When it came to horror marathons, it was customary to see a slew of films with the same hockey-mask-wearing killer or a smattering of zombie or werewolf fare. With the advent of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, fans can now watch entire horror series in one sitting. Some of the best shows to watch as Halloween approaches are listed from least scary to most frightening.
‘Monstrum’ (2019)
There’s no reason we can’t learn something while we’re being scared out of our pants. Using her encyclopaedic knowledge and some extremely scary animation, Dr. Emily Zarka utilises her online series “Monstrum” to explore both the gory details of figures like El Silbón and the Black-Eyed Kids and the cultural frameworks that created their legends. As a bonus for children who enjoy monsters, this series is the only one on the list that is suitable for those who enjoy reading about them.
‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959)
Reboots of Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone,” including the most recent by Jordan Peele, the new horror god for Paramount+, have never come close to the original. Serling, as a writer and producer, may have had the greatest influence on his generation. Through the show, he introduced mainstream audiences to horror icons like Richard Matheson. Hulu just acquired the rights to the series, making its bizarre, post-war American image of terror once again accessible to the general public. After Hours, The Midnight Sun and It’s a Good Life are some of the best episodes in the series, which features Anne Francis being chased by mannequins in a world without darkness.
‘American Horror Story: Double Feature’ (2021)
Serialized horror’s current craze could be credited to the 2011 premiere of “American Horror Story.” One of the most expansive shared fictional universes has been created by the anthology series, which has included everything from circus freaks to witches. The programme has a reputation for veering off the rails, yet it never becomes dull. It’s called “Double Feature” this season, and it features bloodsucking sea creatures and aliens in the desert in two separate stories. In order to get a better sense of the “AHS” universe, it’s a good idea to see the show’s prior nine seasons, which are available on Netflix. No matter how you look at it, this series has continuously featured some of the best actors in the genre who can play a wide variety of characters during the course of the series’ run.
‘The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor’ (2018)
In addition, “American Horror Story” creator Mike Flanagan has created a fantastic horror universe that more than makes up for its lack of scope. In 2018, he turned Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House,” one of the most famous horror stories of all time, into a gripping family drama about the real-life tragedies of addiction. The Haunting of Bly Manor, an adaptation of Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw,” was Flanagan’s next film. The Bent-Neck Lady is one of the most well-known spectres in both shows, which are known for their non-linear storytelling. The two “Haunting of” series are the pinnacle of modern television’s gothic and melancholy horror. However, despite the fact that the two stories are not directly related in terms of plot or theme, they share a number of commonalities in terms of cast, crew, and theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxeiY2W03Mc
‘Channel Zero’ (2016)
The internet has provided a fertile arena for terrifying stories, but with some trepidation. Stories based on urban legend and accompanied by altered images or video footage are known as “creepypastas,” which are urban legend-based stories (Slenderman is the most famous of them). In the SyFy Channel’s “Channel Zero,” these internet jewels were reimagined as a loosely connected horror series, and it worked really well. A terrible creature with teeth-covered skin lived in a tiny town in the first season, thanks to a puppet television show. There were ghostly houses, an abandoned asylum, and a family of mad meatpacking moguls in the third season of the show. Though it never attracted a wide following, the show has become a cult favourite.
‘Two Sentence Horror Stories’ (2019)
“Two Sentence Horror Stories” is a terrific example of a web phenomenon being transformed into fantastic television. Two-sentence horror stories, such “She asked me why I was breathing so heavily,” were the original inspiration. “I wasn’t.” These short stories are staged in episodes of this anthology series, which begin with the first phrase and continue for around 30 minutes before concluding with the second. As easy as it may sound, it’s terrifyingly effective. As soon as Netflix picked up the show, things truly took a turn for the creepy. Aspiring horror novelist “Instinct” meets a man suspected of killing his wife while doing menial jobs. However, “Essence” is also worth a viewing, but be advised that it requires a strong stomach to get through it.
‘Lovecraft Country’ (2020)
“Lovecraft Country,” based on Matt Ruff’s novel, has been the most popular and fastest-disappearing horror series of all time. Jonathan Majors (“Loki”) played a Korean War veteran named Atticus Freeman who enlists the help of his fiancée, Leti, and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to find his father, who has gone missing since the war. There are ghosts and Lovecraftian monsters galore in the occult world they pass through on their journey. In addition to the gigantic shoggoths and the twisted, nightmare-inducing wraiths named Topsy and Bopsy, the play was full of scary images. There’s little hope the story will continue now that Michael K. Williams, who played Atticus’ father, has passed away and the show was cancelled after one season despite being nominated for 18 Emmys. The “Firefly” of terror is here, and all we can do is enjoy what we have.