30 Best Horror TV Shows That Will Definitely Give You Nightmares
From underrated mini-series to chilling anthologies.
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Horror movies aren’t just for Halloween season, and the same goes for horror TV shows. Whether you’re a fan of gory horror stories, serial killer thrillers, or chilling macabre tales, it won’t be difficult to find a TV show you love in the age of streaming. While classic icons like Chucky are staging a comeback, anthology shows like American Horror Story continue to reinvent themselves with new narratives and surprising casting announcements. From terrifying characters that will haunt you everyday, to unappreciated mini-series you won’t want to miss, here are 30 of the best horror TV shows streaming right now.
American Horror Story
Co-created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, American Horror Story is an anthology series exploring a new twisted tale each season. The series regularly features recurring actors in new roles, with Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Billie Lourd, and Jessica Lange all starring in multiple seasons. The show's 12th season, titled Delicate, stars Roberts as an actor and expectant mother whose pregnancy starts to feel threatened by strange occurrences and cult-like figures. Kim Kardashian co-stars as her creepy talent agent.
Channel Zero
Anthology series Channel Zero brings to life the weirdest horror stories the internet has to offer, known as creepypastas. The first season, Candle Cove, involves a childhood disappearance, a foreboding children’s television series, and a terrifying creature known as the Tooth-Child. Season 2, The No-End House, follows a group of friends as they enter a legitimate house of horrors. The series ran for a total of four seasons, meaning there are plenty of horrifying episodes to catch up on.
Harper's Island
If you prefer your horror to have Dawson’s Creek vibes, Harper’s Island is the limited series for you. The show follows Abby as she returns home to the titular isle for her best friend Henry’s wedding. However, the island is far from idyllic, having been the location of a series of murders years earlier. As family and friends prepare for Henry and Trish’s wedding, it becomes clear there’s a new murderer on the loose, and everyone is a suspect. Calls for a second season have so far gone unheard.
Slasher
Each season of this Canadian horror anthology series focuses on a new killer, whose mysterious motives must be uncovered before they can be stopped. Season 1 follows a murderer known as “The Executioner,” whose reign of terror devastates a small town. The second season is set at a summer camp, while season 3 takes its inspiration from the Summer Solstice. Season 4 centers around a rich family whose patriarch has just died, and season 5 transports viewers to the 19th century, where a widow is slaughtering strangers.
Dexter
Based on the book series by Jeff Lindsay, Dexter quickly became known as one of the smartest serial killer shows on TV. Starring Michael C. Hall in the lead role, Dexter follows a blood spatter expert who works at Miami P.D. by day, and murders people by night. Luckily, Dexter’s code of conduct allows him to only kill criminals. The series ran for eight seasons before returning for follow-up limited series Dexter: New Blood. A prequel series is on the way.
Bates Motel
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) brought Norman Bates (superbly played by Anthony Perkins) and his mother to the big screen. Bates Motel imagines Norman’s childhood, striving to explain what happened to his mom and why he developed a penchant for killing. Starring Freddie Highmore as Norman and Vera Farmiga as his mother Norma, Bates Motel embraces a modern-day setting to bring a classic horror story, based on Robert Bloch’s novel, to life. Co-starring Nicola Peltz Beckham and House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke.
Hannibal
There have been several iterations of Robert Harris’ Hannibal Lecter to date, but Mads Mikkelsen is officially the sexiest incarnation yet. The TV series follows FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) who is assisted by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Lecter in the search for serial killers. Meanwhile, Lecter delights in sharing his culinary skills with those around him, without revealing he is, in fact, a cannibal. The show was unjustly canceled after three seasons, but fans hold out hope for a reprisal.
Evil
In Evil, a forensic psychologist, a Catholic seminarian, and a skeptical contractor are hired to investigate strange, and possibly supernatural, occurrences on behalf of the Catholic church. Using their very different skills, the trio works together to uncover the truth, while forging deep connections with one another. Meanwhile, Dr. Leland Townsend (Lost’s Michael Emerson) provides a quietly menacing presence as a rival psychologist. Starring Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi in the lead roles.
Chucky
Regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the Child’s Play movies, the Chucky TV series updates the character for a new generation of viewers. Teenager Jake purchases a Good Guy doll at a yard sale, hoping to use the toy for an art project. However, he soon discovers the doll is possessed by a serial killer named Charles Lee Ray, and it’s not long before murders start occurring around town. There are a ton of Easter eggs in the show for longtime Chucky fans.
The Terror
The Terror is a supernatural horror anthology series, which brings to life strange and creepy tales in historical settings. The first season is based on the novel of the same name by Dan Simmons, and provides a fictional version of what may have occurred when Captain Sir John Franklin took an expedition to the Arctic. The second season explores the haunting of a Japanese internment camp during World War II, while the third season is set in a psychiatric hospital where a man has been wrongfully committed.
Lisey's Story
Stephen King named his novel Lisey’s Story as his favorite work to date, so it’s unsurprising that Apple TV+’s adaptation is a haunting and dreamy masterpiece about love, loss, and the demons we’re unable to escape. Lisey (Julianne Moore) is mourning the death of her husband Scott (Clive Owen), who was a famous author, two years after his death. While sorting through his belongings, Lisey discovers the start of a treasure hunt Scott created for her before he died. Each clue leads Lisey on a dangerous journey, mirroring the endlessness of grief.
Them
Amazon Original Them is a horror anthology series centering Black stories and creatives, created by Little Marvin and executive produced by Lena Waithe. The first season focuses on a Black family who find themselves under attack after moving into a predominantly white neighborhood in the 1950s. The second season is set in the ’90s and tells the story of an LAPD detective who finds themselves in personal danger while investigating a murder. Starring Deborah Ayorinde, Alison Pill, Ashley Thomas, and Ryan Kwanten.
Castle Rock
Castle Rock is a love letter to the work of Stephen King. The limited series, which ran for two seasons, draws its inspiration from the horror icon’s work, combining characters, places, and ideas from his ouvre. Taking place in King’s hometown of Maine, which forms the setting for most of his stories, the show features characters with supernatural abilities, mysterious prisoners, cult-like groups, unhinged nurses, and long held secrets. The all-star cast includes Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Sissy Spacek, Lizzy Caplan, Barkhad Abdi, and Yusra Warsama.
From
It’s easy to see why MGM+’s From quickly garnered a passionate fanbase. While taking a road trip, a family finds itself trapped in a small town somewhere in America, from which escape is impossible. After driving through the same town more than once, an accident forces them to confront the true horror of their situation. As the town’s residents work to escape, they also abide by a set of rules to keep everyone safe from the terrifying creatures that lurk in the forest and come out at night. Starring Romeo + Juliet and Lost star Harold Perrineau.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Created by auteur Guillermo del Toro, Cabinet of Curiosities is a horror anthology series on Netflix, which enlists visionary filmmakers for each installment. Introduced and curated by Oscar-winner del Toro, each episode highlights a different sub-genre of horror, and stars everyone from The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln to Harry Potter alum Rupert Grint. The series transports viewers from underground crypts to foreboding, psychedelic parties to the mortuary.
The Haunting of Hill House
Mike Flanagan’s partnership with Netflix delivered some of the most inventive horror TV shows of the 21st century. Loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting of Hill House follows the fates of five siblings, whose childhood at the creepy mansion Hill House continues to affect their lives. Supernatural beings and devastating consequences haunt the Crain family, and the present is forever marred by the terrible events they’ve since tried to forget. Dual timelines, incredible performances, and flawless special effects make this one of the most impressive horror shows of recent years.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead universe has now expanded to include a multitude of spin-offs, such as The Ones Who Live and Daryl Dixon. Based on the famed comic book series, season 1 of the original show starts with sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes awakening from a coma to find that the majority of humankind has been infected with a virus, turning them into zombies, known as “walkers.” As a group of survivors attempts to stay alive in a perilous world, they encounter even more dangerous threats in the form of other human beings.
The Last of Us
Proving that you can, indeed, turn popular video games into TV shows, HBO’s The Last Us takes place in a world two decades after a parasitic fungal infection has wiped out much of humanity. Joel (Pedro Pascal) finds himself tasked with helping Ellie (Bella Ramsey) travel across the country, all while a zombie apocalypse rages on, and the remaining humans have divided up into equally terrifying factions. The pair create an unexpected bond as they face many challenges on their journey. Mixing elements of drama, sci-fi, and action with horror, The Last of Us is one of HBO’s best new series, and a second season can’t come soon enough.
True Blood
Based on Charlaine Harris’ series of novels, True Blood tells the story of telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) as she falls in love with Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), who just so happens to be 174 years old and a vampire. In this universe, vampires are attempting to co-exist with humans following the release of synthetic blood, making them less of a threat. Equal parts gory and camp, True Blood is a horror delight, which ran for seven seasons and stars everyone from Alexander Skarsgård to Joe Manganiello.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher is another Mike Flanagan gem, this time based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe. The series follows the lives of brother and sister team Roderick and Madeline Usher, who jointly run a shady pharmaceutical company. Following the sudden deaths of Roderick’s children, the patriarch reflects on his life and the terrible choices he made as a young man. With an incredible ensemble cast and some extremely inventive deaths, The Fall of the House of Usher is a pitch-perfect horror mini-series.
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