“We’ve always loved horror, it’s just that, unfortunately, horror has not always loved us”. Author and educator Tananarive Due opens Xavier Neal-Burgin’s revolutionary documentary, Horror Noire, with this quote. From Richard C. Kahn’s Son of Ingagi to Jordan Peele’s Us, black people have always been a part of the horror genre, but they certainly haven’t always received equal screen time or equivalent portrayals to their white counterparts.
Thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, a spotlight is now being shone on black people and people of color in a way not previously seen. Which is perfect timing for horror considering that the past decade has seen a renaissance of black horror led especially by directors like Jordan Peele bringing blackness and social commentary to genre films.
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In honor of Black Lives Matter and all the actors, directors, and horror fans who have waited so long to see themselves represented on screen, here’s a list of some of the best black horror films available on streaming platforms to watch right now that spans from 70s classics to brand new releases.
Night Of The Living Dead (Shudder)
One of the first films to show a black male as a smart, capable protagonist, George Romero’s 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead is a social commentary hidden in one of the original zombie films when a ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a bloodthirsty, flesh-eating horde.
Blacula (Shudder, Amazon Prime)
Directed by William Crane, one of the original black horror directors, Blacula is a 1972 film that twists the vampire story by presenting an African prince who was turned into a vampire by Dracula during a trip to Transylvania. After being sealed in a coffin for many decades, he reawakens in 1970s Los Angeles.
Ganja & Hess (Amazon Prime)
Ganja & Hess is a 1973 experimental horror film written and directed by Bill Gunn, a black director who uses his film to explore the subject of addiction through the lens of vampirism. The slow, romantic film is atmospheric and has gained traction with modern audiences. It also stars Duane Jones, the lead from Night of the Living Dead.
Sugar Hill (Shudder, Amazon Prime)
Paul Maslansky’s 1974 blaxploitation film, Sugar Hill, follows Diana “Sugar” Hill, a woman who’s husband is killed by mobsters when he refuses to sell his nightclub. She vows revenge for his murder and teams up with the aged voodoo priestess, Mama Maitresse, to raise the spirit of Baron Samedi and go after the killers.
The People Under the Stairs (Amazon Prime)
Directed by horror icon Wes Craven, The People Under the Stairs (1991) is a disturbing picture of oppression, racism, and abuse through the lens of a super creepy story about a couple who keeps children locked under their stairs.
Candyman (Netflix, Amazon Prime)
Based on the writings of author Clive Barker, Candyman (1992) is an interesting look at the race relations of the 1990s. Though the film suffers from white saviorism, Tony Todd’s performance is exceptional and should not be ignored.
The Craft (Amazon Prime)
One of the premiere movies about teen girlhood and coming of age as a woman, The Craft (1996) also offers a great look at blackness and racism through Rachel True’s character, Rochelle.
Eve’s Bayou (Hulu, Amazon Prime)
While more of a horror-adjacent drama than a true horror film, Kasi Lemmons’ 1997 film, Eve’s Bayou follows a 10-year-old black girl, Eve Batiste, as she discovers that her family’s affluent existence is all a lie.
The Girl With All The Gifts (Netflix, Amazon Prime)
A British film made by Colm McCarthy, The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) follows a young girl who is one of several children immune to a fungal disease that’s turned the whole world into zombies as she escapes her school and helps guide mankind’s survival.
The Transfiguration (Shudder, Amazon Prime)
A coming of age story that reads like a modernization of Let the Right One In, Michael O’Shea’s 2016 film The Transfiguration follows troubled teen, Milo, who hides behind his fascination with vampire lore until he meets the equally alienated Sophie. But, the two form a bond that begins to challenge Milo’s dark obsession, blurring fantasy and reality.
Get Out (Amazon Prime)
Jordan Peele’s breakout film, Get Out (2017) follows Chris and his girlfriend as they go to meet her parents for the first time, but increasingly strange events suggest that her parents’ behavior might be more than just nervousness about their daughter’s interracial relationship.
Kuso (Shudder)
The 2017 gross-out horror/comedy anthology film Kuso was directed by Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison) and depicts a series of four surreal horror stories about the mutated survivors of an earthquake that destroyed Los Angeles.
Horror Noire (Shudder, Amazon Prime)
Xavier Neal-Burgin’s 2019 horror documentary, Horror Noire, offers a look at the history of black horror films and the role of black people in the genre by interviewing various experts, educators, actors, and directors from horror and the film industry.
Knives and Skin (Hulu, Amazon Prime)
Knives and Skin (2019) is a female-directed horror coming-of-age story that follows the story of a diverse group of girls and women awakening and finding themselves in the aftermath of a teen girl’s disappearance.
Sweetheart (Netflix, Amazon Prime)
The 2019 film by black director Justin Dillard, Sweetheart, follows shipwreck survivor, Jenn (Kiersey Clemons) as she surfaces on an uninhabited island and must fend off a malevolent creature that surfaces each night.
Black Horror Short Films On Streaming
In addition to the full-length films available on various streaming platforms, audiences can also dig deeper into black horror films, especially those made by black female and queer directors with a few short horror films also available for streaming.
The Quiet Room (2018) is a short film by Sam Wineman available on Shudder and Amazon Prime that focuses on Michael who ends up in the hospital after a failed suicide attempt and starts to believe that he’s awakened Hattie, a demon who haunts his hospital room.
Paralysis (2015) is a short film available on Amazon Prime by black female director, R. Shanea Williams, that tells the story of a young woman suffering from severe paralysis as dreams and reality begin to blend together in her apartment.
Directed by Mirama Diallo, Hair Wolf (2018) is a short film available on Hulu that follows the staff at a black hair salon who have to fend off strange new monsters: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture.