Life often doesn’t leave enough time to finish a whole book before a film adaptation drops. For book lovers who still want to keep up with screen versions, these Netflix films capture the spirit of their source material while telling complete, satisfying stories. Here are nine horror films you can stream right now that were adapted from novels and comics.
1. Malevolent (2018)
Directed by Olaf de Fleur, this 88‑minute story is adapted from Eva Konstantopoulos’s novella Hush (2011). It follows siblings who run a bogus paranormal investigation business. When they accept a job at a stately home with a sinister past, they encounter genuine supernatural forces that test their relationship and their grip on reality.
2. The Ritual (2017)
Based on Adam Nevill’s 2011 novel, this 94‑minute folk horror film sees four friends hiking through remote Swedish forests. After they choose a shortcut through dense woods, they disturb an ancient pagan presence. Director David Bruckner balances character‑driven drama with mounting dread to deliver one of the more unsettling Netflix originals.
3. Homunculus (2021)
Takashi Shimizu, best known for creating The Grudge, adapts Hideo Yamamoto’s manga series Homunculus (2003–2011). A homeless man with amnesia volunteers for an experimental trepanation procedure that awakens his ability to see distorted manifestations of people’s inner trauma. The movie plays more as a psychological thriller than outright horror as it explores identity, empathy and the monstrousness of the human mind.
4. Bird Box Barcelona (2023)
Alex and David Pastor expand Josh Malerman’s world of Bird Box with this Spanish‑language spin‑off. Survivors in Barcelona must avoid an unseen force that drives people mad when viewed. With glimpses of cosmic horror and an apocalyptic landscape, the film promises to deliver new terrors when it arrives on July 14, 2023.
5. Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
Leigh Janiak turns R.L. Stine’s teen novels into a trio of R‑rated horror movies set across different eras. In 1994 a group of teens confront a curse that has plagued the town of Shadyside for generations. Part two flashes back to a summer camp massacre in 1978, while the final film travels to 1666 to reveal the origins of the witch’s curse. Slasher thrills, supernatural lore and queer romance make the trilogy a fun throwback to 1970s through 1990s horror.
6. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Mike Flanagan adapts Stephen King’s 1992 novel into a supremely unsettling 103‑minute film. While trying to rekindle their marriage at a remote lake house, a woman’s husband dies suddenly, leaving her handcuffed to a bed. As dehydration and exhaustion set in, she hallucinates terrifying figures and confronts buried traumas while desperately trying to escape.
7. The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Though more of a Gothic detective yarn than outright horror, Scott Cooper’s adaptation of Louis Bayard’s 2006 novel features plenty of macabre details. Christian Bale plays a grizzled investigator hired to look into a string of murders at West Point in the 1830s, aided by a young Edgar Allan Poe. At 130 minutes, it takes its time, but its wintry mood and grisly crimes earn it a spot on this list.
8. No One Gets Out Alive (2021)
Santiago Menghini’s feature‑length debut adapts Adam Nevill’s 2014 novel about an undocumented immigrant named Ambar who takes a room in a rundown boarding house. Her desperate situation quickly becomes a nightmare as she faces both supernatural forces and very real human cruelty. At 87 minutes, it delivers a concise and unsettling blend of social commentary and ghost story.
9. The Influence (2019)
In this Spanish adaptation of Ramsey Campbell’s 1988 novel, Alicia returns to her childhood home to care for her bedridden mother. As she tries to rebuild her life, she must also confront a family legacy steeped in witchcraft and possessive spirits. Director Denis Rovira van Boekholt crafts a 102‑minute slow‑burn horror story about the weight of generational trauma.
The Ritual (2017)
After a tragedy, four friends reunite for a hiking trip in Sweden. Deep in the forest, they encounter a malevolent presence that tests their friendship. David Bruckner’s 94‑minute folk horror is based on Adam Nevill’s novel The Ritual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfuqgwq2uo0
Homunculus (2021)
In this surreal thriller from director Takashi Shimizu, a homeless man agrees to experimental brain surgery and begins seeing distorted human “homunculi.” Inspired by Hideo Yamamoto’s manga series, the 116‑minute Japanese film leans more toward psychological drama than outright horror.
Bird Box Barcelona (2023)
A spin‑off of Netflix’s 2018 hit Bird Box, this Spanish‑language entry follows survivors in Barcelona facing an unseen force that drives people to violence. Directed by Àlex and David Pastor, the story builds on Josh Malerman’s post‑apocalyptic world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdDN_mffisY
Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
Director Leigh Janiak’s trilogy adapts R.L. Stine’s teen horror books into three R‑rated films spanning different eras. Together they clock in at 331 minutes and blend a 1990s slasher, a 1970s summer‑camp massacre, and a 1600s witch‑hunt into one story.
Gerald’s Game (2017)
During a romantic getaway, a woman becomes trapped when her husband dies mid‑game, leaving her handcuffed to a bed. Mike Flanagan’s 103‑minute adaptation of Stephen King’s 1992 novel is a claustrophobic, intensely psychological survival story.
The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Set at West Point in 1830, this macabre mystery follows a detective hired to investigate murders among cadets. Adapted from Louis Bayard’s 2006 novel, the 130‑minute film is more of a whodunit than a traditional horror movie.
No One Gets Out Alive (2021)
An undocumented immigrant rents a room in an eerie Cleveland boarding house where she discovers unspeakable horrors. Santiago Menghini’s 87‑minute chiller, based on Adam Nevill’s novel, blends social commentary with haunted‑house scares.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYZTliK27g4
The Influence (2019)
After decades away, a woman returns to her family home to care for her dying mother, only to confront a legacy of witchcraft. The 102‑minute Spanish film, directed by Denis Rovira van Boekholt, adapts Ramsey Campbell’s 1988 novel.