Be it with well-timed jump scares, blood-curdling screams, or sinister ghosts challenging the faith of mortals — the horror genre has captivated audiences worldwide. Naturally, Netflix is also building up on its own promising lineup of horror movies. So if you are ready for a thriller night, binge on these horror movies premiering on the streaming giant in 2023.
While Netflix’s catalogue includes some of the best horror films like The Conjuring (2013), they have taken things further with chilling originals like Fear Street Trilogy (2021). Continuing the tradition this year is the Russell Crowe starrer, The Pope’s Exorcist. Helmed by Samaritan fame Julius Avery, the movie is inspired by the real-life experiences of the late Father Gabriele Amorth, the Catholic priest who served for 30 years as the head exorcist of the Diocese of Rome.
Meanwhile, Christopher Landon, the well-known writer-director behind Scouts Guide to Zombie Apocalypse (2015), brings us the 2023 horror comedy We Have a Ghost. This Anthony Mackie starrer promises to bring in the right amount of fun to your screens. Additionally, campy horror flicks like Marry My Dead Body effortlessly mix gore with absurdity and humour.
These 2023 horror movies on Netflix will give you chills, thrills and some more
We Have a Ghost
Directed by: Christopher Landon
Cast: David Harbour, Jahi Winston, Anthony Mackie
Release Date: 23 February
Synopsis: The Presley family finds itself amid a social media frenzy after the discovery that their house is haunted by a ghost named Ernest (Harbour). But when the youngest son Kevin (Winston) befriends Ernest and decides to help him remember his past, the CIA gets involved.
About the movie: This Netflix original horror comedy movie is based on the 2017 short story Ernest by Geoff Manaugh.
Watch here.
Home for Rent
Directed by: Sophon Sakdaphisit
Cast: Nittha Jirayungyurn, Weir Sukollawat Kanarot, Tai Penpak Sirikul, Namfon Pakdee, Sukollawat Kanarot
Release date: 6 April
Synopsis: Married couple Ning (Jirayungyurn) and Kawin (Kanarot) move to a condo with their child and rent out their house to tenants, Ratree (Sirikul), a retired doctor and her daughter Nuch (Pakdee). As Kawin’s behaviour becomes increasingly disturbing, he is seen sporting a triangle-shaped tattoo, the same as Nuch’s. Meanwhile, Ning realises that their daughter is being possessed by some unseen forces.
Watch here.
Virupaksha
Directed by: Karthik Varma Dandu
Cast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha Menon, Sunil, Rajeev Kanakala, Brahmaji, Ravi Krishna
Release date: 21 April
Synopsis: When a village is plagued by unusual deaths in the 1980s, the head priest orders a complete lockdown. Years later, Surya (Tej), an outsider with familial ties to the village, visits Rudravanam to meet his lover, Nandini (Menon). Soon, he finds himself entangled in a supernatural mystery.
Watch here.
Tin & Tina
Directed by: Rubin Stein
Cast: Milena Smit, Jaime Lorente, Anastasia Russo, Carlos González Morollón
Release date: 26 May
Synopsis: Newlyweds Adolfo (Lorente) and Lola (Smit), suffer the loss of their firstborn due to a miscarriage. Unable to cope with the pain, the couple turn to a convent that houses orphans. When they end up going home with a pair of odd twins – Tin (Morollón) and Tina (Russo), their unsettling religious beliefs start shaking the couple.
About the movie: This 2023 Netflix horror movie is an adaptation of the 2013 Spanish short film of the same name.
Watch here.
Run Rabbit Run
Directed by: Daina Reid
Cast: Sarah Snook, Lily LaTorre, Damon Herriman, Sunny Whelan, Greta Scacchi
Release date: 28 June
Synopsis: Fertility doctor Sarah (Snook) and her young daughter Mia (LaTorre) find a rabbit at their house on the latter’s seventh birthday. As Mia grows attached to the animal, her behaviour starts changing. With Mia growing intermittently unresponsive, Sarah fears her daughter is being possessed and haunted by the spirit of her dead sister Alice (Whelan).
About the movie: Before its Netflix release, this Australian psychological horror film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2023.
Watch here.
Bird Box Barcelona
Directed by: David Pastor and Àlex Pastor
Cast: Mario Casas, Alejandra Howard
Release date: 14 July
Synopsis: Sebastián (Casas) and his daughter Anna (Howard) are celebrating her birthday by roller skating in their post-apocalyptic world. When goons jump them for their food, the father-daughter duo take shelter in a depot. Unbeknownst to them, mysterious creatures are lurking in the dark.
About the movie: This 2023 Spanish apocalyptic horror thriller is a spin-off to the 2018 Sandra Bullock starrer Bird Box and is adapted from Josh Malerman’s 2014 novel of the same name.
Watch here.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Directed by: Yusuke Ishida
Cast: Eiji Akaso, Mai Shiraishi, Shuntarô Yanagi, Yui Ichikawa
Release date: 3 August
Synopsis: Akira Tendo (Akaso), a meek and bullied employee, is trapped in a mundane and meaningless life. After Tokyo is unexpectedly struck by experimental bio-weaponry, he becomes a victim of a zombie apocalypse. However, Akira takes it as an opportunity to experience life to the fullest and begins a mission to complete all the 100 items on his bucket list.
About the movie: One of the best live-action slasher movies to release on Netflix, this is an adaptation of the 2018 Japanese horror manga series Zom 100: 100 Things I Want to do Before I Become a Zombie, written by Haro Aso and illustrated by Kotaro Takata.
Watch here.
Marry My Dead Body
Directed by: Wei-Hao Cheng
Cast: Greg Han Hsu, Lin Po-hung, Gingle Wang
Release date: 10 August
Synopsis: Homophobic and sexist cop Wu Ming-han (Hsu) picks up a red wedding envelope by mistake while collecting evidence. Now, he finds himself betrothed to the queer owner of the envelope, Mao Pang-yu (Lin), who died under mysterious circumstances. Will Ming-han give up on his prejudices and seek justice for Mao?
About the movie: This Taiwanese Netflix horror movie was the winner of the Best Screenplay at the 2023 Taipei Film Festival.
Watch here.
The Pope’s Exorcist
Director: Julius Avery
Cast: Russell Crowe, Alexandra Essoe, Daniel Zovatto, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney
Release date: 16 August
Synopsis: The Vatican Pope’s chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth (Crowe) is a master of his craft. However, while investigating the possession of a boy named Henry (Feighoney) living at an ancient Spanish abbey, the priest uncovers an evil unlike any. Will Amorth, who has performed more than 100,000 exorcisms, succeed in granting the boy his freedom?
Watch here.
Killer Book Club
Directed by: Carlos Alonso Ojea
Cast: Veki Velilla, Álvaro Mel, Priscilla Delgado, Iván Pellicer, Daniel Grao
Release date: 25 August
Synopsis: Ángela (Velila), a member of a book club dedicated to horror novels, is sexually assaulted by her university professor, Cruzado (Grao). Although she manages to escape, her book club friends decide to pull a prank on the professor, but end up getting him killed. A few days later, the group is haunted by a killer clown, who claims to be taking revenge for Cruzado’s death.
Watch here.
El Conde
Directed by: Pablo Larraín
Cast: Jaime Vadell, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger
Release date: 15 September
Synopsis: Corrupt and ruthless dictator Augusto Pinochet (Vadell) fakes his death to avoid punishment and takes the form of a vampire condemned to live in hiding forever. However, the enemies of his past won’t let him go without one last bite.
About the movie: Prior to its Netflix release, this 2023 Chilean black comedy horror movie premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 31 August 2023, where it won the Best Screenplay Award.
Watch here.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy: Netflix)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What is the #1 scariest horror movie on Netflix?
Some of the top scary movies on Netflix are The Pope’s Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Zombieland, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, Lights Out and The Wretched.
– Which is the no. 1 horror movie on Netflix in Hindi?
Some of the top Bollywood horror movies on Netflix include Tumbbad, Pari, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Virupaksha, Bulbbul, 1920 and Raaz.
– Which horror movie has the best rating?
Some of the highest-rated horror movies of all time are It, The Sixth Sense, I Am Legend, Jaws, It Chapter Two, The Exorcist, The Nun, A Quiet Place and The Conjuring.
A PhD research scholar, Sushmita is a full-time writer and a part time poet. Notepads are Sushmita's one true love -- the unbothered victims drowned in the ink of her pen. An avid fan of K-pop and K-dramas, she mostly writes about Korean culture and entertainment. When not writing, Sushmita is dancing, reading, collecting books, learning about fashion, art, motion pictures, and appreciating BTS.
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