There's nothing better than relaxing with a horror movie late Friday or Saturday night. With January coming to an end and February arriving fast, we're in the midst of an in-between period as we transition to next month's biggest releases.
Sci-fi horror film Companion is playing now in theaters, but what is there to watch for those who would rather stay home this weekend? Netflix has tons of great horror films to choose from. Here are five you might have overlooked or not even realized were recently added to the platform!
Viral (2016)
- Director: Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman
- Writer: Barbara Marshall & Christopher Landon
- Cast: Sofia Black-D'Elia, Lio Tipton, Travis Tope, Machine Gun Kelly, Michael Kelly, John Cothran, & Stoney Westmoreland
- Rating: R for disturbing violent content, some language, sexual references, and teen partying
Christopher Landon directs the upcoming Blumhouse film Drop, so why not go back and watch one of his other movies? Viral is a fun and often overlooked sci-fi horror film about two teenagers doing whatever they can to survive a viral outbreak that becomes known as the "worm flu" because of its parasitic nature and causes the infected to gain a ravenous hunger.
The Watchers (2024)
- Director/Writer: Ishana Night Shyamalan
- Cast: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, Oliver Finnegan, Alistair Brammer, & John Lynch
- Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, & some thematic elements
The Watchers marks the feature directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night Shyamalan. Based on the novel by A.M. Shine, The Watchers leans heavily into dark fantasy. You'll enjoy it more knowing that ahead of time rather than expecting a conventional horror story. Mina's (Dakota Fanning) car breaks down while driving through a lush forest on the way to Belfast, Ireland.
While looking for help, Mina finds a bunker with people already inside. These woods are dominated by mysterious entities known as "The Watchers." Every night, they watch the people in the bunker through a mirrored window. Once inside, there is no escape. While the creatures cannot emerge in the sunlight, trying to escape leads nowhere due to something strange about the woods themselves, though Mina is determined to escape.
Clown (2014)
- Director: Jon Watts
- Writer: Christopher Ford & Jon Watts
- Cast: Andy Powers, Laura Allen, Peter Stormare, Christian Distefano, Chuck Shamata, Elizabeth Whitmere, & Victor Cornfoot
- Rating: R for horror violence, gore, and language
Eli Roth produced this darkly terrifying supernatural horror film about a menacing clown. Kent McCoy (Andy Powers) and his wife are determined to throw the perfect birthday party for their son, Jack, but when the clown cancels at the last minute, Kent has to don the costume instead.
The problem is, at the end of the party, the suit cannot be removed. Any attempt to take it off causes him injury. Kent slowly begins undergoing a horrific transformation as every part of the clown suit fuses to his skin. It soon becomes apparent that something has taken possession of Kent, something with an insatiable hunger for children.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
- Director: Jim Gillespie
- Writer: Kevin Williamson
- Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Anne Heche, Johnny Galecki, Muse Watson, & Stuart Greer
- Rating: R for strong horror violence and language
With the legacy sequel/reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer releasing later this year, now is the ideal time to revisit the original 1997 teen slasher film. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are even reprising their roles in the 2025 movie!
The original film was based on the novel of the same name by Lois Duncan and followed a group of four teenagers after they accidentally hit a man while driving at night. Opting to cover up what they believe is a murder, the teens push his body into the water and promise never to discuss the events of that night again. But one year later, Julie (Hewitt) receives an ominous letter reading, "I know what you did last summer," suggesting someone knows their secret and is out for revenge.
Scream VI (2023)
- Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett
- Writer: James Vanderbilt & Guy Busick
- Cast: Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Skeet Ulrich, Roger L. Jackson, Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, & Josh Segarra
- Rating: R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, brief drug use
Arguably the best film in the Scream franchise since the original, Scream VI is an excellent and genuinely terrifying slasher featuring one of the decade's most iconic final girls in Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera).
It's a shame that the Carpenter sisters won't be part of Scream VII, which is bound to lose its charm without her and Jenna Ortega, who helped revitalize the film series and push it in a fresh new direction. Revisit the sixth film and remember why it's so darn good. Plus, it does serve as a nice sendoff for the Carpenter sisters.