The 10 Best Horror Series To Watch On Netflix, Ranked
With Halloween just around the corner, these Netflix horror series will get you in a suitably scared frame of mind.
Shudder might have a monopoly on horror movies, but when it comes to horror shows, Netflix is king. The streaming giant has an uncanny ability to create genre stories that get under our skin, terrify us, and leave us dying for more.
From teenage scares to conspiracy nightmares and tentpole titles, when it comes to horror programming, Netflix really does have it all. If you’re yet to explore the dark wonders that the platform has to offer, JustWatch has rounded up some of the best terrifying TV to get you started.
Alongside Ring, Ju-On,aka The Grudge,is one of the films that pioneered the J-horror global invasion. In 2020, after a raft of films and crossovers, a Ju-Onminiseries arrived on Netflix.
Set across several decades, Ju-On: Origins follows a paranormal researcher as she hunts for a house which may or may not be cursed after brutal events involving a mother and her child occurred inside. A must-watch for fans of the Ju-Onfranchise, Ju-On: Originsis packed with disturbing imagery and horrific scenes as it digs into the lore established across the franchise.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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If you prefer your horror without sleepless nights then Santa Clarita Diet is the Netflix horror show for you. Starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, the horror comedy joins real-estate queen Sheila as she accidentally becomes a zombie. Can Sheila manage to maintain her job and family life whilst fending off her urges for brains?
Super charming and hilarious, Santa Clarita Dietis one of the best things that Netflix has put on the platform. Their decision to not give the show a fourth and final season however, remains one of their worst ideas.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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Another horror show ended too soon by Netflix is The Society. Featuring a Lost-level mystery, The Societysees a group of high-schoolers return home after a school trip to discover that they are alone in their small town. With no internet or adults around, the teens have to learn to fend for themselves.
With very heavy riffs on Lord of the Flies, the horror within The Society comes from how quickly the teens unravel and the cruelness that they inflict on one another. Featuring Kathryn Newton in the lead role, if you’ve not checked out The Societyyet, you are in for a treat.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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Weddings are meant to be a happy occasion, but the one in Something Very Bad is Going to Happen is anything but. Rachel and Nicky are due to be wed in the secluded snowy woodland Upper New York property of the affluent Cunninghams. However, as the ceremony approaches, more than cold feet cause issues for the couple as family secrets and an ancient curse threaten to put a dampener on the whole event.
Something Very Bad is Going to Happenis exceptionally binge-worthy and the perfect viewing material for those who enjoy psychological horror over jump scares.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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Archive 81 began its life as a podcast before being adapted into a Netflix show. In Archive 81, an archivist begins restoring a collection of damaged videotapes only to find himself drawn into the mystery unfolding on screen. With the director or the tapes having gone missing, the archivist starts to investigate and becomes embroiled with the mysterious cult that their footage was documenting.
With Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead onboard as directors for some of the episodes, anyone familiar with their weird branch of sci-fi horror will have an idea of what delights Archive 81holds.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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Guillermo del Toro is a modern horror auteur. His work on Pan’s Labyrinth and most recently Frankenstein are easy proof of his talents, but this is a director who lives and breathes all things horror. With this in mind, he is the perfect person to have curated the anthology series Cabinet of Curiosities.
Each episode is a new story and features new work from genre directors Jennifer Kent, Panos Cosmatos, and Ana Lily Amirpour. Cabinet of Curiositiesis ideal viewing when you want something that looks and feels like a horror film, but is a fraction of a feature film’s running time.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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If you’re after a horror show that most of the family can settle in with, <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/stranger-things” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Stranger Things is the obvious choice. Whilst some of the scenes, especially in later seasons, will be too much for very young viewers, Stranger Thingsis the perfect show to bond with any teenage children. Set in the small town of Hawkins during the ‘80s, Stranger Thingsfollows a group of friends as they do battle with Demogorgons, the government, and the pains of adolescence.
Stranger Thingsmixes nostalgia for the decade with sci-fi, horror and Stephen King vibes to create a show that became a worldwide phenomenon. If you’ve yet to take a trip to Hawkins, you simply must give at least the first season a whirl.
Stream
5 Seasons4K5 SeasonsHD1 SeasonHD
Buy
£135.00Blu-Ray£145.00Blu-Ray
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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Black Mirror started life on Channel 4 before being snatched up by Netflix where the episode budgets have skyrocketed. Devised by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirrormixes horror and science-fiction together to tell disturbing tales that usually involve technology in some way. The anthology series is sure to have something for everyone, just be warned that most of them feature some type of devastating conclusion.
With over 30 episodes across seven seasons it might be hard to know where to start. For those that want immediate devastation and crawling skin, the Season 3 episode ‘Shut Up and Dance’ is a horribly twisted place to start.
Buy
3 Seasons3 Seasons£10.99Blu-Ray
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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When it comes to horror TV shows on Netflix, Mike Flanagan reigns as king. All of his shows for the streamer could have been featured on this list, but in a bid for balance, we’ve opted for only two of his five shows.
The first, The Fall of the House of Usher,is Flanagan’s most bloodthirsty series. Inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Ushercharts the downfall of the Usher dynasty after a Faustian being returns to collect payment. The demise of each member of the Usher family is tied to one of Poe’s short stories and this series gets grossly gooey, so forgoing the snacks might be advisable.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House was the TV show that made Netflix a go-to destination for horror series. An adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s book of the same name, and told across several points in time, the story follows a group of siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in the country. As adults they must return to their past in order to process a recent tragedy.
The Haunting of Hill House is the show to watch if you enjoy getting frightened out of your mind with Flanagan purposely filling almost every scene with some spectre or another. Each episode is sure to have you hiding behind a cushion, but in what has become Flanagan’s trademark, The Haunting of Hill Housewill also leave you emotionally devastated as it rips this once happy family into pieces.
We checked for updates on 171 streaming services on 6 September 2026
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