15 horror movies you can stream now that are actually good

This time of year, everyone is looking for the movies that will scratch their horror itches and put them in spooky stitches. But if you've casually browsed any given streaming service, you know finding a legitimately good and scary flick is like finding a needle in a haystack except the haystack is made of absolutely unwatchable D-grade nonsense. And if you've looked at any given "what to watch" list, you know it's filled with the most basic, been-there-seen-that listings. (Yes, we know, we've all seen Scream, we stan, but please, can we mix it up a bit?) Dont' mistake us — there's plenty of gold out there. We love our gay son The Babadook and we ride or die for The Witch and Black Phillip. But there are also some more unsung gems out there for your streaming pleasure.

That's why we have decided to share with you our selections for genuinely scary and/or disturbing horror offerings you might not have seen yet. Some are old, some are new, but each one will give you some FANGRRLS-approved delights and frights.

Like the mysterious Shimmer this group of scientists is sent to investigate at the beginning of the plot, Annihilation may be one of the most visually gorgeous horror movies to debut in recent memory — but make no mistake, this is definitely a spooky flick, filled with creeping dread and body horror and the kind of masterful slow-burn aesthetic that we wish more sci-fi adopted these days. Come for Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac, stay for phenomenal supporting performances by Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriguez.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

Two things terrify me: good found-footage movies and working on the internet. So when I tell you The Den did a number on me, believe it. Grad student Elizabeth (Melanie Papalia) is doing a sociology thesis on The Den, a website that's basically Chat Roulette (remember that? Good/terrible/gross times) when her computer is hacked and a mysterious stranger begins taunting her, stalking her, and it escalates from there. If this movie doesn't at the very least make you want to put a piece of tape over your webcam (and, at most, potentially take to the woods and live among the squirrels who have zero hacking abilities) then you are made of stronger stuff than I.

Where to stream: Hulu

File this one under "beautiful nightmare." Nicolas Pesce's debut film (he's helming the remake of The Grudge) is shot gorgeously in black and white and has a surreal, dreamlike feel that allows every frame to haunt you. As a child, Francisca witnesses her mother's murder. Her mother was a surgeon who taught Francisca the art of surgical mutilation on animals, including eyeball removal. Turns out, Francisca learns she can use those same skills on people. If you have a strong fear of "eye stuff" in horror movies, um, stay away from this one. Or, be like me and watch it through your fingers — you'll avoid seeing some stuff and protect your precious eyeballs.

Where to stream: Netflix

This fantastic flick frankly has not gotten its due. Carla Gugino stars as Jessie in Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Stephen King's novel (spoiler: this isn't the last time you'll see Flanagan on this list). When Jessie and her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) go on a romantic weekend in a secluded lake house to rekindle their marriage, things go really, really awry. Gugino is spectacular, a feat made all the more impressive by spending the majority of the film handcuffed to a bed. If you've seen rumblings about the "degloving" scene, yes, it's as bad as you've heard.

Where to stream: Netflix

Hereditary is a film about loss and grief, but it will also give you plenty more reasons to appreciate Toni Collette, who plays a mom and an artist of miniatures who finds that her recently deceased mother may still be closer to home than she ever realized. It's another one of those horror movies that creeps up on you slowly, but once it reaches the crescendo of both terror and imagery, you'll never be able to look at a doll house the same way ever again.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

Fans of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House should absolutely familiarize themselves with Hush, one of director Mike Flanagan's earlier films starring Hill House fave Kate Siegel as a deaf-mute author named Maddie who lives a somewhat secluded existence out in the woods. What promises to be an idyllic setting for a writer who needs to complete a deadline turns, well, deadly, as Maddie becomes the latest target of a masked man whose only aim seems to be terrifying her at every turn. It's a great cat-and-mouse game, and the ways Maddie uses her "writer brain" to stay alive make the film even more thrilling.

Where to stream: Netflix

What do you do when you're a witch who can't find love? Well, you make it so that men fall in love with you, obviously. Anna Biller's 2016 film made a memorable impact when it first debuted, not only for its gorgeous Technicolor throwback aesthetic but for the witchy visuals that permeate every corner of the frame, and we definitely can't overlook Elaine (Samantha Robinson)'s gorgeous costumes. If you want to settle in with a horror-comedy about a witch who just can't seem to luck out in love, brew your favorite drink and give this one a try.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

What seems at first blush to be a movie about competition between two women is not as it appears. The Perfection walks a beautiful line between terror, camp, and well-earned misandry (my favorite things!) and features excellent performances from Logan Browning and Allison Williams, who has carved out a lovely horror niche for herself playing stoically unhinged. Despite some major content warnings needed (child abuse, sexual assault) this manages to be almost gleefully cathartic.

Where to stream: Netflix

Prom Night II may technically be titled as a sequel, but it really bears no resemblance whatsoever to the first Prom Night movie (starring FANGRRLS fave Jamie Lee Curtis), and honestly, that's a good thing. It's pure campy horror about a relatively innocent high school student who gets possessed by the ghost of a dead prom queen, and the shenanigans that ensue are BONKERS. Really. We love Mary Lou not just because she's not afraid to go for exactly what she wants, but because she will literally come back from the dead and murder you if you break off a single jewel from her prom queen crown.

Where to stream: Shudder

The Ranger is a perfect tribute to '80s slasher movies and a punk-infused majesty of hair dye all wrapped up into one. If that's not enough to sell you on why you should watch this film, then allow us to elaborate. The story follows a group of punky young adults who decide to chillax at a cabin in the woods, but cross paths with a park ranger who, as it turns out, is very committed to enforcing the rules of the forest. No, seriously. To say this guy is extra would be putting it mildly.

Where to stream: Shudder

Tired: rape-and-revenge horror movies. Wired: Revenge. We've seen this trope played out countless times in the genre, but Coralie Fargeat's film puts the power back in the hands of its heroine, Jen (Matilda Lutz) like never before. Pushed beyond her limits and then some, Jen fights for her survival against a strangely colorful backdrop, but by the time she confronts her garbage boyfriend for the ultimate, bloody showdown, you'll be cheering her on the whole time.

Where to stream: Shudder

In the words of My Favorite Murder's Karen and Georgia, stay out of the forest. The men of The Ritual are clearly not murderinos. On a trip to the Swedish mountains in honor of their recently deceased friend, four men decide to take a shortcut (when has that ever been a good idea?) through the dangerous woods (seriously, what are you doing?) and stay in a spooky abandoned cabin (MY DUDES, NO). It doesn't go well for them. This one will have you canceling any future outdoor plans you have. There are no terrifying monsters on your couch.

Where to stream: Netflix

We adored Luca Guadagnino's remake but there's nothing like the original. Dario Argento's horror classic follows an American ballerina who arrives at a German dance academy that is definitely totally normal and chill and in no way run by a murder coven, so don't worry about it. The prog rock score by Goblin makes everything all the more unsettling, fitting discordantly and perfectly with Argento's masterful visuals and pacing.

Where to stream: Tubi

There are two Spanish-language films on Netflix called Verónica, both released in 2017. This is the one that purportedly makes people turn it off in horror midway through. While it's not that scary (I certainly made it through in one sitting, no need to burn my TV or call a priest) it's a fun one. Fifteen-year-old Verónica is basically raising her siblings while her mother works at a local bar. When she and her friends partake in a little school-day Ouija during a solar eclipse, Verónica invites something into her world that she definitely didn't mean to, and it's coming for her whole family.

Where to stream: Netflix

This Verónica, I discovered trying to watch the other Verónica and I'm so glad I did. Another haunting black and white flick that unsettles you with story and beauty alike (it's very different from The Eyes of My Mother but they'd make for a deeply creepy double feature), Verónica tells the story of a former psychologist and her patient, isolated in the mountains of Mexico. It's tense, it's stunning, and it's well worth a watch.

Where to stream: Netflix