Psychological horror movies are a special breed of terrifying, working in ways beyond basic jump scares [1]. These films deploy unsettling slow burns that make their way into the recesses of our minds. While they might feature ghosts or witches, these horror features [2] first and foremost tap into human anxiety and paranoia. If you want to wrap your head around a mind-bending fright, Netflix has a vast library of films that'll unleash all of your deep-seated fears. From The Silence of the Lambs to The Blackcoat's Daughter, here are the spookiest psychological horrors that the streaming site has to offer — you might want to watch them with the lights on!
Cam
Starring The Handmaid's Tale [3]'s Madeline Brewer, Cam follows the chilling story of a camgirl who finds her channel being taken over by a woman who looks just like her. While it's a psychological horror, the movie is actually based on screenwriter Isa Mazzei's real experiences as a camgirl.
Watch Cam on Netflix. [4]
It Comes at Night
At the surface, It Comes at Night is about two families who uneasily come together during an apocalypse [5]. But as the movie builds, the threat emerges from within, and we get a psychological framework for the family dynamics that unravel between the survivors.
Watch It Comes at Night on Netflix. [6]
The Blackcoat's Daughter
Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton play two teenagers who spend winter break at their Catholic boarding school, where the nuns just might be satanists. Their story is interwoven with that of American Horror Story's Emma Roberts [7], who portrays a mysterious young woman fleeing a mental institution and trying to get to the academy.
Watch The Blackcoat's Daughter on Netflix. [8]
The Silence of the Lambs
Yes, of course The Silence of the Lambs is on our list of psychological horrors! The classic '90s movie is all about how young FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster [9]) seeks out tips from serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins [10]), despite the fact that he ate someone's liver with fava beans and all.
Watch The Silence of the Lambs on Netflix. [11]
The Platform
The Platform [12] presents the ultimate (and very unethical) psychological experiment where a platform of food descends a prison tower. As floor assignments routinely switch, inmates on the lower floors are forced to starve, and the experiment reveals the horrors of how people behave in these dire circumstances.
Watch The Platform on Netflix. [13]
In the Tall Grass
Based on the novella penned by Stephen King and Joe Hill, In the Tall Grass follows a pair of siblings who enter a maze of...tall grass [14]. The movie follows the time loops and supernatural occurrences in the grass (including an evil rock and all), but it also gets into the psychology of temptation and sacrifice.
Watch In the Tall Grass on Netflix. [15]
The Perfection
Get Out [16]'s Allison Williams stars as a cellist genius who embarks on a relationship with a star pupil (Logan Browning). The sparks between them soon sours, and the latter finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation (with a fair helping of body horror).
Watch The Perfection on Netflix. [17]
Gerald's Game
A standout Netflix original (as well as a solid Stephen King adaptation [18]), Gerald's Game tells the story of a woman who accidentally kills her husband during a kinky game at their remote lake house. While handcuffed to a bed, she begins having visions and hearing noises.
Watch Gerald's Game on Netflix. [19]