Netflix is a blessing and a curse to many that have an account. This may sound over dramatic, but with there being such a wide selection of movies or shows to watch; you can easily get lost in the sea of different categories. I sometimes go on Netflix to watch something new and exciting but I either end up watching "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" for the hundredth time, or a movie I easily find comfort in.
I recently broke out of my comfort zone and forgot about the handful of movies and shows I love to be able to extend my amount of favorites. As soon as I watched these movies, I knew I had to make a list and share it to whoever has an interest in more unknown horror movies. Below are the posters of what movies I'll be talking about.
1. "Dead Silence," 2007
A young widower returns to his hometown to search for answers to his wife's murder, which may be linked to the ghost of a murdered ventriloquist.
Ghosts, puppets, gore and jump scares are what defines this movie. This combination can either be deadly or really drive the nail into the horror coffin, and in this case it really makes the difference between a decent horror movie and a good one.
This movie was directed by the person who also directed "Saw," "The Conjuring," and "Insidious." Need I say more?
2. "Come Back to Me," 2014
Sarah and Josh are married suburbanites. After a car accident, Sarah suffers blackouts & ends up pregnant though Josh is sterile. As her life spirals she hides a camera in her home & unlocks a horrific secret with far-reaching consequences.
One of the many films on this list that contains a good plot twist. It contains supernatural elements, but don’t confuse this with the "Paranormal Activity" franchise-- this is much different than that.
3. "The Babadook," 2014
A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
A supernatural/creature flick made to bring back your childhood fear of the dark. You’ll have to start sleeping with your lights on if you want to survive the Babadook.
4. "The Veil," 2016
Twenty-five years after members of a religious cult committed mass suicide, the lone survivor returns to the scene of the tragedy with a documentary crew in tow.
The description almost makes it sound like a found-footage film, but no worries about that; it isn’t. It deals with a cult, mass suicide, a plot twist. What else could you want?
5. "The Ward," 2010
A young woman becomes terrorized by a ghost while sentenced to a mental hospital.
I did not have high hopes before I began watching this. My mind was easily changed once all the characters were introduced and the sightings of a ghost began, who everyone denies to acknowledge except the ‘new girl’ in the ward. This had such a surprising twist at the end that I could not predict, though I like to say that’s one of my talents.
6. "Hush," 2016
A deaf writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.
Honestly, the idea of a deaf protagonist made me very interested since it is not something a lot of films have. I had high hopes and this did not disappoint, it was suspenseful and ‘edge of your seat’ horror that made me cringe (in a good way) all the way until the end.
7. "Visions," 2015
After moving to a vineyard to start a new life with her husband, a pregnant woman begins to experience terrifying visions.I went into this thinking that it was going to be another one of those supernatural and ghost filled movies that you can watch once and get sick of, but it turns out there’s a very good twist to it that no one will expect.
8. "Oculus," 2013
A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.
Whenever I hear this movie title, the gamer in me instantly thinks about the virtual reality related ‘Oculus Rift’ which is basically a pair of black-out goggles that puts you into a video game environment; usually set in an eerie place.
If you watch this with that exact thought in mind, you’ll easily feel the terror since this film creates such an uneasy, horrific environment that would probably make a really good haunted house.
It also revolves around an ancient mirror that kills people, which sounds interesting in itself.
9. "The Awakening," 2011
In 1921, England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she believes unravels as the 'missing' begin to show themselves.
Another supernatural flick on this list, but it is certainly not like the last. This creates another excellent environment (which is key to any good movie) and the spooks elevate further and further throughout each piece until it builds up to the end; containing a pretty good twist.
10. "The Shrine," 2010
Two female journalists and a photographer travel to Europe to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances, only to find themselves embroiled in a struggle against a kind of evil they never expected.
I went into this immediately thinking about Hostel, since that is also set at various locations throughout Europe, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn’t nearly as much of a gore-fest and a bit more suspense worthy.
11. "The Lazarus Effect," 2015
A group of medical researchers discover a way to bring dead patients back to life.
With a cast of great actors and actresses, this does not disappoint. There's a cliffhanger ending which really gets your mind into thinking about it and what actually happened.
12. "Wes Craven’s New Nightmare," 1994
A demonic force has chosen Freddy Krueger as its portal to the real world. Can Heather play the part of Nancy one last time and trap the evil trying to enter our world?
Wes Craven is the man behind "Scream," "The Hills Have Eyes," and the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise. He created this movie to bring Freddy back and had him created differently, more like his original vision of what he wanted the villain to be.
This film definitely can be grouped into the Scream category, though they are about different plots. They both break the fourth wall and the horror-tropes that plague almost each and every movie.
Credit goes to IMDB for the movie descriptions. If I had to describe the movies myself, I’d probably spoil half of it and this article would be way too long.
I also recommend checking out that website for longer descriptions, trailers, and warnings for any sensitive content within each film.
What are some Netflix films you enjoy?
