Netflix Horrors: The Latest Titles Added to Instant

I suspect a ton of readers appreciated this mini-column, begun by Ryan as a way to keep you current with the genre titles hitting Netflix Instant. And so I’ll continue, as it seems a perfect way to reacquaint ourselves with old favorites and, as the release window ever shrinks, catch up on films you may have missed this year.

As of December 18th, four new genre pictures have found themselves on the subscription streaming service, spanning subgenres and styles, three of which are entirely recommended. For more Netflix Horror rundowns, see our archive here.

At the Devil’s Door – Nicholas McCarthy’s follow-up to The Pact takes the strange turns and classical atmosphere of his debut to much greater heights. This ambitious satanic chiller follows three women, in ever shifting perspective, as each are supernaturally stalked. McCarthy makes surreal, nightmarish choices throughout and from his killer opening on, this film is legit nutty. I suspect wherever you land, it might stick with you after.

Beyond the Hills — From Cristian Mungiu, the director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, this riveting convent exorcism drama admittedly falls short of outright horror. Still, it’s an austere, dread-filled and masterfully composed film, framed with an observant eye that leaves you at a distance, helpless from the realist horror of superstition. Voichita and Alina, in love since adolescence, have since separated, with the former taking up residence in a convent. When Alina comes to visit, their ways of living—old fashioned, folky, superstitious vs. liberated and adrift—are at odds, and Alina is diagnosed as demonically possessed. Quite patient and very long, Beyond the Hills is captivating. This is a trapped, tragic story whose analytical eye builds an ultimate sense of compassion in the viewer. It’s really great.

Cam2Cam — I’ve yet to see Cam2Cam, but its trailer paints it as falling within the growing ranks of online-based videochat horror, films in which bogeyman tales of the seedy depths of the internet are mined for a bloody thriller’s sake (see: The Den).

Ragnarok — A Norwegian monster adventure, Ragnarok is one hell of a good time (with one hell of set piece that dangles above a river), that’s neatly appropriate to watch with the younger folks in your life. 

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