Netflix and kill: From soft chills to savage screams

Horror is all about build-up. And so is this.
Whether you're a jump-scare junkie or just want to feel vaguely uneasy before bed, this weekend horror binge has you covered. Five films, lined up from the psychologically creepy to the full-blown scream-your-face-off kind. Start soft, end savage.

Each movie brings something different to the table — isolation, folklore, curses, paranoia, pure dread — and by the time you hit Sunday night, you’ll either be double-checking the locks or chanting along with something you shouldn’t.

Ready? Let’s press play.

1) His House

Friday night fears with emotional teeth

This one fools you. Starts off like a refugee drama, ends up crawling under your skin with something far more vicious. Bol and Rial are Sudanese asylum seekers trying to settle in a grim little British town. What they don’t know is that the ghosts of their past didn’t stay behind. They moved in, too.

The house they’re given is a crumbling concrete horror show. Holes in the walls. Whispers in the dark. And not the friendly kind. There’s trauma here, wrapped up in folklore; an apeth, to be exact; and it doesn’t care about your legal status. It wants payment.

It’s emotional, sure, but not soft. The scares creep in sideways. You’ll sit there waiting for something to happen... then immediately regret that it did.

Why first: It’s tense, thoughtful, and unsettling; a solid opener before things get gnarlier.

Content notes: war trauma, child loss, grief, jump scares, creeping dread.

2) Gerald’s Game

Sunlight, silence, and one hell of a mistake

A couple heads to a remote lake house. He wants to spice things up, cuffs her to the bed. She tolerates it, barely. Then he drops dead mid-sentence and faceplants onto the floor. Classic Gerald.

Now Jessie’s stuck. Literally. No phone within reach, no one around for miles, and the dog’s already eyeing her leg like it’s a menu item. As the hours tick by, dehydration sets in, and her mind starts peeling itself apart. Voices from the past show up. So does something... else.

It’s daylight the whole time, which somehow makes it more unbearable. There’s nowhere to hide. Just her, her thoughts, and a slow-cooked mental unravelling.

Oh, and when the movie decides to go full gore? It really goes. One scene in particular is so nasty, you’ll want to pause and ask why you have fingernails at all.

Why second: You’ve had your warm-up. Now we start digging into discomfort. Not loud. Not flashy. Just a steady descent into madness with a side of dog bites.

Content notes: sexual abuse themes, hallucinations, blood, graphic injury, existential dread.

3) No One Gets Out Alive

Dead ends, haunted dreams, and a boarding house that hates you

Ambar’s just trying to survive. No papers, no support system, stuck in a mouldy boarding house run by men who act like they’ve never heard of boundaries. Then things get weird. Real weird.

Doors open at night. Shadows move the wrong way. And something is definitely living in the basement. But Ambar doesn’t leave; because like many real-world women in real-world horror, she can’t. She’s trapped by the system and the supernatural.

And just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the third act drops a creature reveal that’s so off-the-wall it almost breaks the film — in the best way.

Why third: This is where the binge starts to blur lines. You’re tired, unsettled, and now things are getting properly surreal.

Content notes: undocumented immigrant anxiety, ghost imagery, sudden violence, creepy men, creepy architecture.

4) Incantation

Curses, cults, and a camera you wish would stop rolling

Found footage fans, welcome to your nightmare. Incantation is the highest-grossing horror film in Taiwan’s history, and once you watch it, you’ll understand why. It’s not just about a curse; it’s about what you accidentally invite in when you go looking for content.

Li Ronan broke the rules six years ago. Now she’s trying to protect her daughter from the fallout, while documenting it all on camera. As you watch, you start realising this isn’t just a movie. It’s part of the curse. It pulls you in, asks you to chant with it. You will. Then you’ll wish you hadn’t.

The editing is jagged. The pacing is chaotic. That’s all deliberate. This film doesn’t care about comfort. It’s here to punish you for watching.

Why fourth: This is the shift from scary to disturbing. You might not sleep after this one. And if you do, good luck not dreaming in glitches.

Content notes: child endangerment, cult behaviour, possession, ritual chanting, eye trauma.

5) Verónica

Sleep paralysis meets pure nightmare fuel

Everyone remembers Verónica as the “Spanish horror so scary it made people turn it off halfway.” That might be a bit dramatic, but this one does hit different. It’s based on a real police report from Madrid in the early 90s. And unlike most “based on true story” fluff, this one actually lands.

After a séance gone sideways during a solar eclipse — because of course it had to be an eclipse — Verónica brings something back with her. It follows her home. Watches her. Hides in plain sight. And as the hallucinations grow stronger, so does the sense of helplessness. The adults don’t believe her. The kids are scared. And you’ll be clenching your fists before it’s over.

It’s got atmosphere for days, but it’s the final third where it locks in and doesn’t let go. You’re not screaming because you’re startled. You’re screaming because you feel what she feels.

Why last: It’s the emotional climax and the most intense. You’ve made it this far. Time to see if your nerves hold.

Content notes: death, demons, loss of control, realistic fear, extremely loud noises.

Tried the challenge? Had to tap out early, or make it all the way? Let us know which film got you, and how the weekend horror binge played out in the comments. Let’s see who’s braver than the rest.

Also if you have any suggestions for horror movies you'd like to contribute, drop them in the comments below.

Availability:

Not all these films are guaranteed in every country. If one is not available in your region we do recommend watching the ones which are. Always double-check your local Netflix catalog before grabbing popcorn.