The vicious news cycle [1] can be scary, so if you need an even scarier distraction, there's no better place to find it than in Netflix's horror selection. The streaming service's bone-chilling collection has everything from timeless classics [2] to brand-new originals [3]. Whether you're looking for zombies, monsters, or ghosts, you'll find your pick of the macabre on Netflix, no summoning circle required. From Child's Play [4] to Gerald's Game, here are the best horror movies that you can stream on Netflix in April — they're pretty spooky, so you might just want to keep the lamp on or watch them in broad daylight.
Bird Box
Ever heard of the Bird Box challenge [5]? It comes from this Netflix original film, in which Sandra Bullock [6] stars as a survivor in an apocalyptic society where an unseen presence drives people to kill themselves.
Watch Bird Box on Netflix. [7]
Carrie
After menstruating for the first time, Carrie discovers that she has witchy superpowers in this horror flick based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. It's not the original movie, but hey, we get Patricia Clarkson as Carrie's controlling mother.
Watch Carrie on Netflix. [8]
The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi's low-budget horror cult film takes us to a remote cabin in the woods where a group of kids turn into zombies. If you're hooked onto the supernatural story, the good news is that there are two more sequels to indulge in.
Watch The Evil Dead on Netflix. [9]
Child's Play
Loved the campy new film starring Aubrey Plaza [10]? Get creeped out by the original Chucky doll in the first Child's Play movie.
Watch Child's Play on Netflix. [11]
Cloverfield
After a group of friends throw a bon voyage party, they find themselves in a terrifying situation as a giant monster wreaks havoc in New York City. Using a video camera, they document the horrors that unfold in this sci-fi [12] horror flick.
Watch Cloverfield on Netflix. [13]
It Comes at Night
During a highly contagious outbreak at the end of the world, a family seeks refuge with Paul's (Joel Edgerton) family in It Comes at Night [14]. However, tensions rise as the horror creeps closer to the home.
Watch It Comes at Night on Netflix. [15]
Insidious
Featuring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, James Wan's Insidious follows a family as they move into a creepy house. Soon, the family learns that their son is none other than a vessel for creepy spirits.
Watch Insidious on Netflix. [16]
The Ring
Horror connoisseurs can't go wrong with this cult favourite. In this remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring, Naomi Watts [17] portrays a reporter who must solve the mystery of a chain video in which viewers die within a week of watching.
Watch The Ring on Netflix. [18]
The Witch
In this Robert Eggers movie, New England pilgrims in a forest become wary about a witch cursing them. One of the main suspects in the horrors that unfold is Thomasin, the family daughter portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy [19].
Watch The Witch on Netflix. [20]
In the Tall Grass
Based on the Joe Hill and Stephen King novella, In the Tall Grass follows a group of people who enter a twisted field of grass. Soon, the powers and secrets of the grass slowly drive them insane [21] as they lose all understanding of time and space.
Watch In the Tall Grass on Netflix. [22]
The Wicker Man
In this '70s classic [23], a detective investigates a young girl's disappearance on an island. However, he soon learns of the residents' weird pagan rituals as he looks into the case.
Watch The Wicker Man on Netflix. [24]
Velvet Buzzsaw
Netflix's Velvet Buzzsaw [25] is weird, suffice to say. It's all about evil artwork that punishes greedy people, plus we get Jake Gyllenhaal [26] as a horny, disgruntled art critic!
Watch Velvet Buzzsaw on Netflix. [27]
Rosemary's Baby
Mia Farrow leads this classic horror film based on the Ira Levin novel. In it, she's a pregnant woman who begins to suspect that she might have a demon child.
Watch Rosemary's Baby on Netflix. [28]
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Simultaneously get your musical [29] and horror fix with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Johnny Depp [30] plays the titular character, who's out for vengeance and enlists the help of a meat pie baker (Helena Bonham Carter) to carry out his unsavory plans.
Watch Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on Netflix. [31]
Train to Busan
This Korean zombie movie is about a dad and daughter who take a train to Busan and find themselves amid a zombie pandemic. It's a smart movie about class, but we also get lots of bloody, heart-racing sequences too.
Watch Train to Busan on Netflix. [32]
Gerald's Game
Yup, it's another Stephen King adaptation! In Gerald's Game [33], a couple spice up their love life at a remote lake house, and the wife (Carla Gugino) confronts her inner demons about past abuses.
Watch Gerald's Game on Netflix. [34]
Candyman
After a horrible death, the Candyman lurks in a housing project of Chicago to terrorize nonbelievers. Before you watch the Nia DaCosta sequel [35], be sure to check out the original film.
Watch Candyman on Netflix. [36]
Wildling
In the horror fantasy Wildling, a young girl escapes confinement under a man claiming to be her protector against the child-eating Wildling. Once in the outside world, she uncovers the terrifying truth.
Watch Wildling on Netflix on April 1. [37]
The Girl With All the Gifts
Starring Glenn Close [38], The Girl With All the Gifts is a post-apocalyptic horror about a world overcome by a fungal disease that turns people into zombies. The only hope for the future is a group of children who get flesh cravings but are able to think for themselves.
Watch The Girl With All the Gifts on Netflix on April 1. [39]
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Love a scary cult movie with a comedic twist? Killer Klowns From Outer Space serves up just that, its plot revolving around a group of murderous aliens who look like creepy clowns.
Watch Killer Klowns From Outer Space on Netflix on April 1. [40]