The Scariest Netflix Original Movies, Ranked

In 2016, Netflix entered the world of horror with its first spine-tingling original film, "Rebirth." After debuting at 2016's Tribeca Festival, Netflix purchased the then-exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the Fran Kranz-starring project. At that time, Netflix was only a year into its decision to debut original television and film content on its streaming service. Months later, Netflix produced and distributed writer-director Osgood Perkins' Toronto Film Festival hit "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in This House," and the company has been purchasing and producing horror films ever since.

Over the past five years, the number of movies available on Netflix in the U.S. has moved like an accordion; if it feels like there used to be more options on Netflix, you're not wrong. Since 2015, Netflix's library has shrunk by more than 35%. However, Netflix still hosts some quality horror programming. The streaming service continues to invest in horror — the company spent (a risky) $30 million per episode on season 4 of "Stranger Things" — and has produced a number of horror films that deserve a watch for their inventive premises and game casts. If you're a fan of the genre, these are the Netflix Originals you should put on when you want a good scare.

2021's "There's Someone Inside Your House" is a bloody fun addition to Netflix's library of teen slashers. Directed by Patrick Brice, the film tips its hat to those who've sliced and diced before, most notably with a loving homage to Casey's death scene in 1996's "Scream." 

However, Brice wanted to steer clear of leaning too much into the Kevin Williamson-dominated era of '90s slashers. When speaking with Fangoria in 2021, Brice noted the "Scream" influences, but also shared how he wanted the film to bring new layers to the slasher subgenre. "That self-awareness was in our script [but] I felt very free in that I was able to take inspiration from that and also, ideally, have these rich, complex characters with their fears and reactions to these kills that are happening," he said. "There's this added layer of 'Is my secret going to be revealed to the entire town?'"

What stands out the most about "There's Someone Inside Your House" is how it plays with its whodunit aspect, marrying it with the idea that this person knows everyone's darkest secrets. Betrayals and hidden desires are revealed with each kill, fleshing out the killer's motive and delivering complex character beats. Most importantly, Sydney Park turns in a riveting performance as the film's lead, Makani Young, cementing her rightful place in the ever-expanding world of scream queens.

There may be no harder task in the horror world than adapting a sprawling Stephen King novel into a tight feature-length film. However, 2017's "Gerald's Game" stands out as one of the best (if not the best) adaptations of King's stories. Like the book it's based on, "Gerald's Game" revolves around Jessie's attempts to spice up her marriage, leading her and her husband Gerald to take an intimate weekend getaway. Of course, things don't go according to plan. What starts as some kinky fun ends with Gerald's sudden death and Jessie still handcuffed to the bed in their lakeside getaway. 

Although it'd be easy to dismiss the film as a sole survivor thriller in the spirit of 2021's "Till Death," "Gerald's Game" is so much more than that. Viewers will notice that there are more issues in Jessie's marriage than a simple lack of sexual fulfillment, an issue that's made all too clear when Gerald tries to force Jessie to play along with a rape-oriented roleplay that she doesn't want any part of.

Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, "Gerald's Game" slowly delves into Jessie's psychological state. Carla Gugino pulls out all the stops as Jessie, making her tragic journey remarkably compelling. Overall, this is a great pick for horror fans who love spending time with slower-paced stories. Not many actors can pull off being the only person on screen for the majority of a film's runtime, but Gugino makes it look easy.

Although critics called 2018's "Malevolent" a "depressing journey" that's "void of scares," this Netflix Original deserves a closer watch (or an open-minded rewatch). The film follows a brother-sister duo who claim to be ghost-hunters, making money in Scotland by pretending to exorcize haunted houses. However, Angela, portrayed by the ever-harrowing Florence Pugh, suspects that the home of their latest client, Mrs. Greene, contains something genuinely sinister. Unfortunately, her brother, Jackson, doesn't believe her, and needs the money to pay back loan sharks and save his life. So, they take the case. It's a bad decision. The deeper that the pair gets into the scam, the more the house unveils its chilling plans for them both, and the more Angela suffers for it.

While the film's setup feels fairly familiar, Pugh's acting elevates the movie into something that remains compelling. At its heart, "Malevolent" is still a creepy ghost tale with telegraphed twists and turns (some easy to spot, some not). However, it's also an examination of Angela's fear that she'll succumb to the same mental illness that she believes killed her mother. Delving deeper into Mrs. Greene's past awakens some of Angela's inner demons, making this film a fascinating character study. Regardless of whether or not the film's ghosts scare you, it's almost impossible not to feel for Angela's harrowing plight.

"The Babysitter" delivers a terrifying social commentary on how young straight men view women. It also joyfully depicts the mayhem high schoolers can unintentionally cause when they delve into satanic rituals. "The Babysitter" is overflowing with blood, sexual innuendo, and pitch-perfect comedic timing, mostly thanks to its star, Samara Weaving. However, what's most notable about this Netflix Original is how it puts a unique spin on what happens when young men idealize women to the point that they don't see them as actual people.

"The Babysitter" is told from the perspective of Cole, a teen who is hopelessly in love with his babysitter, Bee. While the film starts with Cole trying to prove that he's "man enough" to not need a babysitter, it delves into how his complicated relationship with masculinity is wrapped up in his obsession with Bee. Cole wants to be seen as mature by Bee so he can be "worthy" of her. The best thing about this problematic setup is the first act reveal that Bee and her friends want to have their deepest wishes granted, which means they need to spill some of Cole's virginal blood. 

Refreshingly, "The Babysitter" upends the slasher formula by giving us a "final boy" while also challenging Cole's objectification of Bee. As an added bonus, instead of ogling women like a typical horror movie, it subverts tropes by objectifying Robbie Amell's Max at each and every turn.

"Fear Street Part 2: 1978" delivered a loving homage to summer camp slashers, but "Nobody Sleeps Alone in the Woods Tonight" pays tribute while also delivering a formidable and frightening film that pushes the subgenre forward. Sadly, the Polish slasher was mostly ignored by critics — its Rotten Tomatoes page only has six reviews — but it deserves a watch for doing something most modern horror films struggle to accomplish. Yes, "Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight" features beloved horror tropes and callbacks, but it never becomes a film solely about other films.

In 2020, Director Bartosz M. Kowalski discussed his approach to the film with Cineuropa, stating, "We wanted to pen a love letter to the B movies of the 1980s, but also to wink at the viewers. So if anyone finds this extreme, exaggerated violence fun to watch, I will be very happy." Kowalski relied on practical effects for its gore, so you're in for plenty of "squirting blood" scenes.

"Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight" follows a group of technology-addicted teens who are sent to an offline summer camp. It doesn't take long for them to encounter a shady figure in the woods with homicidal tendencies. What follows is a deliciously brutal thriller in which everything, even sleeping bags, can be used as a weapon. Sure, these self-aware teens know that horror movies exist, but that narrative choice never robs the film of its terror. In fact, that the kids know they probably won't survive only heightens the tension.

Netflix's "The Perfection" might be a perfect film. In it, director and co-writer Richard Shepard pulls off some of the most surprising tonal shifts and reveals in a horror film in recent memory. "The Perfection" is one of those films where it is best to go in without looking up anything first. Just know that what seems to be a "Black Swan"-like situation between two competing cellists has many more sinister details brewing beneath the surface. Guilt, revenge, lust, and survival are all on the table here. It's rare that a film really rewards repeat viewings, but this one does in spades.

Without spoiling any reveals, it's worth noting that the film contains depictions of sexual assault and predatory behavior. Be prepared to have many conflicting feelings about Allison Williams' Charlotte and Logan Browning's Lizzie. However, unlike other horror films that address these topics, "The Perfection" ends on a note of awe. There's no simplifying the trauma that Charlotte and Lizzie endure, and their resulting choices are treated with the same careful lens. You likely won't see what's coming for either of them.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

"CAM" asks you to imagine what you think "cam girls" do — and don't —and then subverts all of your expectations. Disturbingly, it also details the emotional pressures that come with working in the virtual world, where presentation, followers, and likability rule everything. In the words of "CAM" screenwriter Isa Mazzei, who used her professional experience as a sex worker as the basis for the film's story, to Rue Morgue, "It became important to me to tell a story where a large audience would empathize with a sex worker, and would also see that they're just normal people." She also discussed how it was essential for "CAM" to cut between "Alice performing for the webcam and Alice in her real world," as "that's really what camming is. It is this performative femininity."

"CAM" follows Madeline Brewer's Alice, who wants to earn a top ranking at FreeGirlsLive.com under the stage name of Lola. However, once she gets incredibly close to her goal, she's locked out of her account. Some other entity — one that looks like her — has taken over her page, and Alice must stop this imposter while dealing with the fallout that occurs when her family discovers her profession.

To its credit, the film asks intriguing questions about what it means to exist on the internet, and compellingly interrogates the reality we create online for ourselves and how that does (or doesn't) warp our idea of who we are. Ultimately, "CAM" asks, "Are we ever more than how we're perceived to be?"