Paramount+ has a wide variety of TV shows, and it’s currently home to some great horror shows. The streaming wars saw the arrival of many platforms, most of them offering both original and licensed content. In 2014, the streaming platform CBS All Access was launched, which, in 2020, was rebranded as Paramount+.
The platform has content from Nickelodeon, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, the Smithsonian Channel, and Paramount Pictures, thus offering content for different tastes and viewers of all ages. Of course, Paramount+ has a catalog of horror TV shows, all of them with different styles, themes, and levels of scariness, appealing to different audiences.
School Spirits
School Spirits is a supernatural teen drama created by Megan and Nate Trinrud, and it’s an adaptation of a graphic novel by them. School Spirits takes the audience to the fictional town of Split River, Wisconsin, to meet teenager Maddie (Peyton List), who suddenly finds herself among the spirits that live in Split River High School.
Maddie can’t remember what happened to her and how she got there, and like the spirits at the school, she can’t leave the school grounds. This leads Maddie to believe that she might have been murdered, so she sets out to investigate what truly happened to her. At the same time, Maddie has to adjust to high school in the afterlife, which isn’t easy, either.
The blend of supernatural elements, horror, and murder mystery is School Spirits’ biggest hook, along with List’s performance, its relatable characters, emotional depth, and unexpected twists. At the time of writing, School Spirits is preparing for its third season.
Under The Dome
There are many Stephen King TV shows out there, among them Under the Dome. Based on King’s 2009 novel of the same name, Under the Dome is set in the fictional town of Chester’s Mill, which is hit by a meteor carrying an egg of the alien species known as The Kinship. After the egg is found, a dome lowers over the town.
With all the residents now trapped inside this massive, transparent, and unbreakable dome, they have to find a way to survive without any contact or access to the rest of the world, while also trying to figure out why they were trapped. Under the Dome had a strong start, but it must be noted that its quality gradually declined.
Still, Under The Dome is a great watch for fans of Stephen King and sci-fi horror, thanks to its unique concept, its visual effects, and the exploration of society under these strange and extreme circumstances.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (1992)
A family-friendly option, but still scary, for Paramount+ subscribers is Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Created by D. J. MacHale, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? is a horror anthology TV show that follows a group of teenagers who call themselves the Midnight Society. The group meets at a secret location in the forest at midnight to share scary stories.
Despite being aimed at a young audience, many Are You Afraid Of The Dark? episodes are scary for adults, as well, as they appeal to universal fears. Of course, the stories in Are You Afraid Of The Dark? usually include a moral (for the younger viewers, that is), but they don’t take away from the show’s scare factor.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? had a revival series in 2019, but it was removed from Paramount+ in 2024.
Some Are You Afraid Of The Dark? episodes have truly unsettling atmospheres and disturbing stories, cover serious topics, and have unpredictable endings, which mix to make the show scarier, timeless, and worth rewatching.
The Stand (2020)
Another Stephen King TV show streaming on Paramount+, and one that’s regarded among the best King adaptations to TV, is the 2020 version of The Stand. Based on King’s 1978 novel of the same name, and a remake of the 1994 miniseries, The Stand takes place after a pandemic that kills almost the entire world’s population.
The survivors are then forced to decide who they will side with: Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg), who claims to be a prophet of God, or Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård), the representation of evil and one of the scariest villains in King’s universe. Flagg is an accomplished sorcerer, a devoted servant of the Outer Dark, and is skilled in necromancy, prophecy, and more.
The Stand has been praised for its tone, performances, and production value, though many aren’t on board with its runtime and pace. Still, The Stand, as one of King’s best stories, is worth watching, and it’s a different type of battle between good and evil.
Evil
Created by Robert and Michelle King, Evil is a supernatural drama with a very unique premise. Evil follows forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), who is offered a new job by the Catholic Church. Kristen teams up with Catholic seminarian David Acosta (Mike Colter) and skeptical technology contractor Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) to investigate supposed supernatural events.
Their opposite views and beliefs bring different perspectives to each case, while also making them question their beliefs after everything they witness and learn in every case. Their lives also begin to intertwine with the events they investigate, as there’s a sinister presence behind most of them.
Evil is worth watching for its premise, performances, its mix of horror, drama, crime, mystery, and religious themes, and its overarching plot. However, although it’s definitely worth watching, it’s important to note that some episodes of Evil are quite disturbing, so keep that in mind when going into it.
Twin Peaks
One of the best TV shows of all time is part of Paramount+’s horror catalog: Twin Peaks. Created by Mack Frost and David Lynch, Twin Peaks is a surrealist mystery horror drama that aired on ABC from 1990 to 1991 for two seasons. Twin Peaks kicks off with the murder of teenager Laura Palmer in the title town.
FBI special agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) is assigned to investigate the murder, but once in Twin Peaks, he realizes there’s a lot more to Laura’s murder than it seems, and the town is a lot stranger than he thought. Twin Peaks is quite unique thanks to its blend of horror, comedy, mystery, drama, and surrealism.
Twin Peaks’ third season, also known as Twin Peaks: The Return, released in 2017, is also available to stream on Paramount+.
The latter is key to Twin Peaks’ unsettling vibe, and thus to its status among the best horror shows of all time. Twin Peaks might not be for everyone, but it’s worth giving it a try.
The Twilight Zone
Speaking of the best TV shows of all time and most influential shows as well, Paramount+ is home to The Twilight Zone. Created by Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone is an anthology horror series that brings together horror, sci-fi, and drama, with the occasional comedic episode. Most episodes have a twist and a moral at the end, which are part of the show’s trademark.
Every episode of The Twilight Zone begins with Serling presenting the story and inviting the audience into the title “twilight zone”, and closes with narration by him. The Twilight Zone has been praised for its stories, performances, tone, and themes, and its popularity led to three reboots (1985, 2002, and 2019).
Paramount+ has the original run of The Twilight Zone, with all five seasons ready to stream. The Twilight Zone is a must-watch even for non-horror fans, and it has more good episodes than bad ones.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
