Halloween is just a month away and if you attend enough parties, you will know that deranged antagonists and serial killers from classic slasher flicks are usually the showstoppers at parties. From Freddy Kreuger, Leatherface, Jason Voorhees to Ghostface, these are the costumes that are the most sought after ones during Halloween.
While imagining oneself being trapped in a slasher film premise where one has to escape the clutches of an extremely intelligent, sinister and twisted masked killer is downright terrifying, people seem to get a kick out of watching such films.
Somewhere, their masochistic tendencies are appeased by the primal fear of being caught in a situation like this. Or perhaps, they are simply a sucker for gruesome films and the sight of grisly murder somehow boosts their serotonin. Whatever be the case, slasher flicks have always been a fan favourite, with the classic ‘70s and ‘80s flicks being overarching influences on the ones made in recent times.
Netflix has a wide variety of horror and slasher flicks. Here are the 10 best slasher films on Netflix that you can watch right now:
The 10 best slasher movies on Netflix right now
10. The Final Girls ( Todd Strauss-Schulson, 2015)
Max attends the tribute screening of her mother’s infamous slasher film from the ‘80s with her friends despite their disgruntlement. Things go awry when they are sucked into the real movie and must survive against all odds to escape from the vicious clutches of the machete-wielding serial killer wearing a mask.
Directors often do not manage to bring out the perfect balance between horror and humour. However, this film manages to achieve just that with the correct balance between hilarity and blood and gore. It is a great tribute to the classic slasher films by parodying them. More nuanced dialogues and better performances would have pushed the film to the top of our chart.
9. The Ritual (David Bruckner, 2017)
Following the tragic demise of their friend, a group of middle-aged men decide to go on an adventurous hike in the Scandanavian trail through a spooky forest. The flock of friends chance upon a strange place by taking winding paths where they are haunted by the bizarre and the occult.
The unsettling indie background score helps evoke misery and fear amidst themes of grief and friendship encapsulated by the gloomy wilderness. “I always find that horror works best when it’s tethered to real-world anxieties,” said director David Bruckner, “and this felt especially relevant to me, both personally and as a broader exploration of masculinity in crisis.”
![The Ritual | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vfugwq2uoa0/hqdefault.jpg)
8. Fear Street Trilogy (Leigh Janiak, 2021)
Set in 1994, the Fear Street trilogy focuses on the various sinister and terrifying events that plague a small town, Shadyside that a group of teenagers hope to investigate. However, they soon find out that all the crimes are connected, and they might themselves be in grave danger.
This retro gore slasher trilogy has palpable influences from the 1990s slasher films and cartoons that can be traced. Based on the works of R.L. Stine, the master of horror, viewers need to watch all three films to get a hang f the mysterious occurrences in the cursed town of Shadyside.
7. Creep (Patrick Brice, 2014)
A videographer finds himself responding to a Craigslist ad in a remote town. Slowly, the requests begin getting weirder and more morbid by the day. He soon discovers the sinister nature of his client and realises the danger he is in.
Creepy and unusual, the film is shot in a documentary style and drives in the psychological horror. Mark Duplass is excellent in the film that, despite the number of cynical jumpscares, manages to keep the suspense and ominous nature of the film intact. It is well-developed and a must-watch for horror and slasher aficionados.
6. The Babysitter (McG, 2017)
The Babysitter is set in the modern world yet has a classic ‘70s aesthetic that pays tribute to the classic slasher era. Starring Judah Lewis and Samara Weaving in lead roles, the film abounds in cult horror, humour, blood, gore, and madness, which will keep the viewers entertained.
The film revolves around the scrawny loser teen Cole and his babysitter, Bea, who are great friends. One night when his parents are away, Cole stumbles upon his babysitter’s affinity towards blood and worshipping demons from where things go horribly wrong.
5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (Jonathan Liebesman, 2006)
Two brothers and their girlfriends embark on a road trip to enjoy themselves before one of the brothers’ enlistment to the military. They are captured by the deranged Sheriff who brings them to his family home full of sick, twisted cannibals and thus ensues a tale of horror and gore.
One of the most classic and feared villains in the history of horror, Leatherface and his sadistic brood are portrayed in the film. The story is grisly and shows the notoriety of the psychopathic killer. It pays perfect homage to the 1974 flick and is worth the watch.
4. Scream 4 (Wes Craven, 2011)
Following the various girls and gruesome incidents and the havoc wreaked by Ghostface, Sidney Prescott returns to her hometown Woodsboro and reconnects with old friends and acquaintances. However, the entire town is soon in danger, as with Sidney’s arrival, comes the dangerous Ghostface killer as they return to the town and unleashes terror yet again.
Wes Craven knows how to preserve the sanctity of the original and yet add a kick to his film that makes it terrifying and brilliantly made. The core trio is at their finest. Do watch out for the tiny Wes Craven cameo!
3. Raw (Julia Ducournau, 2016)
A rigorous vegetarian named Garance Marillier, is studying to be a veterinarian, is exposed to the outside world and finds her herbivorous ways challenged and tested. As she delves into the primal world of animalistic behaviour, she finds herself growing increasingly attracted to and dependant on human flesh.
Morbid, horrifying, vile and bizarre, the film is extremely provocative and unsettling. It is extremely intense, and the imagery is quite brutal. The effectively built atmospheric horror and tension are not for the faint-hearted.
2. Hush (Mike Flanagan, 2016)
Starring his long-time collaborator and wife Kate Siegel, the film focuses on a deaf and mute author who lives in a solitary cabin in the woods when she becomes the victim of a home invasion where a masked killer, thirsty for her blood, attempts to kill her.
The shocking danger heightens the unsettling premise of a home invasion that a deaf and mute author faces. Laced with plenty of jump-scares, the masked killer with the knife is terrifying and goes down as one of Flanagan’s creepiest filmography.
1. Hostel (Eli Roth, 2005)
In Amsterdam, three backpackers are locked out of the establishment they are residing in and soon gets ushered into a Slovakian hostel where they are surrounded by attractive women who lure them into dangerous and deadly traps.
If you love backpacking across the country, avoid this film as it will make you have nightmares every time you travel. Grisly and gory with unimaginable torture methods being employed. The general air of madness, tension, violence and horror is filled with scatological humour, sex and drugs, but the terror heightens with an entry into the hostel.
