Somehorror television showsare just as frightening as any horror movie. Horror is not for everyone, but the genre tends to attract passionate fans who are always on the lookout for their next scare. Thebest horror films offer insights about humanityor society along with their scares, leaving viewers thinking long after the credits roll. Horror television shows may not be as popular as blockbuster horror films, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t just as scary and thought-provoking.
It can be difficult to maintain tension throughout a two-hour movie, let alone a television show, but several horror series have managed to perfect the formula.Horror television shows often shift the focus to the characters, delivering all the tropes of classic horror while exploring the darker aspects of human nature. For those who cannot get enough of the horror genre, these television shows provide plenty of terrifying scares that will keep even horror aficionados up at night.
8Supernatural
Created By Eric Kripke, 2005-2020
Supernaturalmay have played around with multiple genres, but it began as a true horror television show. In its first two seasons in particular,Supernaturaldelivered miniature horror movies every week,with genuine frights that could rival even the scariest horror movies. Episodes like “Bloody Mary,” “Asylum,” “The Benders,” and “Everybody Loves a Clown” take classic horror movie tropes and condense them into terrifying 45-minute episodes.
Although Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester would eventually take on Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) and even God (Rob Benedict) himself,they initially faced off against creepy ghosts and monsters from American folklore.From classic jump scares to bloody carnage to disturbing histories,Supernaturalhas all of the ingredients that make a good horror movie, and so much more.
7Midnight Mass
Created By Mike Flanagan, 2021
Mike Flanagan has an impressive roster when it comes to horror movies, with films likeOculusandHushdelivering unique concepts and genuine scares. Flanagan’s third Netflix horror series,Midnight Mass,offers a fascinating take on vampiresin a bloody and deeply affecting story.Midnight Massis set on Crockett Island, an isolated community, and it centers on Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), a mysterious new priest who arrives on the island harboring sinister secrets.
Mike Flanagan spent years developingMidnight Massas a passion project before Netflix finally picked it up.
Linklater is the standout, but the series also features compelling performances from Zach Gilford and Kate Siegel, whoall contribute toMidnight Massdelivering a truly haunting story.While the miniseries may not be full of jump scares, it expertly builds tension toward its inevitable, bloody conclusion. With stunning monologues and heartbreaking twists,Midnight Masstells a vampire story unlike any other and will leave viewers thinking long after they’ve watched the last episode.
6Twin Peaks
Created By Mark Frost & David Lynch, 1990-1991 & 2017
Twin Peaksbegins with the discovery of a body, which leads to an investigation that uncovers the dark secrets of the inhabitants of the titular town. When local teen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) is murdered,Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) comes into town to investigate.What follows is one of the strangest and most disturbing television shows of the 1990s, courtesy of creators Mark Frost and David Lynch.
Showtime revivedTwin Peaksin 2017, delivering more horrors and even weirder visuals in a third season of 18 episodes, all directed and co-written by David Lynch.
With bizarre dream sequences, truly terrifying visuals, and heartbreaking revelations,Twin Peakswas a groundbreaking television serieswhose influence can still be felt today.The show brilliantly combined real-world horrors with supernatural elementsto create a horror story unlike any other. And if the sight of malevolent entity Bob (Frank Silva) doesn’t send a shiver down your spine, well, you’re made of sterner stuff than I am.
5Black Mirror
Created By Charlie Brooker, 2011-Present
The British anthology television seriesBlack MirrorisThe Twilight Zonefor the technological age, delivering truly disturbing stories that expertly combine science fiction and horror (and sometimes dark humor). Not every episode ofBlack Mirroris outright horror, butits stories will stick with you long after they fade to black.Many episodes of the series take place in dystopian alternate futures that often feel far too close to reality.
With devastating plot twists and strong performances, many episodes ofBlack Mirrorfeel like short horror movies in the best way.The series' best episodes deliver biting social commentary,taking modern technological and scientific advancements to their most extreme. Good horror stays with you and also says something about the state of the world, andBlack Mirrordoes both of these things so well.
4Evil
Created By Robert & Michelle King, 2019-2024
InEvil,the Catholic church enlists psychologist Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), future priest David Acosta (Mike Colter), and contractor Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) to investigate supposedly supernatural happenings. Kristen and Ben both approach things with skepticism, while David is willing to consider the more demonic possibilities. Throughout its four seasons,Evildevelops its own mythology featuring demons and other demonic entitiesthat only certain people can see.
Evil veers from horrifying to bizarre to darkly humorous, and sometimes manages to be all three at once.
Evilveers from horrifyingto bizarre to darkly humorous, and sometimes manages to be all three at once.It’s a truly unique show with smart writing,strong performances, and clever twists. With some truly unsettling visuals,Eviloften feels like an extended horror movie, but it never loses its undercurrent of dark humor. It’s undoubtedly a weird show, but it confidently embraces its strangeness, delivering some genuine and shocking scares.
3Hannibal
Created By Bryan Fuller, 2013-2015
Silence of the Lambshas long been considered one of the best horror films of all time, thanks in large part to the true villain at its center — Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Developed by Bryan Fuller, NBC’sHannibaloffered a different take on the infamous cannibal, focusing on the titular serial killer’s relationship with FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy).Mads Mikkelsen makes an incredibly compelling Hannibal,equal parts sinister and charming.
Hannibaloften combines its pitch-black humorwith incredibly smart horror, and the result is disturbingly beautiful.Hannibalhas some of the most stunning and yet grotesque visuals I’ve seen on television,and the series offers a fascinating exploration of the psychology of the human mind.Hannibalcan be difficult to stomach, as it’s genuinely horrifying most of the time, but its devastating beauty makes it impossible to look away.
2From
Created By John Griffin, 2022-Present
Set in a small town that refuses to let its residents leave,Fromcenters on Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau), a retired Army veteran who has become the town’s unofficial leader. As the self-appointed sheriff,Boyd fights to keep the townspeople alive,doing his best to establish some semblance of normalcy in a town full of unspeakable horrors. InFrom’sthree seasonsso far, the show has delivered some truly terrifying scenes that will surely keep some viewers up at night.
Fromwas renewed for a fourth season in November 2024, which is projected to air in 2026. The show’s producers have planned the story for five seasons, although a fifth season has yet to be confirmed.
As Boyd and the other residents work to find a way to escape the town, the horrors keep ramping up as the malevolent entities fight back. Complete with gore, jump scares, and plenty of tension,Fromexpertly plays with many classic horror tropes.With its complex and captivating mystery and its stranded cast of characters,Fromfeels like a spiritual successor toLost,but with more overt horror elements.
1The Haunting of Hill House
Created By Mike Flanagan, 2018
A loose adaptation of the Shirley Jackson novel of the same name,The Haunting of Hill Housewas Mike Flanagan’sfirst forayinto horror television. The Netflix series expertly weaves together past and present, following the Crain family as they confront their past at Hill House. With ghosts hiding in corners, jump scares, and horrifying revelations,The Haunting of Hill Househas all the makings of many of the best horror movies.
The Haunting of Hill House is as frightening as any horror movie.
The Haunting of Hill Housemanages to be a devastating family drama and a haunting ghost story, and it does both things extraordinarily well. Each of the Crain family members deals with the horrors of their past in different ways, and the show beautifully builds to its devastating payoff.The Haunting of Hill Houseis ahorror television showas frightening as any horror movie, and will likely leave many viewers sleeping with the lights on.
