When horror lovers are looking for a good scare, most turn to movies — and there are many heart-pounding ones to choose from. They’ll have to sift through the lackluster projects to find the cinematic gems that actually are scary. And it can be even more arduous to find TV shows that fit that description. But for those who prefer long-form content, there are a few that stand out. They offer hours of viewing that achieve a level of depth movies aren’t capable of. They also feature scares on par with or better than many films.
While movies tend to do action-heavy horror and jump scares more effectively, TV masters the art of building suspense that leaves audiences on edge. Sometimes, they work in top-tier jump scares and visuals, too. No matter which type of horror they lean into, though, they’ll keep viewers up one way or another. These shows accomplish that better than most films, leaving audiences with lots to chew on.
Why You Should Trust Me: I’ve been writing about TV for 10 years and served as an editor for ScreenRant‘s TV team. I’ve watched a lot of shows over the course of my career, and I’m well-acquainted with what’s available across genres.
‘Midnight Mass’
Netflix’s Horror Series Handles Religious Horror Better Than Any Film
When done right, religious horror can be some of the scariest in the category — and few movies or shows do it better than Midnight Mass. Like any successful horror story centered on faith, Mike Flanagan’s Netflix hit takes something that should be pure and positive and twists it into a darker extreme.
That extremism and the tension surrounding it is top-notch, maintaining a steady sense of dread throughout. It may not outshine most horror movies in terms of visual scares, but it hits something much deeper. The fact that its characters’ behavior is so believable makes it even more terrifying, and its TV format allows it to fully dig into its core themes.
Watch This If: You’re looking for disturbing, thoughtful horror over gore and jump scares.
Skip This If: Religious horror isn’t your cup of tea, or you’re looking for something more visually exciting.
‘From’
The Monsters & Circumstances Make for a Terrifying Time
It’s hard to say what’s more disturbing about From, the circumstances that drive the series or the monsters that inhabit the town it’s set in. Both work together to deliver a genuinely scary mystery-box show that should be more popular than it currently is. From opens with a family stumbling upon a mysterious town — only to realize once they’re in, they can’t actually leave.
The feeling of being trapped is palpable, and the claustrophobia the characters experience lands. Additionally, the town is plagued by monsters that come out every night and use people’s loved ones to lure them in. In concept, that’s horrifying, and it lands in practice too. They’re as eerie as anything viewers can find in a feature film.
Watch This If: You enjoy horror with strong mystery-box elements.
Skip This If: Character work and slower pacing doesn’t work for you.
‘Yellowjackets’
Psychological Survival Terror With Some Genuinely Eerie Turns
Similar to Midnight Mass, Yellowjackets isn’t always terrifying on a surface level — though Season 1 has more than a couple of cabin scenes that kept me up at night. But the overarching themes of the series paint a scary picture of how far human beings will go to survive. And having multiple seasons allows the show to fully go there, depicting how thoroughly the teenagers trapped in the Wilderness lose their humanity as they’re forced to embrace cannibalism.
The future timeline unpacks the trauma, and it all goes much deeper than any film exploring similar themes. It’s more terrifying due to how convincing it is, and the mysterious spiritual elements (which may or may not be real) do infuse Yellowjackets with a layer of horror beyond its premise. Some of the imagery, like the Man With No Eyes, is easy to envision in a horror film.
Watch This If: A survival story with unlikable female characters sounds up your alley.
Skip This If: Cannibalism and body horror are things you simply can’t stomach.
‘The Haunting of Hill House’
The Netflix Show Pushes You to Use Your Imagination
Another Mike Flanagan series that tops any horror movie is The Haunting of Hill House — and it surpasses most of them in both emotional depth and scares. The show centers on a mysterious house that the main characters flee during their childhoods, and the suggestion of what’s lurking there is often more ominous than what’s actually happening on-screen.
The Haunting of Hill House uses its ghostly appearances and jump scares well when they do appear, though. It has one of the greatest jump scares in horror history with a certain car scene, and there are a few other disturbing images burned into my brain after watching it. This show knows how to balance the fear viewers conjure up in their minds with actual terrors, and that’s something too many horror movies aren’t effective at.
Watch This If: Haunted house stories are a draw, and you like horror that unpacks deeper themes.
Skip This If: You’re a stickler for sticking to the source material, or you want more fast-paced scares.
‘The Terror’
Unsettling Backdrops and Supernatural Threats Complement Human Horrors
A horror anthology influenced by historical tragedies, The Terror is an underrated horror gem — and like many other titles on this list, it delivers its disturbing terrors well without leaning into gore and jump scares. There is a supernatural component to The Terror, and combined with the unsettling backdrops each season drops viewers into, it makes for a hair-raising experience. This is another one where the dread and promise of what’s to come will prove more striking than anything on-screen.
There’s a human element to The Terror‘s horror, too, as there’s psychological fear and the harsh reality of what people are capable of. It’s a lot to contend with and will leave viewers thinking long after they’ve binged it. It’s a worthy addition to the genre that will keep viewers up for different reasons than most horror.
Watch This If: The blend of historical fiction and horror sounds intriguing.
Skip This If: You’re looking for fast-paced thrills and jump scares.
‘Black Mirror’
Sci-Fi or Horror, This Show Often Feels Far Too Possible
Black Mirror can be categorized as sci-fi, horror, or some combination of the two. The reality is that the series features more terrifying concepts than most horror movies can come up with — and the realism behind them makes it more harrowing. The anthology series unpacks the haunting possibilities of technological advancement. It tells many different stories across its seven seasons, and some work better than others.
The reliable thread is that they all feature chilling consequences of technology or the darker side of human nature. And many of the scenarios explored don’t feel that far off from reality. Black Mirror leaves a strong impression in that regard, making it more haunting than most genuine hauntings at times.
Watch This If: Conversations about the benefits and weaknesses of technology intrigue you.
Skip This If: You prefer an overarching narrative or something more easily categorized as horror.
‘Channel Zero’
The Anthology’s Imagery Will Stick With Viewers
Another anthology series, Channel Zero digs into new “creepypasta” urban legends in each of its four seasons. The Syfy series features disturbing imagery throughout, with characters and creatures that are likely to haunt viewers’ nightmares. It’s one of the more visually scary horror shows, even if it doesn’t have an abundance of jump scares throughout.
On top of the imagery, Channel Zero benefits from a steady build-up of dread that typically unravels some underlying, heavier topic. It speaks to real-world fears, and its seasons are tense and atmospheric. It’s not fast in terms of pacing or perfect in its execution, but there’s a lot to appreciate nonetheless. Its visuals, in particular, stand out even among most horror movies.
Watch This If: You don’t mind a slower setup and enjoy scary imagery and themes.
Skip This If: Fast-paced and punchy is your preferred brand of horror.
‘Marianne’
A Terrifying Experience on Multiple Levels
French horror series Marianne is criminally underrated, delivering horror on multiple fronts. Following a horror writer back to her hometown, where she discovers an entity haunting her dreams is all too real, Marianne features both supernatural and psychological scares. The story itself is deeply unnerving, and Mireille Herbstmeyer’s performance as the titular being’s host takes that to new heights.
It’s the perfect watch for fans of witchy horror movies, and it works in plenty of disturbing imagery and a few jump scares throughout. It fires on all cylinders in that regard, which is more than most other horror films and shows can claim. Some of Marianne‘s scenes are genuinely the scariest and most memorable I’ve ever watched. That’s high praise, and the series more than earns it.
Watch This If: You like a little bit of everything in your horror, and you’re especially fond of possession stories and witches.
Skip This If: You’re looking for a very specific type of horror (that isn’t the above).
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
