The Old Dark House of 1932 is often believed to be the first Hollywood slasher, but it would be fair to say, that the 1926 silent film, The Bat, was what paved the way for "old dark house" films and made this genre popular and successful in the years that followed. The story of “guests in a remote mansion menaced by a killer in a grotesque mask” explored in the film became a trope and a template for an exhaustive list of slasher thrillers that Hollywood holds in its treasure. Blockbuster franchises like Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, and similar others that followed that trope defined the Golden Age of the slasher genre from the 70s through the early 00s. And with recent reboots and remakes of these franchises and newer additions to the genre, we now find ourselves in a new generation of terrifying but gripping stories of a maniacal killer haunting and hounding multiple victims. Cringe or scream, these movies do have the power to make you jump in fear, sometimes, literally.
So, we put together a list of some of the best slasher flicks on Netflix that you can watch right now. Each of these movies is packed with a lot of suspense, thrill, action, and often to the point of being creepy enough to get your blood to curdle. They can be frightening, but they also make for an exciting watch. Get comfortable, grab a pillow (you might need it), and binge on these scary movies for an ultimate frightful experience.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
- Director: David Blue Garcia
- Runtime: 83 minutes
- Cast: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Jessica Allain, Olwen Fouéré, Jacob Latimore, Alice Krige
A direct sequel of the eponymous original 1974 film, this latest edition of the slasher horror revives the infamous cannibalistic Leatherface who is now old and lives in hiding. 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre picks up nearly 50 years after the massacre in Harlow, Texas, where a group of young men and women, Melody, Lila, Dante, and Ruth arrive with a plan to set up a business. Completely unaware of the remote town’s horrific history, their dreams turn into living nightmares when they disrupt the guarded life of Leatherface and reignite his killing spree. As the killer resurfaces, one of his past victims, Sally Hardesty, the sole survivor of the ‘73 massacre gets ready for vengeance. Directed by David Blue Garcia, the latest installment of the slasher thriller is based on an original story by Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues of Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe fame. Though a ninth installment in the long-running franchise, this 2022 Netflix film steers clear of all the other reboots and remakes of the original film and connects back only to the first film, making it worth watching for nostalgia’s sake. Despite mixed reviews, Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a commercial success and had high viewership.
Fear Street Part One: 1994
- Director: Leigh Janiak
- Runtime: 107 minutes
- Cast: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald, Fred Hechinger, Ashley Zukerman, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Maya Hawke
In a time of reboots and remakes of classic slashers, the Fear Street films make for some of the original ones to look out for. The trilogy is based on R.L. Stine’s eponymous teenage horror fiction book series and helmed by Leigh Janiak in her second directorial venture. The overarching plot of the three films explores a group of teenagers across different eras who try to save themselves and their town from a curse of hundreds of years. Fear Street Part One is set in 1994 and is heavily influenced by that decade’s hit slasher thrillers like Scream. The first installment follows a group of local teenagers in the ill-fated town of Shadyside, which has become infamous for brutal killings. After witnessing some of those firsthand, and being terrorized by an unseen evil, a group of local teenagers decide to fight and save the town.
Fear Street Part Two: 1978
- Director: Leigh Janiak
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- Cast: Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Ryan Simpkins, McCabe Slye, Ted Sutherland, Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr.
Although each of the Fear Street films can be seen as individual stories, they are deeply interconnected and unexpectedly complex, with various subgenres of horror, so it’s recommended to watch them back-to-back. Come for the horror appeal, stay for the throwback tributes, ambitious storytelling, and visually delightful period touches. Released within a week of the first installment, Fear Street Part Two takes the story back 24 years, in 1978, and is a homage of sorts to Friday the 13th. With Janiak returning as the director for Fear Street Part 2, this installment takes us back to the cursed town of Shadyside, where a killer attacks a group of campers at Camp Nightwing, turning their summer into a gruesome episode of survival. The story is told as a flashback from 1994, from the perspective of Christine "Ziggy" Berman, who survived the killing spree of Camp Nightwing and tries to help the 1994 survivors.
Fear Street Part Three: 1666
- Director: Leigh Janiak
- Runtime: 114 minutes
- Cast: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Ashley Zukerman, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Gillian Jacobs
In the final chapter of the trilogy, the story goes back to 1666 and explores a witch hunt and other horrifying events from the town’s history. Released one week after the second film, Fear Street Part Three is set in a mid-17th century settlement, before it became Shadyside, and explores the origin of the curse on the town. The third installment of Fear Street brings all the previous plot points together and connects back to the survivors of 1994, all of which culminate into a chilling and thrilling climax to the main story. The final installment of the supernatural slasher series was the most successful one sets the path for the Fear Street universe to expand. The film was positively received by fans and critics alike, calling the third one “a trilogy-concluding installment that caps things off on a screaming high note.”
The Babysitter
- Director: McG
- Runtime: 85 minutes
- Cast: Samara Weaving, Judah Lewis, Hana Mae Lee, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne
Not to be confused with the 1995 thriller film of the same name, 2017’s The Babysitter is darker, funnier, creepier, and scarier than any babysitter story you would have seen. Also, if you like watching Samara Weaving in horror roles, then this Netflix film is a must-watch, where she portrays the titular babysitter. The comedy is campy and ridiculous, but that’s what makes this movie fun. The story follows a 12-year-old boy, Cole who has a massive crush on his babysitter, Bee. Encouraged by his friend to find out what babysitters do after the kids fall asleep, Cole spies on Bee and her high school friends who all gather at the house, only to find that they are a murderous satanic cult. Now, Cole must keep his feelings for Bee aside and save himself before the gang kills him.
The Babysitter: Killer Queen
- Director: McG
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Cast: Judah Lewis, Emily Alyn Lind, Jenna Ortega, Robbie Amell, Andrew Bachelor, Leslie Bibb, Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Samara Weaving, Ken Marino
The first installment of the black comedy slasher turned out to be so popular that it demanded a sequel, with Judah Lewis reprising his role of Cole Johnson, with some of the other original cast members. The Babysitter: Killer Queen picks up two years after the events of the first film and gets bloodier, gorier, and wilder than its predecessor. Cole survived the attacks of a bloodthirsty cult and is now a high school junior living with past traumas. But once again, as luck would have it, he ends up befriending a similar killer cult who attacked him earlier, and he is forced to face his past demons, quite literally. However, this time, Cole has a saving grace in his friend, Phoebe. Despite its mixed reviews and lukewarm reception, The Babysitter: Killer Queen merits a watch, at least to get the complete picture.
There’s Someone Inside Your House
- Director: Patrick Brice
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- Cast: Sydney Park, Théodore Pellerin, Asjha Cooper, Jesse LaTourette, Diego Josef
Typically, slasher film killers wear a mask that becomes their signature. There’s Someone Inside Your House takes that a step further, where the killer wears their victim’s face as a mask. Too far-fetched? Maybe, but you have to watch it to find out why. The title of this movie is quite self-explanatory, cueing you in on what you can expect from it, and is a lot along the lines of Fear Street. One of the recent Netflix original slasher-thrillers, this movie is directed by Patrick Brice of Creep fame and is based on a 2017 American horror novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins. The story follows a senior college student, Makani, who is transferred from Hawaii to a small town in Nebraska and is living with her grandmother. Even before she can get to know her new home and new friends better, her classmates and friends become targets and Makani finds herself in the middle of violent and gruesome murders. But when she becomes the killer’s next target, Makani must face her past secrets to save herself and her friends.
The Rental
- Director: Dave Franco
- Runtime: 88 minutes
- Cast: Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand, Jeremy Allen White, Toby Huss
The 21 Jump Street and The Afterparty Season 1 star might be best known for his comedy roles but as a filmmaker, Dave Franco debuted with this slasher horror, which he directs, co-writes, and co-produces. The Rental follows two couples on a weekend getaway at a remote home on Oregon Coast. The seemingly perfect vacation rental with a very normal-looking homeowner soon becomes ominous when they suspect that the landlord is watching them. But things get far worse when the suspicions translate into reality and begin to threaten their stay and lives. On its release, The Rental was well received both critically and commercially and became the “second film to ever top the box office and rental charts”, with praises for the cast and performance and abundant chilling moments that a good slasher thriller should have.
Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight
- Director: Bartosz M. Kowalski
- Runtime: 102 minutes
- Cast: Julia Wieniawa, Michał Lupa, Wiktoria Gasiewska
For a taste of how slashers are made beyond our home borders, here’s one from Polish cinema. This 2020 supernatural slasher horror is directed and co-written by Bartosz M. Kowalski, who is known for his previous films, Playground and Dream in the Making. Titled W lesie dziś nie zaśnie nikt in Polish, Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight follows a group of teenagers who go camping in the woods in a phone-free zone and encounter a deadly entity lurking in the woods, waiting for them. Without no communication with the world outside, the campers are left to their abilities to fight for survival. On its release, the film landed on the top 10 list of most-watched films on Netflix and became “one of the most rented titles on Netflix US.” In 2021, a sequel, Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight Part 2 was released, featuring the sole survivor of the massacre of the first film, with some of the original cast members reprising their roles. From its premise to narrative and cinematography, Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight is very reminiscent of classic camping-slasher stories like Friday the 13th or Cabin Fever, so fans of those films are sure to enjoy this Polish production as well.
I See You
- Director: Adam Randall
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- Cast: Helen Hunt, Jon Tenney, Owen Teague, Libe Barer, Judah Lewis
Mad About You star, Helen Hunt leads this horror thriller directed by Adam Randall and written by actor-screenwriter Devon Graye. I See You is set in a small town and follows the story of the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy, and a local detective, Greg who investigates the incident and tries to connect it to a string of murders that previously plagued the town. Simultaneously he is also struggling with his wife, Jackie’s (Hunt) infidelity and a strained marriage. To make matters worse, the family encounters a malicious presence in the house, and their son, Connor becomes the target, with inexplicable occurrences within the house and around the town. The actual mystery, however, is not so much about the disappearance but how it all ties together, and it’s quite shocking. When the film was released in 2019, it went unnoticed by many but managed to earn positive reviews, and “an effective blend of scares and suspense make this slow-building mystery worth watching.” Although it’s not a typical slasher and is billed as a horror-thriller, there’s ample psychological tension, jump-scare moments, and frightening surprises in store that merit I See You to be on this list.
Girls with Balls
- Director: Olivier Afonso
- Runtime: 77 minutes
- Cast: Guillaume Canet, Denis Lavant, Dany Verissimo-Peti, Tiphaine Daviot, Manon Azem, Camille Razat
Here’s another European slasher but of the dark comedy genre, and you are right in assuming that its title is a pun. This 2018 French-Belgian dark comedy horror is helmed by Olivier Afonso in his directorial debut. Girls with Balls follows a women’s volleyball team, Falcons, who are on their way from a championship game. When their van breaks down in the middle of nowhere they are forced to take a detour through a remote, unknown location. They end up in a bar, where they are challenged to a dangerous game of life and death by a group of degenerate hunters and the girls must fight for their lives. Although Girls with Balls has mixed reviews, watch it for the dark humor and horror comedy actions, quite like The Babysitter.
Coming Home in the Dark
- Director: James Ashcroft
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- Cast: Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell, Matthias Luafutu
This New Zealand horror film is more fitting to be called a psychological thriller but has ample bloodshed to be included in the slasher genre. Based on the 1995 short story by Owen Marshall of the same name, Coming Home in the Dark is directed by James Ashcroft in his directorial debut, and is best known for his previous work in the TV series Talkback. The film follows a schoolteacher, Alan ‘Hoaggie’ Hoaganraad, and his wife, Jill, and two sons on a road trip when they encounter two ruthless drifters who terrorize the family and force Alan to face his brutal past, turning their family trip into a living nightmare. Coming Home in the Dark stars Daniel Gillies of The Originals fame, and All Saints star Erik Thomson in main roles. Released at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, the horror thriller earned rave reviews from fans and critics alike, calling it “a white-knuckle ride for horror fans” owing to the cast performance, story, and narrative.
Till Death
- Director: S.K. Dale
- Runtime: 88 minutes
- Cast: Megan Fox, Callan Mulvey, Eoin Macken, Aml Ameen, Jack Roth
Since Jennifer’s Body, we haven’t seen Megan Fox in any horror role, until this 2021 thriller, and we can safely say it’s quite a promising film and exciting to see the Transformers star return to the genre. Till Death might not technically be a classic slasher-horror, but it’s abundantly scary with edge-of-the-seat moments, and a lot of blood, so we are counting it as one. The story follows Emma, stuck in her stale marriage, when her husband, Mark surprises her with a romantic getaway to a remote lake house. But when she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself handcuffed to Mark’s blood-soaked dead body. Soon, she finds herself becoming the victim of two dangerous and armed intruders. Trapped in a secluded location, in the middle of winter, the only way Emma can save herself is by outsmarting her attackers, with whatever it takes. Fox delivers an excellent performance as the threatened protagonist struggling to survive, which is seconded by fans and critics alike, who also praise the direction style and tight-paced narrative that keeps you hooked all along.
Piercing
- Director: Nicolas Pesce
- Runtime: 81 minutes
- Cast: Christopher Abbott, Mia Wasikowska, Laia Costa, Maria Dizzia, Marin Ireland, Wendell Pierce
There are mainstream slashers and then there are slashers like Piercing. It’s aesthetically pleasing and stylish like a high-end art film but also dark, twisted, and macabre like a good slasher. For those who love old-school thrillers, especially from the 70s and 80s, Piercing is definitely something to watch. Based on the eponymous 1994 novel by Ryu Murakami, this horror thriller is written and directed by Nicolas Pesce of The Eyes of My Mother fame. The story follows Reed, a husband and a father who seemingly leaves for a “business trip” but actually checks into a hotel, calls for a prostitute, and plans a “perfect murder”. But what Reed doesn’t realize is that the mysterious woman he has hired is equally (or probably way more) unhinged and can foil his plans in ways beyond his control. With a tension-filled plot, unpredictable thrillers, and most importantly, Mia Wasikowska and Christopher Abbott’s thrilling performances, as the prey and the predator, respectively, Piercing makes for a great watch.
Prom Night (2008)
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- Cast: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz, Idris Elba
A reboot of the hit 1980s slasher horror film, Prom Night marks the fifth installment in the popular franchise. The 2008 film follows Donna, who witnesses her parents and brother’s murder in her freshman year. Three years later, now a high school student Donna is all set for her senior prom, when the vicious killer from her past returns to terrorize her and her friends. Although a part of the franchise, this Prom Night is not connected to the previous films in any way and is only a remake. It merely takes the inspiration for the premise from the original Jamie Lee Curtis-starrer and puts the plot into a very 2000s high school setting featuring Brittany Snow of Pitch Perfect and American Dreams fame in the lead.