The fundamental psychology of fear explains the genre’s enduring appeal. We enjoy the thrill, and we feel relatively secure in the knowledge that a clown armed with a hatchet is not hiding outside our door. (Probably. Go ahead and verify.
There is a simple solution if you ever find yourself craving those specific thrills without leaving the safety of your couch: turn down the lights and watch ten of the scariest movies now available on Netflix.
1. The Invitation (2022)
This suspenseful thriller starring Nathalie Emmanuel turns a trip to England for a wedding into a fight for survival. Sean Pertwee, who also stars, is the son of former Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee.
2. The Boy (2016)
A babysitter is shocked to learn that the youngster she is watching is a murderous porcelain doll named Brahms, sent to her by a distraught spouse. As Rupert Evans, another cast member, put it, the doll is “like another castmate.”
3. Blood Red Sky (2021)
This terrifying and original German horror film has become a breakout sensation on Netflix. Terrorists on board a transatlantic airplane are taken by surprise when one passenger reveals she will resort to whatever means necessary to protect her son, including turning vampire. Peter Thorwarth, the film’s director, claims the idea came to him when he was in the air. He pondered what a vampire might do if he were traveling eastward toward the dawn.
4. The Perfection (2019)
In this bloody thriller, cello prodigy Allison Williams (Allison Williams) returns to her old private school to find her teacher Steven Weber (Steven Weber) involved with a new student, Logan Browning (Logan Browning). It’s a jealousy triangle that only gets more complicated as time passes. Both Williams and Browning played cello on their own.
5. The Ritual (2018)
While on a hiking expedition in the Swedish forest, four friends encounter both natural and supernatural threats to their safe return. If you like films like The Wicker Man, The Descent, and Deliverance, then you might enjoy David Bruckner’s latest effort.
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