The horror genre has been booming on TV in recent years, and Netflix has become one of its biggest champions. Stranger Things [1], The Haunting of Hill House [2], and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina [3] are just a few of the streamer's supernatural hits, making Netflix the perfect destination for horror TV fans [4]. No matter what level of scares you're looking for, Netflix has a spooky show that will give you chills. Don't believe us? Then check out this list of the best horror shows streaming on Netflix [5] right now. Prepare yourself, because these marathon-ready spooky series aren't just entertaining, they're also guaranteed to keep you up all night.
American Horror Story
Over the course of nine seasons, Ryan Murphy's hit series has tackled a wide range of spooky locales, including haunted houses, a nightmarish asylum, and a travelling freak show. Relive every gruesome death and delicious Jessica Lange performance when you revisit the anthology series on Netflix.
Watch American Horror Story on Netflix. [6]
Ash vs. the Evil Dead
A spinoff of the classic Evil Dead films, Ash vs. the Evil Dead picks up long after the movies ended. An ageing Ash is not at all interested in fighting off the Evil Dead, and he has long since retied his chainsaw. However, destiny has other ideas for the reluctant hero when he inadvertently releases a Deadite plague.
Watch Ash vs. the Evil Dead on Netflix. [7]
Bates Motel
No one thought Psycho's Norman Bates needed a tragic backstory, but the creators of Bates Motel proved us all wrong by giving the infamous character a fully fleshed out, but still nightmare-inducing, origin story. Freddie Highmore as a young Norman is a revelation, and honestly, we're still bitter over the fact that Vera Farmiga never received an Emmy for her chilling and nuanced work as Norma Bates.
Watch Bates Motel on Netflix. [8]
Black Mirror
The worlds of sci-fi and horror collide in the bleak-as-night, technology-fuelled anthology series Black Mirror. Each episode takes on a different nightmarish idea, from the choose-your-own-adventure madness of "Bandersnatch" to the all-too-real computer role-playing game in "USS Callister." The one thing every episode has in common is that they will all leave you deeply suspicious of your smart phone.
Watch Black Mirror on Netflix. [9]
Black Summer
Set at the very beginning of the zombie apocalypse, Black Summer (set within the Z Nation universe, which is also streaming on Netflix) is a grim look at society descending into chaos. Add in the rampageing undead roaming the streets, and you have a series designed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Watch Black Summer on Netflix. [10]
Bloodride
Bloodride is a wild Norwegian horror anthology series that delights in delivering unexpected twists. At times darkly funny, this clever genre series includes tales of a ghostly bus ride, a dinner party gone terribly wrong, and the dangers of picking up hitchhikers.
Watch Bloodride on Netflix. [11]
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina the Teenage Witch gets a goth makeover in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The Riverdale [12]-adjacent show does a terrific job of balancing typical high school drama with the far more specific troubles Sabrina faces when she declines to pledge her soul to Satan.
Watch The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix. [13]
Crazyhead
Crazyhead, which was cancelled way too soon, is a bit like a British Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show follows Amy and Raquel, two young women who can see demons' true forms and who must work together if they want to keep those demons from taking over the world.
Watch Crazyhead on Netflix. [14]
Dark
Dark is perfect for anyone who loves their scares to come with a side of mind-bending storytelling. This German sci-fi series takes place across multiple timelines in a small town where a young boy's disappearance leads to old secrets coming back to haunt a disparate group of residents.
Watch Dark on Netflix. [15]
Dead Set
What if you were participating in a Big Brother-style show when the zombie apocalypse hit? That's the premise for this wickedly smart, blood-splattered British miniseries that is at once a commentary on our reality-TV-obsessed culture and one of the scariest zombie stories ever told.
Watch Dead Set on Netflix. [16]
Dracula
The creators of Sherlock decided to infuse the story of Dracula with some fresh blood in this irreverent three-part series full of gross-out moments. While the show kicks off with a seemingly traditional take on the famed vampire, things get wild as soon as star Claes Bang is unleashed as the deadly, but somehow still funny, bloodsucking immortal.
Watch Dracula on Netflix. [17]
Hannibal
If you're squeamish, Bryan Fuller's Hannibal is not the show for you. The TV take on the cannibal's story is beautifully filmed, but undeniably grotesque. Still, if you can get past the ick factor, this dense drama's story of Hannibal and Will, the man obsessed with figuring out what makes the cannibal tick, is one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the 21st century.
Watch Hannibal on Netflix. [18]
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House gives Shirley Jackson's classic novel a modern twist, as the Crane family moves into an extremely haunted fixer upper for the summer. From there, the story unfolds across two timelines: the days leading up to the family's midnight flight from the house and their modern-day reunion to deal with a family tragedy.
Watch The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. [19]
Haven
Set in the small town of Haven, this monster-of-the-week series immerses viewers in the history of a beautiful hamlet that happens to be cursed by the "Troubles." Enter FBI agent Audrey, who comes to investigate the weirdness, only to discover that her own mysterious past connects her to Haven in unexpected ways.
Watch Haven on Netflix. [20]
Kingdom
Netflix's first original Korean series is a home run. Set during Korea's Joseon period, the show follows the crown prince as he navigates political drama and a pesky plague that leads to zombies roaming his lands. Creepy and fast-paced, this under-the-radar horror series is a must watch.
Watch Kingdom on Netflix. [21]
Locke and Key
It took years for the TV adaptation of Joe Hill's graphic novels to finally hit the small screen, but thankfully Locke and Key was worth the wait. The show kicks off with three siblings and their mother relocating to their father's sprawling family home after his murder. Soon, the youngest member of the family discovers a key that leads to a dark mystery that could be deadly.
Watch Locke and Key on Netflix. [22]
Lucifer
Fox simply didn't understand what a gem of a show that Lucifer is. Thankfully, Netflix swooped in and saved the devilishly good drama from cancellation, ensuring that viewers will get closure on Lucifer Morningstar's unexpectedly human journey toward love — and maybe even redemption.
Watch Lucifer on Netflix. [23]
The Mist
Based on Stephen King's novella of the same name, The Mist is set in a town covered by an eerie mist that allows monsters to prey on those that venture outside. As is usually the case on these types of shows, the real monsters have nothing on the humans in this tale of survival.
Watch The Mist on Netflix. [24]
The Order
A secret society, werewolves, magic — The Order has all of that and so much more. Belgrave University student Jack Morton is on a mission to bring justice to those responsible for his mother's death, but when he joins the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, he finds himself in an ancient battle between werewolves and those who practice dark magic.
Watch The Order on Netflix. [25]
Penny Dreadful
Showtime's Penny Dreadful is a literal monster mash, mixing together the stories of Frankenstein, Dracula, Dorian Gray, and The Wolfman to create a mesmerising Gothic horror series. While the show is full of monsters and frights, Penny Dreadful's greatest strength is in its ability to tell deeply human stories about a host of supernaturally inclined characters, with Eva Green's Vanessa Ives being a standout.
Watch Penny Dreadful on Netflix. [26]
Requiem
Atmospheric and beautifully shot, Requiem is part thriller, part horror series. The six-part British show focuses on accomplished musician Matilda, who stumbles across a mystery as she's sorting through her deceased mother's belongings. Her discovery leads her to a Welsh village and a missing person case that could upend everything she knows about her own past.
Watch Requiem on Netflix. [27]
Santa Clarita Diet
Full disclosure: Santa Clarita Diet ends on a cliffhanger that will sadly never be resolved because Netflix cancelled it at the end of season three. Even though the show will leave you hanging, you should still watch to see Drew Barrymore [28]'s funny and moving performance as a realtor who rediscovers the joys of living after she becomes undead.
Watch Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix. [29]
Scream: The Series
MTV's attempt to turn the Scream franchise into a TV show is a slasher fan's dream come true. Armed with a likeable cast of virtual newcomers — including Bex Taylor-Klaus and Willa Fitzgerald — the show is fast-paced, shlocky fun that makes you invest in the central group of high school friends being hunted by Ghostface, even though you know they won't all make it to the end.
Watch Scream: The Series on Netflix. [30]
Stranger Things
No list of Netflix's best horror shows (or best shows period) would be complete without Stranger Things [31]. The '80s-tastic tale of government conspiracies, monsters from the Upside Down, and young adulthood can scare you witless with the Mind Flayer in one scene and break your heart with some Hopper and Eleven bonding in the next, proving that the best scary shows have plenty of heart, too.
Watch Stranger Things on Netflix. [32]
Supernatural
Looking for a major marathon? Supernatural has a whopping 15 seasons of brothers Dean and Sam Winchester hunting monsters and saving the world that are just waiting for new fans to dive in. The boys's never-ending road trip includes encounters with vampires, ghosts, and a whole lot of angels and demons. Oh, and there's also pie.
Watch Supernatural on Netflix. [33]
The Vampire Diaries
OK, so The Vampire Diaries isn't a particularly frightening show, but it does have witches, werewolves, and sexy vampire brothers. And for fans of mild horror, watching Elena try to choose between Stefan and Damon is scary enough.
Watch The Vampire Diaries on Netflix. [34]
Wynonna Earp
Set in the small town of Purgatory, Wynonna Earp is the horror-western you never knew you needed in your life. With a cast full of smart, complex, butt-kicking women, the series follows Wynonna, a descendent of Wyatt Earp, who is tasked with eliminating the resurrected souls of all the criminals killed by her famous grandfather.
Watch Wynonna Earp on Netflix. [35]