Netflix viewers beware, you’re in for a scare: three new horror movies have just been added to the streaming platform, including a sequel to one of its biggest original films.
Hundreds of horror movies are coming to streaming in October 2024. It can feel impossible to choose what to watch; how do you pick between found-footage films, slashers like Terrifier, and some of the best horror movies ever made?
Well, this weekend, we can make it easy for you.
Three brand-new horror movies have dropped on Netflix, and if you want a summary of their plots, cast, and what the reviews are saying, we’ve got you covered.
The Platform 2
The Platform 2 is a sequel to Netflix’s smash-hit 2019 film, a dystopian horror revolving around its titular prison system.
Inmates are held in a vertical tower, where food is lowered through the levels for everyone to eat – but those at the top get first dibs on anything, often gorging on whatever’s in front of them and leaving nothing but crumbs and bones for the bottom-dwellers.
The follow-up has a new cast, including Milena Smit and Hovik Keuchkerian.
The official synopsis reads: “As a mysterious leader imposes their rule in the Platform, a new resident becomes embroiled in the battle against this controversial method to fight the brutal feeding system. But when eating from the wrong plate becomes a death sentence, how far would you be willing to go to save your life?”
It doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score yet, but the early word has been (mostly) positive.
“It’s not one to watch while you’re eating, as there’s plenty of disturbing and gory imagery. But the dialogue and the performances are powerful, and the underlying exploration of societal power structures is just as fascinating as it was in the original,” Mashable wrote in its review.
However, IndieWire described it as a “dull and delirious sludge of color gels, religious iconography, and head-scratching callbacks, none of which are even half as interesting as the basic premise of the plot they’re all working so hard to dilute.”
It’s What’s Inside
It’s What’s Inside has a mysterious premise: a group of college friends reunite the night before one of their weddings, and someone brings a device that allows any of them to swap bodies. Things get weird (obviously).
The official synopsis reads: “A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a suitcase containing a mysterious device capable of inducing body swaps.
“Tempted into playing a twisted game, the group uncovers hidden truths, suppressed desires, and deep-seated grudges. As their lives are swept up by deceit and startling revelations, IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE peels back layers of intrigue with its mind-bending twists and turns.”
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It’s director Greg Jardin’s feature debut, and it stars Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden, and David Thompson.
Jardin doesn’t strictly classify It’s What’s Inside, believing it’s more of a “sci-fi thriller with jokes” – but it does stir up “the horror of the soul.”
It has a 77% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Bloody Disgusting gave it a positive write-up, calling it “pure fun” and “extremely funny.”
Perri Nemiroff also described it as a “wildly clever concept that soars thanks to next-level acting gymnastics and extremely smart and well-executed visual techniques.”
CTRL
Are you a fan of Unfriended or Searching? Well, you’re in for a treat with CTRL, Netflix’s new ‘screenlife’ thriller about an AI app that goes rogue.
The film follows a successful influencer couple, Nella (Ananya Panday) and Joe (Vihaan Samat), who regularly post videos together. They’re beloved by their audience, but it all falls apart when he cheats on her.
“What happens when they break up? In a world where data is power, how much sharing is too much? How much of your life are you willing to share, and do you slowly lose control in the process?” the synopsis asks.
We won’t go into too much detail, but let’s just say Nella turns to an AI app to erase him from her life – and it goes very wrong.
Speaking to Netflix, director Vikramaditya Motwane said: “With the amount of time we spend on our devices, screen time is now redefined as screen life!
“The question is, are we actually in control of all the digital extensions of our life, or are we being controlled? That’s the answer CTRL tries to explore. For a concept as new-age as this, we not only needed a cast who lives such a life, but a medium like Netflix that’s relevant.”
It doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score, but in the spirit of transparency, be warned: the reviews haven’t been glowing.
India Today branded it “tedious and ultimately lacking any satisfying payoff”, while MensXP called it a “frustrating watch” and said there’s “a high chance it’ll leave you disappointed.”
You can also watch V/H/S Beyond on Shudder this weekend for free (with an easy trick). If you’re not into horror, check out other new movies you should watch.