Time to get in the mood for Halloween with a selection of weird and wonderful horror movies. Of course there are plenty of classics and big budget scares in the Netflix catalogue but why not take a chance and delve deep into the darkest recesses of their vault as we present our handpicked top ten of obscure and underrated fright flicks.

April Fool's Day (1986)

After the success of Halloween and Friday the 13th there was a glut of copycats. Including this fun little movies that has all the classic ingredients front and centre (college kids gathered in an isolated location begin picked off one by one) but with a big love or hate it twist ending. It's a wonderfully dated kitsch classic that sums up the 80s slasher boom.

Creep (2015)

Slacker found footage horror as a documentary flimmaker finds himself trapped and out of his depth after being hired to make a video diary for an oddball loner. Creep is a slowburn creepy character study written and directed by stars Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass.

From The Dark (2015)

Surprisingly effective low budget Irish feature from Conor McMahon (who also directed Stitches). A young couple find themselves trapped at a dilapidated farm house being attacked by a creature that fears light.

Housebound (2014)

Imagine being placed under house arrest in a haunted house. Are there ghosts or is something even more sinister lurking in the crawlspaces in this brilliantly constructed New Zealand chiller.

The Keep (1983)

Early horror film from Michael Mann (Last of the Mohicans, Heat, Collateral). A demonic vampire movie which pits Nazi's and local villagers against an ancient evil during World War II. The Keep doesn't quite hold together but is an interesting curio that's well worth checking out.

Night of the Wolf: Late Phases (2014)

Downbeat werewolf movie set in a retirement community. Nick Damici plays a blind combat veteran who takes on a viscous lycanthrope eating local OAPs in this strangely contemplative study of ageing (with added monsters).

Psycho II (1983)

Perhaps the most famous film on this list. You've certainly heard of Hitchock's masterpiece Psycho and you have every right to be dubious about a sequel released 23 years after the original. However Psycho II is a solid slasher underpinned by a fantastic performance from Anthony Perkins as he returns to the infamous Bates Motel after 22 years in a mental institution for the criminally insane.

Scarecrows (1988)

Another overlooked 80s horror. A team of mercenaries rob a military bass then parachute into a field crawling with animated evil scarecrows. Some of the acting is pretty ropey but it's outweighed by some cool creature designs, a healthy dollop of gore and a couple of tense set pieces.

Starry Eyes (2014)

A young actress sells her soul for a big break in Hollywood. Starry Eyes is a clever morality study with added occult and body horror trappings.

The Woman (2011)

A vague sequel to Lucky Mckee's Offspring. A feral woman (an intense unflinching turn from Scots actress Pollyanna McIntosh) is captured and imprisoned by a 'civilised' family. Powerful, brutal and bloody.

For more like this, check out our 2015 Hidden Horror Gems on Netflix list.