The 10 worst horror films to watch on Netflix
(Credit: Netflix)

Films

The 10 worst horror films to watch on Netflix

With the advent of the spookiest month of the year, people are finally gearing up for spook-fest. October is always the favourite month of the year for horror fans, but some scary movies frighten us for all the wrong reasons, and those are the ones we’ll be focusing on today.  

The time has come when people worldwide will binge on horror flicks and get high on the scares and adrenaline rush. Netflix has a wide variety of content which, however, is not all good. On the streaming platform, there is a vast range of films that do not live up to the standards of good horror. 

Good horror flicks always maintain the facade of illusion. They add in jumpscares, and the overall tense atmosphere and nuanced ideas set a good horror flick apart. However, more often than not, filmmakers tend to use the same stereotypes and overused tropes, creating a product that is not worth watching.

While Netflix is home to some great horror films like Hereditary, Hush, Gerald’s Game and more, there are certain films that horror aficionados should most certainly avoid. 

Here are the ten worst horror films on Netflix:

The 10 worst horror films on Netflix

Romina (Diego Cohen, 2018)

This Mexican horror film showcases a terrifying camping story when a gruesome assault leads to a school girl exacting revenge on a group of teenagers. While they could have created an interesting piece of art from such intriguing themes, they simply indulge in grotesque nonsense and violence.

Netflix has been producing a lot of horror content but with wavering consistency. However, the absolutely ridiculous premise of this film makes it more obnoxious and intolerable than its American counterparts, who have already employed the overdone themes of camping gone wrong.

The Forest (Jason Zada, 2016)

After her twin gets lost in Japan’s notorious Suicide Forest, a young woman embarks on the desperate search for her missing sister and leaves behind a bitter and disgusting aftertaste that shows incompetency and lack of creativity.

The filmmaker tries to incorporate and use various Japanese horror tropes and heighten the feeling of horror and terror in the film. However, they fail vehemently, and the film appears insincere, forgettable and flat.

House of the Witch (Alex Merkin, 2017)

A group of high school kids decide to play truant and enter an abandoned house to set up an elaborate Halloween prank. Unbeknownst to them, the house is haunted by a witch whose demonic wrath unleashes chaos and frenzy. 

With overused plot tropes, a haywire narrative, lack of creative vision and horrible acting, the film is absolutely cringe-worthy. While it tries hard to subvert stereotypical horror, it ends up conforming to it and becomes a sleep-inducing yawn-fest instead of providing the thrill and scare that horror films promise. 

The Open House (Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote, 2018)

A teenager and his mother move into a new house and soon find themselves combatting sinister forces. Starring Dylan Minnette and Piercey Dalton, the film received obscene criticism due to its wasted potential. In fairness, it’s hard to disagree.

While the idea of a murderous sociopath waiting to wreak havoc on unsuspecting residents, the film’s misplaced jump scares and predictable plot lines make it seem almost funny rather than frightening. It remains a blemish in the listings of horror films.

Rattlesnake (Zak Hilditch, 2019)

A young girl gets bitten by a rattlesnake, and her mother agrees to go to great lengths to save her. She is propositioned by a mysterious stranger to commit an unthinkable and unimaginable act in lieu of her daughter’s life.

Slow and forgettable, the film wastes a premise as daunting as this to create an absolute mush of cringe-worthy CGI. Dreaming of what John Carpenter would do with such a plot, it’s hard not to be disappointed by the failed graphics that rip apart the scary facade of believability and brings to the fore a film that should most likely be skipped.

The Silence (John R. Leonetti, 2019) 

The world is overrun by creatures who hunt on their sense of sound. A deaf teenager and her family try to combat these monsters by resorting to using sign language. However, their abilities are soon exploited by a sinister and ominous cult who wants to use their abilities in their best interests.

Despite representing deafness in Hollywood, the film is highly flawed with a goofy narrative. The struggle for survival does not impact the audience, thanks to the mediocre execution of messy ideas that flood the narrative and leave the audience scrambling for the remote. The film is an utter waste of Stanley Tucci’s talent, and we want justice for him!

Day of the Dead: Bloodline (Hector Hernandez Vicens, 2017)

The premise of Day of the Dead: Bloodline is pretty simple: the world is overrun by zombies after a deadly apocalypse. A handful of survivors and military personnel seek refuge in an underground bunker and hope to find a proper cure against the unknown and deadly virus that led to such horrors. 

Zombie films are usually extremely enjoyable and provide cheap thrill (not you Train to Busan). However, this film is an utter waste of time due to the terrible plot and the repetitive set of characters. We’ve all watched a horror film where we plead out loud with the characters to follow our advice and not go back into the house. Well, on Day of the Dead, after the first set of stupid scenarios, we were happy to let them walk out to their death. 

Truth or Dare (Jeff Wadlow, 2018)

Ever played Truth or Dare with your friends and ended up as a spluttering embarrassment? Well, this film shows how refusing to comply with the game rules can end up as a terrifying curse. After a seemingly harmless game of truth or dare takes a literal deadly turn.

Starring Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey and Violett Beane, among others, the film is an absolute disaster. While we understand and appreciate the trope of a game-gone-wrong and moral conflicts, the overall presentation seemed unoriginal and unassuming.

Jason X (James Isaac, 2002)

Imagine Friday the 13th but on a spaceship. And that is exactly what Jason X is. Jason Voorhees wakes up with a new mask and new machete in a 25th-century spaceship and still lusts for blood. 

Jason Voorhees is an iconic horror villain and a pioneer of the slasher genre. To see him get violated in this fashion is offensive to horror aficionados. While the cheap thrills like borg sex, sci-fi jargon, gore and action might appease the audience, the overall mediocre execution and portrayal of such an iconic villain is painful and downright disrespectful. 

Unfriended (Levan Gabriadze, 2015)

Six friends are having the time of their lives on a Skype call when they are plagued by an unknown account that seemingly belongs to their deceased friend. They are exposed to dirty secrets and lies that threaten to tear them apart, along with a sinister force that incapacitates them one by one.

This film is quite unique in the genre of horror as it dabbles with one-room drama. However, it is flawed and disappointing due to the lack of tension and scares, which is unsatisfying. However, the film is definitely worth the watch as the filmmaker employs the ingenious idea of trying to establish the supernatural without seeking refuge in age-old tropes.