Viewers who dare to watch dark films at night are brave. After, researching a lot and including our picks, we have finally come up with a newly updated list of all the films that you can’t miss now. These are the top rated on IMDb and also in the top list of Netflix itself.
Scary films have always too much demand in the market and that is why, filmmakers always come up with a new and special concept that makes everyone excited. So, now close yourself in a room to enjoy these shows, as they are highly loved and you will never want to miss when we share some summary of those names.
Here is the Complete List –
1. Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary is a scary movie that came out on 8 June 2018 on Netflix and it has a great cast. Toni Collette plays the role of Annie Graham and she is the main character. Her son’s role is played by Alex Wolff, her daughter by Milly Shapiro, and there are two other actors, Ann Dowd and Gabriel Byrne.
The story is about the Graham family, and they start experiencing really creepy and sad things after Annie’s mom Ellen dies. While they are dealing with their sadness, they also discover some hidden family secrets and spooky stuff starts happening. The director Ari Aster has made it really awesome and it feels super scary, and the story keeps you really anxious. Hereditary is one of the best on our list in recent years because the acting is so good, and there are some surprising and scary parts. It came out in 2018 and made Ari Aster well-known for his psychological horror skills.
2. The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring is a spooky movie that was released on 19 July 2013. It is about two people named Ed and Lorraine Warren who are experts in investigating strange, ghostly things. They are played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.
The story is about a family played by Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor who move into a farmhouse in Rhode Island with their five daughters. But when they move in, strange and scary things start happening. The clocks in the house stop at 3:07 AM, and their dog, Sadie, won’t go inside the house. The director James Wan does a good job of showing those creepy things. The Conjuring is now considered a modern classic in the horror genre because it is so intense.
3. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
The Cabin in the Woods is a film that came out on 13 April 2012. It is about a group of American college students who go to a cabin in the forest for a weekend trip. But what they don’t know is that their actions are controlled by some people who are hidden underground. These underground folks make scary things happen to the students.
The students find strange things in the cabin’s basement and accidentally bring back a family of zombies. They figure out that their experience is all planned and controlled. Lots of scary monsters also show up. Then, things get really weird when the characters learn the real reason for all this. It has to do with ancient rituals and sacrificing people to please some underground gods the Ancient Ones. This is also the best-rated film that you can’t miss watching on Netflix.
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4. The Shining (1980)
The Shining is another popular film in this list which was made by Stanley Kubrick in 1980. It has famous actors like Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and Danny Lloyd. The story is about a man named Jack Torrance who gets a job to take care of a hotel in the mountains during the winter. But as the winter goes on, strange and scary things start happening, and Jack starts acting crazy.
Jack’s son has a special power that lets him see spooky things in the hotel’s past. As they get more and more isolated and the hotel gets scarier, Jack becomes more dangerous, and his family, Wendy and Danny, have to protect themselves from him and the creepy things in the hotel.
5. The Texas Chainsaw (2022)
David Blue Garcia directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and it was released on 18 February 2022 on Netflix. It stars Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Jessica Allain, Olwen Fouéré, Jacob Latimore, and Alice Krige.
The story is about 50 years after a guy named Leatherface went on a killing spree in 1973. It shows some young people who want to fix up an old town Harlow and sell its old buildings. But things get really scary when they meet an old lady named Ginny living in a kids’ home, and it starts a bunch of really gruesome stuff. As things get worse and Leatherface comes back, the visitors have to fight for their lives in a horrible nightmare. This horror movie is part of the famous Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, and it shows the terrifying Leatherface. The viewers loved it but the IMDb score is quite low.
6. The Ring (2002)
Gore Verbinski directed film was released in October 2002 and it features Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, and Brian Cox as the main lead actors. The story of ‘The Ring’ is about a scary story that people talk about in the city. They say there’s a cursed videotape, and if you watch it, you will die in seven days. A teenager named Katie dies mysteriously after watching this tape. Her sister decides to find out what’s going on. She learns that Katie’s friends who saw the tape also died in strange accidents.
As Rachel looks deeper into the mystery, she watches the creepy tape herself. Afterwards, she gets a spooky phone call that says Seven days. Strange and scary things start happening to Rachel, so she asks her ex-boyfriend Noah, who’s good with videos, for help. Rachel also has a son named Aidan, who has special powers. It has got over 7.1 stars out of 10 on IMDb and over 360K viewers have rated it.
7. Sinister (2012)
Scott Derrickson directed Sinister was released in October 2012. It stars Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Fred Thompson, James Ransone, Clare Foley, and Michael Hall D’Addario in the main role. The story is about a man named Ellison Oswalt, played by Ethan Hawke. He writes books about real crimes, and he moves his family to a new house in Chatford, Pennsylvania, where a really terrible murder happened. But he doesn’t tell his wife and kids that he wants to write a book about this murder to make himself famous again.
The scary part starts when Ellison finds a box of old movies in the attic. These movies show different families being killed in really horrifying ways. As he looks into it more, he figures out that these murders happened over many years and in different places all over the country. It has also got great reviews and ratings on IMDb and you should check out this definitely.
8. World War Z (2013)
Marc Forster directed World War Z was released in June 2013. The main actor is Brad Pitt and there are other actors like Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale. The story of World War Z is based on a book by Max Brooks. It is about a man Gerry Lane who used to work for the United Nations. It starts with Gerry and their kids stuck in a traffic jam. But then zombies start taking over the city. Then, they tried to escape and get saved by a U.N. helicopter. Gerry is asked to help figure out where these zombies came from and how to stop them.
He travels to South Korea where he sees more zombies and learns scary things about how the virus is spreading. After that he goes to Israel where they make a safe place, but even there zombies attack. Gerry’s journey takes him to a research place in Cardiff. There, he and another survivor come up with a plan to hide from the zombies. The story is quite interesting and that is why it has become the most-rated show on IMDb till now.
9. Gerald’s Game
Gerald’s Game is another best scary films which is directed by Mike Flanagan. It was released in September 2017. The main actors are Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Carel Struycken, Henry Thomas, and Kate Siegel.
The story is about a married couple who go to a quiet lake house to make their marriage better. But something bad happens when the husband suddenly dies and the wife is stuck with handcuffs on the bed. This movie is based on a book by Stephen King. It is all about being alone, staying alive, and being strong when things are really tough. It keeps you nervous as you watch the main character struggle with her problems and try to get out of a dangerous situation.
10. Let the Right One In (2008)
Let the Right One In is a spooky show that was released in 2008. It is about a boy Oskar who is often bullied by his classmates. He likes reading about murders and thinking about getting back at his bullies. Then, he meets a strange girl named Eli who just moved in next door. Eli has a guy taking care of her named Håkan.
As Oskar and Eli become friends, they start to rely on each other. But, Eli has a big secret that she is actually a vampire. Even with this scary revelation, Oskar and Eli’s bond grows stronger. They have to deal with a lot of challenges because of Eli’s vampire nature. This movie is beautifully made and explores themes like loneliness, friendship, and supernatural stuff. The story is interesting with romance and horror feelings and viewers loved it.
11. Run Rabbit Run (2023)
Run Rabbit Run is a new scary film that is streaming on Netflix and it was released on June 2023. It is about a woman Sarah who used to help people have babies but is now divorced. She has a daughter named Mia who turns seven years old. One day, they find a rabbit in their house and things get weird. Mia starts acting strangely, wearing a rabbit mask and not taking it off. Sarah has bad dreams and sees things that aren’t real. She also gets a bite from the rabbit, and it gets infected.
Sarah looks into Mia’s drawings and behaviour and finds out a dark secret from her own past. When she was a kid, her sister Alice disappeared when she was seven years old. As Sarah tries to figure things out, it becomes hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. The movie gets scarier and scarier as it goes on. Run Rabbit Run is about family secrets and how they can mess with your head.
12. Halloween (1978)
Halloween is an old film but it is one of the best shows which was directed by John Carpenter and released in October 1978 is a really famous that lots of people like. The story starts in 1963 when a six-year-old named Michael Myers kills his teenage sister in a town. Fifteen years later, Michael escapes from a mental hospital where he has been locked up. His psychiatrist tries really hard to stop him because he thinks Michael is completely evil.
On that Halloween night, Michael decides to go after a teenager named Laurie Strode. Laurie becomes the target of Michael’s creepy stalking as he slowly kills her friends and anyone who comes in his way. Dr. Loomis races against time to find Michael and stop him. People love this show because it is really suspenseful. Halloween was a huge hit and many other shows took inspiration from it. It also made John Carpenter famous for making scary movies.
13. Devil (2010)
Devil is another horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle and it came out in September 2010. It features actors like Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Jenny O’Hara, Bokeem Woodbine, Matt Craven, and Jacob Vargas.
The story is about five people who get stuck in a broken elevator in a really tall building. While they try to get out, strange and scary things happen which make them think that maybe ghosts or something spooky is causing it all.
14. Lights Out (2016)
Lights Out is another film on our list that was released in 2016. It’s about a spooky creature that you can only see when it’s dark. There’s a young boy named Martin who sees his mom talking to this creepy thing in the shadows, and it really scares him. Martin’s older sister, Rebecca, gets involved when people start worrying about Martin’s safety.
As they try to figure out what’s going on, they uncover a dark family secret. This secret is connected to a very bad creature that likes darkness. Their lives are in danger, and they have to find a way to face this scary thing and stay alive. It has got good rating of 6.3 on IMDb from viewers and over 140K viewers have rated it.
15. Viking Wolf (2022)
Viking Wolf is a movie from Norway. It is about a wolf that causes trouble in the past and in the present. In the year 1050, some Vikings found a baby wolf while attacking a place in France. They take the wolf to Norway, but it turns out to be dangerous and causes problems for the Vikings. In today’s time, a 17-year-old girl named Thale and her family move to a town in Norway.
Thale is having a hard time fitting in, especially since her dad passed away. Then, a strange creature starts scaring the town, and Thale, her friend Jonas, and her mom Liv, who is now a local police officer, get involved in trying to solve the mystery. They have to find out about the past and deal with the dangerous creatures. The movie came out on November 18, 2022, and it lasted for 97 minutes. It mixes Viking history with modern-day scary to make an exciting and scary story.
16. What We Do in the Shadows (2019)
What We Do in the Shadows is a funny horror series that is like a fake documentary created by Jemaine Clement. The show is based on a film of the same name made by Jemaine Clement. The main actors are Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, and Kristen Schaal.
The series is funny because it shows how these vampires try to fit into the modern world, meet other supernatural creatures, and deal with their own problems and fights. The viewers have given it 8.6 stars out of 10 on IMDb and over 90K people have rated it there.
17. X (2022)
X was made by director Ti West in 2022, and it is also included in our list. It has some talented actors like Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Scott Mescudi.
The movie is a scary story that takes place in 1979. A group of people goes on a road trip to a farm in Texas. They want to make an adult movie there, and the farm belongs to an old couple. While they’re there, they start to learn some scary secrets, and bad things happen.
18. A Haunting in Venice (2023)
A Haunting in Venice is a new mystery movie that was released in 2023. It is directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Michael Green. The story is based on a book by Agatha Christie Hallowe’en Party. The film is made by Kenneth Branagh and has a famous cast like Kyle Allen, Kenneth Branagh, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly, Riccardo, and Michelle Yeoh.
The story is about a retired detective named Hercule Poirot, played by Kenneth Branagh. He goes to a seance and then has to solve a murder that happens there. It’s a mystery with lots of suspense and excitement.
19. Cobweb (2023)
Cobweb is a scary American movie that was directed by Samuel Bodin and written by Chris Thomas Devlin. The movie was made by Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, James Weaver, Josh Fagen, Roy Lee, and Andrew Childs. The main actors in the movie are Lizzy Caplan, Woody Norman, Cleopatra Coleman, and Antony Starr.
The story is about an eight-year-old boy named Peter. He gets picked on a lot, and his parents, Carol and Mark, are not very nice to him. One day, Peter chooses to stay inside during recess, and his substitute teacher feels sorry for him. Strange things start happening and Peter hears tapping noises from inside his bedroom walls and talks to someone named Sarah, who says she’s trapped by his parents. Cobweb was released in July 2023 and is streaming by Lionsgate
20. Bone Tomahawk (2015)
Bone Tomahawk is a scary movie made in 2015 in the USA. It is a mix of a cowboy movie and a horror story. The director and writer of the movie is S. Craig Zahler and it was made by Jack Heller. The movie has famous actors like Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and others.
The story is from the 1890s and shows the adventure of two bad guys Purvis and Buddy. They find a special Native American grave and it leads to a big fight. Purvis escapes and goes to a town but his escape causes more problems because the bad guys kidnap the town doctor’s daughter. The sheriff, Franklin Hunt, and his friends, like Arthur went to save them. The story is interesting and everyone has given it good ratings and reviews.
Final Words
These were the best horror movies of 2023 on Netflix that you can definitely have a look at. These are the best-rated and IMDb’s top choices. Viewers have loved them too and given many positive reviews. We have selected them after a long research. We will update this list regularly when we find the new best films that match our requirements. If you know any names then let us know in the comment below.