The 7 best horror movies on Netflix in October 2026

No

“Nope” is a science fiction horror film from Jordan Peele that follows a man trying to make a living providing horses for Hollywood films and TV shows in a declining market. He learns that there seems to be some kind of otherworldly entity stalking his farm, and instead of fighting or running, he chooses to try to capture the thing on film and cash in on the royalties. The film feels like a Stephen King classic as a group of ordinary people face the extraordinary. “Find Out” may have earned Peele most of the acclaim, but “No” is my heart.

Smile 2

“Smile 2” – and the new franchise as a whole – has been a pleasant and terrifying surprise for the genre. The sequel goes far beyond the original as it explores fame and addiction as a rising global pop star becomes the latest victim of the terrifying and demonic curse Smile. Naomi Scott is excellent in the lead as she fights for her life as the curse continues to traumatize her. If you want an elevated take on your classic slasher movie, “Smile 2” will leave you… well… smiling, for better or worse.

Alien

“Alien” has been terrorizing horror fans and horror commentators for decades. It has become a tentpole horror film and as the years go by it still holds up. Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley fights for survival against a brutal new organism aboard her spaceship as the rest of her crew are picked off one by one.

Few horror films capture the sense of place and beauty as “Alien” does. It’s once futuristic look has become a now retro-futuristic vibe that is currently being neatly replicated in the FX franchise spinoff “Alien: Earth.” The film clearly has a lasting legacy and is always worthy of a watch or repeat.

28 Years Later: Temple of Bones

Ten months into 2026 and “28 Years Larse: The Bone Temple” may still hold the crown as the best film of the year. A zombie film that is much more about the horrors and the love that is possible for humanity, the film stands as a sequel to “28 Years Later” from 2025. Ralph Fiennes gives up an exciting and completely unique performance that – in a perfect world – would keep him in the discussions of award controversy through nominations. Take in as little knowledge as you can and enjoy the madness of this world.

Psycho

The original scream queen was born and one of the first horror films to scare the world. “Psycho” is the Alfred Hitchcock classic that introduced the world to the silent horror of Norman Bates and The Bates Motel. The seeds for all the great psychological thrillers to come were planted in this 60’s classic. If that’s your specialty horror — rather than the slasher or the creature feature — and you haven’t seen “Psycho” yet, do yourself a favor and have a night to yourself.

1922

There’s a sea of ​​Stephen King adaptations out there in the world now – some good, many rough – but what’s really troubling about these adaptations is that they often only focus on a few of the author’s biggest hits and they’re just done over and over again.

“1922” adapts one of the prolific writer’s novels and tells the story of a Nebraska farmer who kills his wife and is then slowly driven into paranoid madness by the whispers he hears from the farm well. Thomas Jane – no stranger to King adaptations, he also starred in “The Mist” – stands as the monstrous man who collapses in on himself. If you want to see a bad guy get it, “1922” is your choice.

host

A film that aired during the COVID pandemic – and was made independently during that time – “Host” captured the true fear and isolation of the time. The story follows a group of friends on video chat who invite a medium in and soon after supernatural things start to appear for everyone individually. “Host” is a slow found footage film that captures the time of the pandemic better than many other films that have tried.