Netflixhas plenty of goodies forhorrorfans at the moment. Those eager for some rural chaos can press play on the Stephen King adaptation,1922, while those yearning for some zombie mayhem can rewatch the critically acclaimed Korean hit,Train to Busan. Other films likeBone Tomahawk, Us, Fear Street, Bird Box,andScream IVare also tucked somewhere in the streaming service, waiting to scare you.
If you’ve had enough of the popular movies, there are several underrated ones, too. It’s always advisable to watch them soon because you never know when they will be removed. Streaming licenses tend to stretch for only a few months or years before expiring. Even though your favorite movie will pop up somewhere else after leaving Netflix, there’s always the likelihood of it finding a home that you don’t have access to.
So, here are 10 great underrated horror movies to watch while they are still available on Netflix.
10’Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight' (2020)
Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight
Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonighthas a group of teenseager to conquer their tech addiction. Theytravel to rural Poland for an offline survival camp, hoping to reconnect with nature. After surrendering their phones, they venture into the woods, only for them to stumble upon a house with twincannibalistic killers. Bad things follow.
Nightmare Trip
The desire to overcome addiction is a common thing, butNobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight, which belongs to the holy-sh** horror section, brings a frighteningly dirty sense of play to what’s meant as a good course.Actress Julia Wieniawa shines the most because she is very comfortable exploring the uncomfortable regions where a character’s bravery and stupidity meet, andMichał Zbroja is equally good in the quasi-incestuous role of the twin killers who really ought to find another hobby.
9’New Life' (2024)
New Lifeinitially throws us an ongoing cat-and-mouse saga without much explanation.Elsa Gray (Sonya Walger), a government fixer, is on the trail of Jessica Murdock (Hayley Erin), a frantic lady journeying through the Pacific Northwest. It soon emerges that Elsa is battling Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) andJessica is carrying a mutated Ebola‑like viruscapable of causing azombie apocalypse. In their weakened states, who will squelch the other’s goals?
The Great Chase
Hollywood is full of zombie flicks, but this particular one sure breathes new life into the genre. The tense, out-of-control horror thriller never gives the audience time to process it all. Lead actresses Sonya Walger and Hayley Erin move at the pace that’s required of them, andthe direction is so crisp it’s hard to believe that this was filmmaker John Rosman’s debut film. Which person ever thought serious diseases would be such great plot anchors in a horror movie?
8’An American Crime' (2007)
An American Crime
InAn American Crime, Sylvia (Ellen Page) and her sister areleft in the care of the awkward and innocuous single mother, Gertrude Baniszewski(Catherine Keener). We soon learn that she is anything but good. Shebegins to torture Sylvia, even encouraging her own children and other neighborhood kids to do the same. Sadly, Sylvia’s attempts to escape fail.
Guardian from Hell
Based on the true story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens in the 1960s,An American Crimeextensively covers one of America’s most infamous abuse cases while boldly pointing out complicity, mindlessness, and societal failure. By the standards of recent psychological horrors, this production is fairly restrained, but it’s disturbing nonetheless,delivering its scares more by what is said and what Sylvia fears.
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7’The Conference' (2023)
A group ofmunicipal employees head on a fateful retreat to a remote Swedish resort. Ethical temperatures rise when it emerges that someone forged documents, denying rightful compensation to a farmer, who subsequently committed suicide. Before we can process the corruption saga,a masked killer begins cutting through bodies.Who will surviveThe Conference?
Someone Has To Pay
No one might be talking about it, butThe Conferencestands above most recent slasher movies. Director Patrik Eklundknows just how to heighten the audience’s dreadby hinting at who might be behind the door, or beyond that pillar.Everything looks very realistic, an expected outcome when Guldbagge-winning Tove Jansson, Eva von Bahr and Love Larson were hired as make-up artists. It’s easy to guess who the killer is, given the early malpractice revelations, but this never takes away from the fun.
6’Viral' (2016)
A new infection named “Worm Flu” is quickly spreading inViral. High schoolsisters Emma (Sofia Black-D’Elia) and Stacey (Analeigh Tipton) have to depend on themselves when their parents are blocked from returning home due to emergency quarantine measures. Soon, chaos erupts in the neighborhood as the infected start attacking others. Will the siblings survive?
Doing Whatever It Takes
Viralhasmany memorable moments, such as a character running away with all the food, and one person being forced to shoot someone they care about.For the screenplay, the film deserved some award nods. It might not have earned its status as one of the most influential films of the 2010s, but hopefully, it will with time. For those able to tolerate higher-than-usual levels of gore, it’s a must-see film.
5’Frenzy' (1972)
Adapted from the based on the 1966novel Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squareby Arthur La Bern,Frenzypresents a version of London where everyone is terrified. Aserial killer known as the “Necktie Murderer” (known for strangling women with his tie)is on the loose. When ex-bartender Richard Blaney (Jon Finch) becomes the main suspect, he goes on the runto prove his innocence.
The Master Still Delivers
Frenzymight be one of Alfred Hitchcock’s least-known films, but its obscurity shouldn’t fool anyone. It’s noPsycho,but it is a treat. The Master of Suspense’s influence was waning in the ‘70s, yet he delivered another outstanding piece of filmmaking by drawing inspiration from the Christie murders in the mid-20th century and the Jack the Ripper murders of the 1880s. As always, there are heavy twists, and you’ll see one of them coming.
4’Before I Wake'(2016)
Before I Wake
InBefore I Wake, Jessie Hobson (Kate Bosworth) and her husband Mark (Thomas Jane) are dying to have another child after losing the only one they had in a drowning accident. Theyadopt eight‑year‑old Cody Morgan (Jacob Tremblay) despite a warning from a social worker. It turns outthe boy usually has nightmarish dreams that manifest physically into a murderous creature called the Canker Man.
Who Will Stop the Canker Man?
Masterfully helmed by director Mike Flanagan,Before I Waketiptoes closer to home if you have ever parented a troubled child. Because of how well the monster plot is explained, the movie feelsmore gripping and compelling than other “scary youngster” stories. On top of that, it makes you want to stick around till the end to see how the problem will be solved. Since the Canker Man originates from Cody, will Jessie have to let go of the boy?
3’Under the Shadow' (2016)
Under the Shadow
A missile strike at a building during the Iran-Iraq War proves to be the genesis of all the chaos inUnder the Shadow.Shideh (Narges Rashidi)believesthat the missile was cursed and contains malevolent Middle-Eastern spirits. So, when her daughter starts acting strangely, Shideh becomes convinced that a spirit is controlling the girl.
Bigger Problems Than the War Outside
Director Babak Anvari’sUnder the Shadowboasts one of the darkest scenarios a character can find themselves in a horror movie, as it depicts a woman victimized by forces she doesn’t fully understand.Anvari, who actually experienced the Iran-Iraq War as a child, handles the ominous mood and creepy psychological elements with unerring meticulousness,wrenching a vibrant, tour-de-force performance from Narges Rashidi.
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2’Veronica' (2017)
Set in early 90s Spain during a solar eclipse,Veronicafinds 15‑year‑old Verónica (Sandra Escacena) in charge of her twin younger siblings when her parents step away. She chooses toconduct a séance with friends using an Ouija board, only for supernatural forces to invade the apartment. How will she get out of this mess?
Dangerous Games
With itslustrous cinematography and high-caliber acting,Veronicastands out as one ofthe most engaging horror movies to be released in the 2010s. Even though it draws inspiration from true events — the 1991 Vallecas case in which a person died mysteriously after conducting a séance using an ouija board — the featuregets creative in many instances. It even opens inmedias res(middle of the plot). With Spanish horror icon, Paco Plaza, overseeing everything, everything else flows smoothly.
1’Things Heard & Seen' (2021)
Things Heard & Seen
Amanda Seyfried stars inThings Heard & Seenas Catherine Clare, an art restorer whomoves her family from Manhattan to an old secluded farmhouse in the Hudson Valley. Predictably, itdoesn’t take long for supernatural figures to pop up. How will Catherine cope, especially when her marriage is also strained?
A Regrettable Relocation
This modern semi-clone ofThe Haunting of the Hill Housedelivers creepy thrills in a fetching upstate New York locale. Amanda Seyfried plays the stressed Catherine with cunning savoir-faire, and Peter Raeburn’s eerie score accentuates all the danger. To make matters more interesting, the protagonist is shown to be suffering from bulimia. Is it all too much for one person? You bet.
