10 Claustrophobic Horror Movies To Watch On Netflix While You’re Stuck In Isolation

While perhaps not to everyone’s taste, there’s no denying that horror movies provide a certain sense of catharsis to those who enjoy them. Allowing viewers to explore their fears and anxieties from the comfort of a movie theater – or better yet their own homes – the genre is the ultimate form of escapism despite their “bad” reputation.

Sure, the world may seem like a terrifying, unstable mess right now, but hopefully, these claustrophobic chillers on Netflix will at least make you feel better about your situation. After all, what better time than now to get wrapped up in a good horror movie?

10 Gerald’s Game

Another gem from the master of adaptation Mike Flanagan, Gerald’s Game is perhaps his most underappreciated effort to date. Based on the book of the same name by horror legend Stephen King, Gerald’s Game follows the unfortunate Jessie Burlingame as she finds herself handcuffed to a bedpost with no means of escape.

Anchored by great performances and a perfectly adapted screenplay, Gerald’s Game is about as intimate as horror comes. Weaving together tense, wince-inducing moments with some truly haunting character beats, this inventive thriller is sure to stick with you long after the credits roll.

9 I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House

Perhaps one of the more divisive horrors currently on Netflix, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is one of the more unique movies available to stream right now regardless. Written and directed by fresh horror talent Osgood Perkins, the movie capitalizes on the tried-and-true haunted house formula through its unique framing and execution.

Dishing out the slowest of slow-burn horror, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House gradually builds to a worthwhile, creepy crescendo. It may not be for everyone, but for those looking for a ghost story that echoes the classics, look no further.

8 The Platform

A bizarre, disturbing addition to Netflix’s ever-expanding catalog of foreign-language horror, The Platform is one of the most unique offerings the streaming company has produced in quite some time – and that’s saying something.

Set in a dystopian world where citizens are trapped in a claustrophobic, class-based high-rise, the residents’ food is delivered by a descending platform containing scraps from the higher floors. As the floors are reshuffled based on behavior and compliance, The Platform wears its themes on its sleeve, delivering an oppressive shot of Orwellian horror in the process.

7 In The Tall Grass

When a heavily pregnant Becky and her loving brother Cal take a cross-country road trip to reach their aunt’s house, they’re suddenly distracted by the sound of a distressed young boy calling out from the nearby tall grass. Deciding to investigate, the duo is soon pulled into an inescapable waking nightmare as they’re haunted by a malevolent supernatural entity.

Despite the fact it’s set in the great outdoors, In the Tall Grass impressively manages to capture that gnawing feeling of claustrophobia nonetheless. Based on the novella by Stephen King and Joe Hill, In the Tall Grass serves as a faithful – albeit spread-thin – adaptation of the story.

6 Creep

Co-written, produced and starring prolific writer/actor/director Mark Duplass, Creep came as a pleasant surprise to many horror fans back when it released in 2014. Breathing new life into the much-maligned found footage sub-genre with its twisted plot and dark humor, Mark Duplass’ mesmerizing central performance quickly catapulted Creep to fan-favorite status.

Following student videographer Aaron as he’s hired to film a series of home videos for the terminally ill Josef, it soon becomes clear that the whole job may be a sick game orchestrated by his employer. Perhaps not surprisingly, this leads to some of the most bizarre and shocking moments in any found footage movie to date.

5 The Monster

Written and directed by Bryan Bertino of The Strangers fame, The Monster’s premise makes for an equally simple but effective experience. The plot sees an alcoholic mother and her young daughter broken down on a remote country road as they’re relentlessly stalked by a vicious creature, leaving them trapped in their car.

Dealing with themes of motherhood, addiction, and trauma, The Monster cleverly uses a claustrophobic monster movie set-up to explore a fractured mother-daughter relationship. The movie is one of A24’s least talked about horror projects, which given their stellar reputation in the genre is a real shame.

4 Girl On The Third Floor

While Girl on the Third Floor seems to have critics and audiences heavily divided, there’s something for fans of the haunted house genre to enjoy here despite its somewhat on-the-nose central metaphor.

Following Don and his wife Liz as they attempt to renovate a house, the cracks in the couple’s troubled relationship soon begin to show as the weight of their past begins to bear down on them. It doesn’t take long before an alluring stranger catches Don’s eye, resulting in an affair that kicks off a series of bizarre and bloody supernatural events.

3 As Above, So Below

Released in the height of the found footage craze, As Above, So Below wasn’t particularly well-received upon its initial release, with horror fans coming to view the movie as somewhat underrated in the six years since its release.

Set in the undoubtedly creepy Paris catacombs, the movie’s premise sees a group of students and videographers exploring the skull-adorned tunnels in search of the Philosopher’s Stone – only to be met by a sadistic force that uses their fears and traumas against them as they’re pushed deeper and deeper into the labyrinthine catacombs.

2 The Invitation

The Invitation follows Will and his girlfriend Kira as they receive a suspicious invitation to a dinner party held by his ex-wife. Despite the feigned pleasantries and awkward reconciliations however, it soon begins to appear the gathering may have a much more sinister purpose.

Another must-see for fans of slow-burn horror; The Invitation is the kind of movie that knows exactly how to get under your skin and stay there for the entirety of its run-time. Building a truly palpable sense of dread throughout, Karyn Kusama’s understated gem is one of the most overlooked horror movies currently available on Netflix.

1 Hush

If you’re looking for a home invasion movie done right, look no further than Mike Flanagan’s well-received 2016 thriller Hush. The movie follows deaf author Maddie Young as she attempts to fend off a murderous, unnamed home invader, played brilliantly against type by a cold John Gallagher Jr.

Incredibly tense and full to the brim with tons of “edge of your seat” moments, Hush stands as an exemplary slasher in an overstuffed, often unimaginative sub-genre. With Maddie’s hearing impairment serving as the crux of the movie’s scares, Hush offers a home invasion thriller told through a fresh, creative new perspective.