Entertainment

13 Scary Netflix Original Movies Perfect For A Spooky Night In

by Savannah Walsh
Netflix

An evening spent with Netflix can serve many functions. There's the frantic marathon when a new season of your favorite series drops, the curled up avoidance of all responsibility by re-watching something you've seen 10 times, and of course, the age old Netflix-and-chilling. But one of the most oddly comforting services Netflix provides is the sweet torture found in totally creeping yourself out. There are a bunch of scary Netflix Original movies perfect for a spooky movie night. Whether you're a "watch with all the lights on and a finger hovering over the pause button" person or a "total darkness with a big bowl of popcorn" kind of viewer, there's a frightening film for you to devour.

No matter how many times the darkened woods, ominous music or freaky little kid tropes are utilized in order to horrify, they never seem to tire. There is an odd satisfaction in feeling adequately scared all while being able to point out the conventions that got you there. Netflix has tapped into this reasoning by not only streaming certified horror hits such as The Conjuring and Children of the Corn, but by churning out material of its own in the genre. Everything from Stephen King adaptations to horror film spoofs live on the site, making your next fearful night-in the most hair-raising yet.

1

'Before I Wake'

Now that Jacob Tremblay has adequately proved how adorable he is in films like Wonder and Room, allow him to show how weirdly demonic he can seem as a little boy whose dreams and nightmares come to life.

2

'Gerald's Game'

Based on a Stephen King novel and with a 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this tale of a woman handcuffed and tormented by delusions comes with an undeniable stamp of horror approval.

3

'Death Note'

Nat Wolff finds a notebook that can kill any person whose name he writes inside its pages. And you thought the burn book in Mean Girls was vicious.

4

'Calibre'

Don't characters in horror movies know to steer clear of foreboding dark forests? Apparently not the protagonists in this movie, who fall subject to strange circumstances on a weekend hunting trip.

5

'1922'

Stephen King strikes again in this story about a father and son who conspire to kill the matriarch of their family for financial rewards. So you could guess this probably is not a fun, family flick?

6

'The Open House'

13 Reasons Why's Dylan Minnette stars in a movie that will make wandering into open houses on Sundays without fear of death a thing of the past. This proves that there is more to be frightened of in real estate than the prices.

7

'The Ritual'

If you've learned anything from this list: do not trust unknown forests in the dark. Again: Airbnb and Google Maps exist for a reason.

8

'Little Evil'

Prepare to laugh-scream at this farcical take on horror starring Adam Scott, Evangeline Lily, and a young boy they suspect might actually be evil.

9

'Clinical'

This twisty psychological thriller turns into a full-on terror when the therapist who should be helping her tormented patients begins to feel haunted by them.

10

'I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House'

Old haunted Victorian houses always make for an ideal scary movie setting with jump scares aplenty. The Affair's Ruth Wilson stars in the latest entry into the haunted house movie canon.

11

'Cargo'

A scary movie night wouldn't be complete without a healthy serving of zombies and weird epidemics spreading across the globe.

12

'The Babysitter'

Another comedic take on the supernatural, this movie, you guessed it, deals with a diabolical babysitter who lures in her victims before creatively killing them.

13

'Mute'

A thriller with a sci-fi slant, Aleander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, and Justin Theroux star as inhabitants of a distant future where mysteries struggle to get solved.