5 Best Horror Miniseries Streaming On Netflix

Netflix is a great streaming platform for everything from professional wrestling to sci-fi and fantasy, and nearly everything in between. However, a fan of great and compact horror shows can often find themselves lost amidst the streamer’s sheer wealth of choices. Besides, horror is one genre that does not always need, or even want, to march in sync with critical reviews. Horror miniseries, in particular, ask for a big emotional investment, making it all the more important that the payoff justifies the tension.

So, how can a viewer know if a horror miniseries they’re about to commit to for many hours is actually any good, or if it matches their personal scare preferences? What works for one horror fan may fall flat for another, making curated recommendations valuable. Knowing how important it is to avoid committing to a dud, TVLine has put together a list of the best horror miniseries Netflix currently has to offer. From critically acclaimed standouts to sleeper hits that flew under the radar, these selections highlight just how varied Netflix’s horror slate has become. The following five shows come from all over the world and explore terror from many different angles, so feel free to pick the one that suits your fancy and enjoy some guaranteed scares. 

It’s clear from the beginning that “Midnight Mass” is a horror show, but it takes its time to reveal precisely what kind of horror it represents. Mike Flanagan’s slow-paced, atmospheric miniseries is set on a remote, sparsely populated island where the charismatic Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater) arrives to take over St. Patrick’s Church and begins making waves. 

A religious, secluded community is a great setting for effective horror, much of which unfolds through the eyes of returning prodigal son Riley (Zach Gilford). Strange events abound from the beginning, but the show plays its cards close to the chest for a deliciously long time. This makes the eventual revelations — and there are a fair few of them — all the more effective. It’s rare to see a show that takes the time to build the road to its hair-raising, heartbreaking conclusion as deliberately as “Midnight Mass” does, and a longer show likely couldn’t sustain its ominous atmosphere the way a miniseries does. Though its thought-provoking narrative is not every genre fan’s cup of tea, it is arguably the strongest example of how effective the horror miniseries format can be.

As Netflix anthology shows go, “Black Mirror” is often the first to spring to mind. Still, Charlie Brooker’s series focuses more on science fiction and morality tales, leaving the Netflix horror anthology crown for “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” to take. 

“Cabinet of Curiosities” is a no-frills horror miniseries in the best sense of the term. Across its eight episodes, del Toro takes on a Rod Serling–like role as the on-screen host, introducing uncertain, weak, and outright evil characters who find themselves trapped in impossible situations and, more often than not, devoured by supernatural threats. Two of the episodes are based on H.P. Lovecraft’s stories; two more are del Toro originals. All of them are highly entertaining tales of horror with an amazing cast and production values that reflect del Toro’s signature dark fantasy sensibilities. 

While del Toro often serves more as a curator and executive producer than a hands-on writer or director, his signature blend of gothic terror, overwhelming beauty, and mythic despair runs throughout the eight stories told in “Cabinet of Curiosities.” In other words, the filmmaker’s name is not in the title just for show, and the viewer can put on any one of the show’s episodes and expect a dose of classic, yet innovative gothic horror entertainment.

Moody, ominous, and filled to the brim with ghosts, the titular building on “The Haunting of Hill House” is one of the most ominous and possessive haunted houses in the history of fiction. A more traditional spooky story than “Midnight Mass,” Mike Flanagan’s single best Netflix horror show is based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel and depicts the lives of five siblings whose fates are intertwined with the house they lived in when they were young. 

The show’s story unfolds across two different timelines, both of which influence each other and immediately make the viewer question whether the characters ever truly escaped Hill House and its hidden horrors. A slow but well-paced burn, “The Haunting of Hill House” relies on the strength of its writing and atmosphere, but when it’s time to raise the roof with the scares, the show is more than capable of delivering. The end result is one of the most effective, eerie series out there, elevated by a strong cast led by “Game of Thrones” alum Michiel Huisman and “Haunting” series mainstay Carla Gugino. 

Hill House has a ghost story for everyone, and the infamous Bent-Neck Lady alone counts as one of the most effective TV horror presences in recent memory. Multiple viewings are needed to catch every spooky secret the show has to offer, and TVLine has already compiled a handy guide to things to look out for on a “The Haunting of Hill House” rewatch.  

“Marianne” offers a clever spin on the familiar trope of fictional characters coming to life. The central problem is that said books are witch-themed horror novels by popular author Emma Larsimon (Victoire Du Bois), and the particular character causing havoc is the terrifying witch Marianne (Délia Espinat-Dief). But is Marianne a creation of Emma’s somehow brought to life, a deranged copycat, or something far older and more sinister that slipped into Emma’s stories instead of the other way around? As Emma’s fiction and Marianne’s legend intertwine in real time, the residents of a small French village find themselves at the mercy of gruesome supernatural possessions and worse.

Much of horror’s effectiveness depends on the setting and atmosphere, and the rural French environs of “Marianne” hit the jackpot on both fronts. Misty and hazy, and filled with ominous lighthouses and human-skin amulets, the show’s folk horror visual language perfectly complements its twisty, intense plot. For viewers who prefer their horror compact, intense, and distinctly European, “Marianne” is hard to beat.   

“Sherlock” masterminds Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat might not be the first names you’d expect to helm an adaptation of “Dracula,” but in 2020, that’s exactly what they did. Claes Bang of “The Affair” fame, on the other hand, is the exact kind of guy you’d want to play the infamous count. Combining Bela Lugosi’s suave interpretation with the amused, vicious detachment of an immortal predator, Bang delivers a vampire who feels far more corporeal and vulnerable than most versions of the character. This version of Dracula isn’t quite as powerful as many others, but that limitation makes him far more tangible. Whether he’s temporarily trapped or on the chase, he’s a terrifying physical threat instead of a vague force of evil. Sure, you can try to stake him in the heart, but good luck keeping your arms intact. 

The true allure of Netflix’s “Dracula” miniseries, however, is the way it dares to deviate from the classic story. Its three episodes explore different corners of Dracula lore — Transylvania, the voyage of the Demeter, and England — while taking radical liberties and repeatedly pitting the vampire against his greatest enemy and obsession: Agatha Van Helsing, and later her relative Zoe (both portrayed by Dolly Wells). The result is an irreverent, modernized, and strangely seductive take that pushes the classic horror story to genuinely unexpected places.