sent to the field as part of the war effort, Shideh must care for Dorsa alone. After a missile strikes their building, Dorsa begins behaving strangely, convinced that a spirit is haunting the building, and as strange events unfold, Shideh must confront the possibility that something supernatural is happening. Under the Shadow is a moody movie, as much a study of Rashidi’s disenchanted housewife as it is an exercise in terror.

Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Stars: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi
Director: Babak Anvari
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 84 minutes

Found-footage horror may be a dying art form, yet one of the very few iterations of the genre is a Netflix must-see. Starring Mark Duplass as Josef and the film’s director, Patrick Brice, as its cameraman Aaron Franklin, Creep is a rare breed of horror filmography. Much like The Invitation, Creep takes a while to build momentum, yet still elicits many a cringeworthy experience throughout its entire runtime. Duplass is phenomenal as the oddball neighbor, evoking the perfect blend of comic relief and terror upon his every portrayal. Creep keeps viewers guessing from start to finish, and it’s not until the very end where the real story is brought to life in its most provocative and unsettling dimension. If the first just wasn’t enough, Netflix likewise has its terrifying sequel to get lost within.

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Stars: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice
Director: Patrick Brice
Rating: R
Runtime: 80 minutes

Despite not being explicitly horror, Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy classic still embodies the scare-tastic trope with relative ease. The Spanish storybook lookalike follows a young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) in the process of moving with her pregnant mother into a large countryside mansion owned and operated by Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). The story uses real-world concepts, like the Falange political ideology and Spanish unrest, to evoke the burgeoning terror of its underlying narrative. In the process of unveiling the rebirth of Princess Moanna, Ofelia likewise challenges the tropes of belief and the mystical. Lost in the labyrinth of everyday life, Ofelia must come to grips with her destiny as the Underworld itself reaches out to bind her.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Rating: R
Runtime: 115 minutes

After the death of a close friend mere months before leaving on an expedition together, a group of four decide to make a ritual of the event by way of a hiking trip in Sweden. The getaway seems to serve its purpose with the four, Phil (Arsher Ali), Dom (Sam Troughton), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Luke (Rafe Spall), all coming together to mourn the loss of their dear friend. Things start to take a turn for the worse when Dom injures his leg and the four must then embark through an eerie forest that reeks of malcontent and evils unnamed. As the cyclical woodlands draw each party member further and further apart, the reality of their being followed becomes ever-more blatant. Can the expedition escape unharmed, or were they doomed from the very moment of their friend’s untimely demise?

Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Stars: Rafe Spall, Robert James-Collier, Arsher Ali
Director: David Bruckner
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 94 minutes

Have you ever realized that your neighborhood is no longer yours? Gentrification rears its ugly head in Vampires vs. the Bronx. And, as the title suggests, some literal bloodsuckers are literally killing the neighborhood while cleaning up on real estate prices. Miguel (Jaden Michael) already took up the call to save his neighborhood before learning that the undead were moving in. Once he knows the truth, Miguel aka “Lil Mayor” needs some help from his friends, Bobby Carter (Gerald W. Jones III) and Luis Acosta (Gregory Diaz IV), to take on the vamps. The film deftly mixes its horror with genuinely hilarious moments of comedy. The pop culture references are all very timely, and it’s one of the most enjoyable horror movies of the year.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Jaden Michael, Gerald W. Jones III, Gregory Diaz IV
Director: Oz Rodriguez
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 86 minutes

J.D. Dillard directed and co-wrote Sweetheart, one of the best films to come out of Blumhouse. Kiersey Clemons gives a very strong performance as Jennifer “Jenn” Remming, a young woman who finds herself shipwrecked and alone on a seemingly deserted island. Unfortunately for Jenn, there’s something else with her on the island. Something monstrous. But is Jenn truly contending with a monster or is the real monster within her mind? In this tale of terror, Jenn’s past calls her credibility into question, but the chills and the scares are very rewarding. Clemons carries the movie from start to finish.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Kiersey Clemons, Emory Cohen. Hanna Mangan-Lawrence
Director: J. D. Dillard
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 82 minutes

Await Further Instructions has proven to be a divisive film for critics and audiences, but it’s still an unsettling body horror story that unfolds on Christmas. It was already a tense occasion for the Milgram family. However, things take a turn for the worse when their entire house is surrounded by a black substance. The only guidance the family has is the instructions on the television telling them what to do next. Paranoia and fear take over as the Milgrams rely on the TV for any word as they unravel their family bonds one at a time.

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Stars: Sam Gittins, Neerja Naik, Abigail Cruttenden
Director: Johnny Kevorkian
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 82 minutes