The 6 Greatest Netflix Horror TV Shows of All Time

After cementing itself as a powerhouse in the world of streaming, Netflix is now rising to become a powerhouse in the horror TV landscape.

In recent years, the streamer has released some of the best shows in the genre, packing its streaming library with plenty of screams from horror greats like Guillermo del Toro and Mike Flanagan, with shows ranging from terrifying hauntings to body horror.

Looking for your next big scream? Check out the best Netflix original horror series below.

6. Brand New Cherry Flavor

Created by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion, and based on Todd Grimson’s novel of the same name, Netflix’s Brand New Cherry Flavor smashed onto the horror scene in 2021 and became an instant hit. The show stars Rosa Salazar as Lisa Nova, an aspiring film director who arrives in 1990s Hollywood with big dreams. But when her film stolen out from under, and after the introduction of a witch named Boro, she finds herself embarking on a quest for revenge.

The series brings together body horror and the supernatural in a nostalgic eight-episode run that was described as “mind-bending,” “trippy,” “twisted,” and unlike anything else Netflix had released at the time.

5. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Guillermo del Toro ranks among the true masters of horror, and so it’s not shocking that the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s 2022 anthology series Cabinet of Curiosities is a must-watch for horror fans. Described as a collection of del Torro’s “personally curated stories, described as both equally sophisticated and horrific,” each episode of the series introduces new characters and a new story, pulling from different elements of the horror genre, including haunted houses, alien encounters, mysterious objects, and more.

4. The Fall of the House of Usher

Released in 2023, The Fall of the House of Usher proved to be a collaboration of horror greats of past and present. Created by Mike Flanagan and based on gothic horror icon Edgar Allan Poe’s body of work, the eight-episode limited series explores themes of family, greed, guilt, and consequences as it centers around siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher, how they built their dynasty, and how that connects to the death of Roderick’s children. In addition to weaving in various horror elements throughout the show, The Fall of the House of Usher also features some of the most gruesome deaths in Flanagan’s credits.

3. Black Mirror

Black Mirror may not strictly be a horror series, but it’s no secret that many of the anthology show’s episodes have dabbled in the genre. From “White Bear” (Season 2, Episode 2) to “Smithereens” (Season 5, Episode 2), “Plaything” (Season 7, Episode 4), and more, Charlie Brooker’s award-winning dark, satirical anthology has continued to put out some truly terrifying episodes of TV that play into some of the best elements of the horror genre.

2. Archive 81

Archive 81 was considered one of the scariest shows on Netflix when it was released in 2022, and to this day, subscribers are still upset following its surprising cancellation. Serving as a TV adaptation of a popular podcast, the show centers around an archivist who takes a job restoring damaged videotapes. He soon finds himself pulled into the vortex of a mystery involving the missing director and a demonic cult, packing plenty of suspense and scares along the way.

1. The Haunting of Hill House

This list wouldn’t be complete without The Haunting of Hill House, a series that, even nearly seven years after its release, remains one of the best horror shows of the decade and a modern horror masterpiece.

The first of Flanagan’s five original horror series for Netflix, and the first in what would become the short-lived The Haunting anthology, Hill House is based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name and centers around the five adult Crain siblings, whose lives remain haunted by the paranormal experiences they had at Hill House as children. The series is a masterclass psychological horror and non-linear storytelling, and effortlessly blends horror and emotional family drama.