DIRECTOR: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
CAST: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell
RATING: R

Samara Weaving burst onto the horror movie scene as our new favorite scream queen with this brilliant horror-comedy takes the awkward “meet the in-laws” dinner to a whole other level. Grace (Weaving) has just married her dream guy, Alex (Mark O’Brien). Grace loves Alex for who he is as a person, and it just so happens that who he is as a person is filthy rich. Grace is happy to go along with her groom’s family tradition of subjecting newcomers to a friendly game on their wedding night… until the game turns out to be a deadly version of Hide And Seek. Think of it as the aesthetic of Knives Out, the set-up of Get Out, and the plot of The Most Dangerous Game. It’s pure fun from start to finish.

DIRECTOR: Alfred Hitchcock
CAST: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles
RATING: R

Netflix didn’t come to play with its horror movie library this October. Psycho, Aflred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller, is widely regarded not just as one of the greatest horror movies, but as one of the greatest films of all time, period. Anthony Perkins delivers an all-time great performance as Norman Bates, the seemingly mild-mannered hotel clerk with a dark, twisted interior. Janet Leigh’s iconic shower death scene scarred a generation of women, now terrified of showering. And of course, the unforgettable soundtrack is now a ubiquitous noise used to indicate psychos everywhere. If you haven’t watched this masterpiece, now is the time.

DIRECTOR: Francis Ford Coppola
CAST: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves
RATING: R

Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula has been adapted countless times, but Francis Ford Coppola’s version is surely one of the staples for vampire fans. The inimitable Gary Oldman stars as the pointy-toothed count, while Keanu Reeves plays the protagonist Jonathan Harker, who traverses to Transylvania and finds himself in the creatures home. Anthony Hopkins plays Van Helsing, and Winona Ryder plays Mina Harker. That’s a stacked cast for a spooky classic.

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro
CAST: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam
RATING: R

Director Guillermo del Toro always knows how to make viewers both scared and horny. In his 2015 film Crimson Peak, which is currently streaming on Netflix, Mia Wasikowska stars as a young woman who goes to stay with an eccentric baronet (Tom Hiddleston) and his equally off-putting sister (Jessica Chastain). This is a ghost story with truly impeccable spooky gothic vibes, that is sure to get you in the mood for this year’s spooky season.

DIRECTOR: Jim Gillespie
CAST: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr.
RATING: R

This classic ’90s teen horror flick—written by the same writer as the Scream franchise, Kevin Williamson— tells the story of four friends who, after a drunken night of partying, accidentally kill a pedestrian by hitting him with their car. They decide to dump the body, and vow never to speak of what happened on that fateful day, to anyone. But while they attempt to move on with their lives, a hooked-hand killer begins to stalk them, in order to remind them that, well, someone knows what they did last summer. From Jennifer Love Hewitt to Sarah Michelle Gellar to Freddie Prinze Jr., this movie features all your ’90s faves.

DIRECTOR: M. Night Shyamalan
CAST: Bruce Willis, Toni Collete, Olivia Williams, and Haley Joel Osment
RATING: PG-13

Arguably M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie, The Sixth Sense is a classic for a reason. Yes there is the famed plot twist that blew audiences minds in 1999, and earned Shyamalan his reputation as the plot twist king. But what makes the movie a masterpiece is the deeply human story about the relationship between a troubled young boy (Hayley Joel Osment, the best child actor to ever do it), and his grieving psychologist (Bruce Willis). And despite the PG-13 rating, there are some genuinely horrifying scares that still haunt me to this day.

DIRECTOR: Parker Finn
CAST: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Kyle Gallner
RATING: R

Written and directed by Parker Finn, who also wrote and directed 2022’s Smile, this sequel to the popular horror movie stars Naomi Scott as a fictional pop star named Skye Riley, who is gearing up to go on tour. But you know what can really ruin a world tour? A mysterious evil entity that possesses people and forces them to smile while they kill themselves. Scott’s performance as a pop star cracking under the pressure elevates this slasher from good to great. Don’t worry: You don’t need to watch the first film to enjoy this one, which features a new cast of characters and a standalone story.

DIRECTOR: Caroline Lindy
CAST: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan
RATING: R

Looking for some romance in your Halloween movies? Try Your Monster, which stars Melissa Barrera as a down-on-her-luck cancer patient named Laura, who is unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend while recovering from a major surgery. While mourning her break-up, she discovers a monster (played by Casual star Tommy Dewey) living in her bedroom closet. The monster is quick-tempered but sweet, uncouth yet charming, and handsome under that hairy face, in a Beauty and the Beast type of way. Sparks fly. Even if monster-loving isn’t your thing, Barrera and Dewey’s effortless, electric chemistry is impossible to resist.

DIRECTOR: Mark Mylod
CAST: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau
RATING: R

The Menu is a delightful horror satire that mocks the culture of ridiculously fancy restaurants designed for food enthusiasts with far too much money. Ralph Fiennes stars as the celebrity chef-owner of a restaurant where the portions are minuscule, the ingredients are locally-sourced, and the snobbery is off the charts. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Margot, who is simply there as the date of a food-loving man named Tyler (Nicholas Hoult). Margot could not care less about foodie culture. But she soon realizes the diners on this particular night are in for so much more than just a ridiculously expensive meal.

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro
CAST: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz
RATING: R

Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein movie for Netflix isn’t so much a horror movie as it is a moving sci-fi drama. Perhaps that’s why some horror heads may have found themselves disappointed by this version of a classic Halloween tale. But if you’re willing to go along with del Toro’s signature childlike approach to fantasy storytelling, you’ll find yourself moved by this loving adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. Anchored by strong performances from Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature, this Frankenstein is less a monster movie, and more a rumination on flawed fathers and sons.

DIRECTOR: David Gordon Green
CAST: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, and James Jude Courtney
RATING: R

There have 13 films in the iconic Halloween slasher franchise. That’s quite a few run-ins with Michael Myers!Halloween Ends finally offered fans some closure in this 44-year saga between former babysitter Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and the masked serial killer Michael Myers, who just can’t seem to stop terrorizing the town of Haddonfield. Curtis is giving it her all, delivering lines like “I like your face,” with charm and gusto. It doesn’t have the gravitas of the original, and I understand why some found it to be disappointing conclusion. But audiences still get the final Laurie Strode vs. Michael Myers showdown, and a few gruesome, special effects-laden kills. Give it a chance, and you might have some fun.

DIRECTOR: Scott Derrickson
CAST: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames
RATING: R

If you’ve ever wanted to see Ethan Hawke play an unhinged serial killer, you simply must watch this terrifying, critically-acclaimed horror flick. Adapted from a 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill (aka the son of Stephen King), the film takes place in a small town in Colorado in 1978, where a deranged masked murderer, known as “The Grabber,” is kidnapping and killing children. His latest victim, a boy named Finney (played by Mason Thames) is locked in a basement with nothing but a disconnected phone. On that phone, Finney hears voices… and they may be able to help him escape. After you watch the first one, you can catch the sequel, Black Phone 2, also streaming on Netflix.

DIRECTOR: Ivan Reitman
CAST: Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Sigoureny Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis
RATING: PG-13

If you’re looking for spooky fun without the scares, this classic supernatural comedy about three eccentric scientists in the ghost-catching business is the perfect choice. For ’80s kids, Ghostbusters had it all: Dry humor, campy special effects, nerdy lore, easy Halloween costumes, and, of course, the killer theme song sung by Ray Parker Jr., which became a No. 1 hit. It’s the movie that launched a billion-dollar franchise, and watching it feels like hanging out with an old, trusted friend.

DIRECTOR: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
CAST: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Jenna Ortega, Henry Czerny, Courteney Cox
RATING: R

The last Scream movie featuring Melissa Barrera—who was fired from the franchise after speaking out against Isreal’s war on Palestine—the sixth film in this beloved series finds Tara (Jenna Ortega) attempting to live a normal life as a college student in New York City, but that’s hard to do with her big sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) watching her every move. But can you blame Sam? If Sidney Prescott has taught us anything, it’s that once you’re marked by Ghostface, you’re cursed for life. Or, at least, your cursed for as long as the franchise keeps making money. Also starring Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Josh Segarra, and featuring the return of Courteney Cox and Hayden Panettiere, Scream 6 offers yet another bloody, meta, murder mystery.

 DIRECTOR: Leigh Janiak
CAST: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald, Fred Hechinger, Ashley Zukerman, Darrell Britt-Gibson, and Maya Hawke.
RATING: R

Fear Street Part 1: 1994—and the entire Fear Street trilogy—on Netflix is not only a fun, gory, R-rated adaptation of the R.L. Stine book series, it’s also a super cute lesbian love story. The very charming Kiana Madeira stars as a teen girl in the ’90s named Deena, who recently broke up with her girlfriend Sam (Olivia Welch), after Sam transferred from the downtrodden Shadyside High to their affluent rivals, Sunnyvale. But soon the girls have more to worry about than drama and rivalries when a masked killer starts terrorizing their friends. Director Leigh Janiak manages to make Fear Street a fun, nostalgic throwback for ’90s kids that also appeals to the horror-loving subset of current teens obsessed with Stranger Things.

DIRECTOR: Greg Jardin
CAST: Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, David Thompson, and Madison Davenport
RATING: R

This indie horror movie was acquired by Netflix for $17 million, in the largest deal of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. If Netflix is willing to drop that much cash, the movie must be good! Written and directed by Greg Jardin, It’s What’s Inside features an ensemble cast of Millennial friends who gather for an epic party before their friend’s wedding. They play an unusual game that involves swapping bodies with each other… and, unsurprisingly, get more than they bargained for. Plus, according to Decider’s own Radhamely De Leon, the ending will “surprise you and leave you wanting more.” Give it a whirl!

DIRECTOR: Lee Daniels
CAST: Andra Day, Caleb McLaughlin, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps, Mo’Nique, and Glenn Close
RATING: R

This demonic possession ghost story starring Andra Day was inspired by a real woman, Latoya Ammons, who believed that her house and her family were being possessed by Satanic demons. Her story was sensationalized thanks to a viral 2014 feature in The Indy Star, and it was only a matter of time before this local ghost story became a Hollywood movie.