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WE DON’T ALWAYS come looking for a horror show because we want to be scared. A lot of the time that’s part of it, without question, but someone coming for horror on their TV is coming for the same reason they'd come to a horror book, movie, video game, or even podcast—it’s because it’s the easiest, quickest genre to be sure you’re going to have a real emotional reaction. Even when you’re watching something that’s not particularly good, a solid jump scare, or a strange, disturbing moment, can pull your attention in a way that hardly anything else in art, media, or literature can.
When that kind of horror comes in the form of a television show—whether it’s a limited series or a program that spent more than a decade on the air—it’s a way that we can keep that same feeling going for a prolonged period of time. Luckily, horror is not one-size-fits-all. Are you into spooky, weird, borderline sci-fi mysteries, usually wrapped up in the course of (less than) an hour or so? Then you're probably an X-Files person. What about a surreal, dreamlike, freaky, long-running murder mystery filled with twists, diversions, and characters you won’t ever forget? That’s the Twin Peaks pitch. Some people want emotion and deeper meaning with their horror: they can go for the Mike Flanagan Netflix shows. Others just want camp—thats where American Horror Story comes in.
There’s a lot of different flavors of horror; you may like some, you may like none, and you may like all! It’s hard to say. What’s not hard to say, though, is that horror is thriving—even legendary genre characters like Jason Voorhees (in Peacock and A24’s Crystal Lake) and Michael Myers (in the upcoming Miramax-produced series) will soon make their small-screen debut. There’s a past in horror TV, for sure, but there’s also a future.
In this story, though, we’re not going to look too far to the future. We’re going to stay right here in the present, and break down the best horror shows that you can watch when you want to feel something—spooky, disturbing, ridiculous, whatever.
They’re all right here. These are Men’s Health’s 43 favorite horror shows of all time.
Scream Queens (2015-2016)
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Ryan Murphy and his team of collaborators have done a lot on TV during their now decades-long reign of power and popularity. But it’s hard to think of a project he’s done that’s been more fun than Scream Queens, which aired for a pair of seasons back in the mid-2010s. A campy whodunit that doubles as a tribute to the slasher movies horror fans love, Scream Queens had a stacked cast—including Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Keke Palmer, a young Glen Powell, and brief appearances from the likes of Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas—and was just a whole lot of campy fun for any fan of the genre (well, the first season at least. The second season does feature John Stamos, though.) –Evan Romano
American Horror Story (2011-)
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American Horror Story may just be Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s most famous endeavor. The long-running anthology series features a rotating troupe of actors in strange and unbelievable tales (trying to explain a season’s premise is like describing a fever dream). Scary isn’t the best descriptor for the show; it’s more campy and disturbing, filled with sex, serial killers, and surprising supernatural phenomena. Seasons tend to be hit or miss–the second half of each season often features plot twists that can make or break the story–but the impact of the show transcends its wavering quality. It’s without question one of the most prominent horror anthology shows in recent memory. –Milan Polk
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Hannibal (2013-2015)
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While many think of Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal when they imagine Thomas Harris' iconic (fictional) killer Hannibal Lecter, Mads Mikkelsen completely reimagines the infamous shrink/cannibal in this NBC show. Hugh Dancy stars alongside Mikkelsen as FBI agent Will Graham, and the two play an unforgettable game of cat and mouse. We see Hannibal pre-capture as a manipulative psychologist hiding deadly secrets, and Graham as a shockingly smart agent who struggles with his mental health…and relies on Dr. Lecter to stay level-headed. The series features some of the most gruesome scenes to ever air on primetime televisi0on, and it’s one of the most engaging crime thrillers of all time. Now we're just waiting for a reboot season. –MP
The X-Files (1993-2002)
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Love cop shows but tired of the same old format? You’ll get a breath of fresh air with The X-Files. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson shine as investigators Mulder and Scully, who look into every weird and inexplicable case the FBI has already tried its best to ignore. One agent is a full-blown conspiracy theorist, while the other is a major skeptic. But as the series progresses, it gets harder to explain away the strange happenings, and the agents even develop feelings for one another. In a time when most shows these days have 10 episodes or less per season, The X-Files is a worthy (and lenghty) binge. –MP
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Stranger Things (2016-)
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It may be hard to remember, but Stranger Things was not always the mammoth hit that it’s become during its run on Netflix. The series—taking clear influence from the likes of ‘80s horror, the novels of Stephen King, and more—has perhaps become the streaming giant’s flagship hit series, but it built that audience organically; people forget that the words "Stranger Things" didn’t particularly mean anything before the show debuted in 2016. And while it’s sometimes easy to poke fun (and holes) in pieces of pop culture that get so utterly huge… it’s hard to do that with Stranger Things, because it’s just so well done. Yes, the show owes a lot to its influences from the ‘80s, but with stellar visuals, a cast that have all rightfully blown up, and some serious, genuine horror monsters and scares, it’s simply one of the best horror series ever made. We’ll see if the forthcoming final season will manage to stick the landing, but to this point we’ve got very few actual complaints. – ER
Evil (2019- 2024)
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Paramount+’s supernatural thriller Evil is a show that mines its terror by exploring binaries. Church and state, possessed and insane, dead and living are only a few topics explored by forensic psychologist Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) and prospective Catholic priest David Acosta (Mike Colter), only to come out with terrifying results. The most unsettling parts of Evil are how serial killers and cannibals are hiding in plain sight and even become characters you care for before their true evil intentions are revealed. If you want your heart and expectations twisted on an episode-by-episode basis, pop this show on. – Keith Nelson
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Black Mirror (2011–)
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There’s a hypothetical question I like to ask sometimes: “If you could have unlimited episodes of any show, which would you pick?” While I’ve gotten a lot of answers to this question through the years, my own has always remained the same: Black Mirror. The show, which originated on the BBC before moving to Netflix, has been mining for fear in our modern technological landscape for more than a decade, and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. And with the show’s format—each episode stands alone and tells its own sometimes-grounded, sometimes not, always biting story—it’s easy for co-creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones to pull in major stars like Jon Hamm, Anthony Mackie, Jesse Plemons, Salma Hayek, and many, many more. We’ll keep watching this one for as long as they want to keep making it. – ER
Yellowjackets (2021–)
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If you were a fan of shows like Lost but want a little more morbid horror and, at times, absurdism, with your mystery, then look no further than Showtime’s Yellowjackets. With perhaps the most compelling pilot episode in years, Yellowjackets immediately draws viewers in with its daring dual-timeline story of a New Jersey soccer team whose airplane crashes in the middle of the woods somewhere and how they manage to make due…and a 25-years-later reckoning of the (surviving) girls in the aftermath of something horrible. The cast is exceptional—with star performances from Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress, Courtney Eaton, Jasmin Savoy-Brown, and Ella Purnell, among others—and the show will shock, startle, and engage you in all the best ways. –ER
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The Last of Us (2023–)
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Not only a great horror show, not only a great zombie show (kind of), and not only a great video game adaptation, The Last of Us is just straight up one of the best shows to hit the TV airwaves in recent years. Stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey bring the roles of the original The Last of Us video game to life in a series that’s far more about the humans who have been left behind than the monsters who have been transformed following a deadly outbreak. The show has only had one season so far—so if you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, it’s an easy binge to get caught up in time for Season 2. –ER
Servant (2019-2023)
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With M. Night Shyamalan at the helm as showrunner, Apple TV+’s psychological thriller Servant was destined to push the TV show format to its most nightmarish limits. Bereaved mother Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose) is coping with her mental breakdown over the loss of her thirteen-week-old son, Jericho, by treating a doll as his replacement, and this opens the door for one level of creepy attachment issues. Once Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free) comes in as the nanny for Dorothy and her husband Sean Turner (Toby Kebbell), all bets are off. Servant, at a certan point, elevates to one of the best Apple TV+ shows out in the world. –KN
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Twin Peaks (1990–1991; 1992; 2017)
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In the last decade, murder mystery anthology/limited shows have seen a huge boom: starting with True Detective and including things like Mare of Easttown, Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects, and The Outsider, we’ve seen a ton of these shows hit big. But they all forever live in the shadows of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s iconic, surreal, dreamlike (and nightmare-like!) murder mystery series, Twin Peaks. The show (which itself returned for a lengthy and brilliant sequel series, Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017) is truly singular, with moments that will make you laugh, moments that will thrill you, and moments that are so strangely disturbing that they may just be seared into your brain for eternity. And Kyle MacLachlan’s Special Agent Dale Cooper is one of the greatest lead characters in TV history.
Anyone who likes TV (and doesn’t have a weak stomach) should watch Twin Peaks at least once. —ER
Monsterland (2020)
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Monsterland only lasted for one season back in 2020, but imagine a Black Mirror-esque show that spans the country looking for standalone, monster-focused horror stories with messages and metaphors. Of course, it's an anthology show; some episodes are better than others. But most of them are well worth the time you drop in, and provide some more than decent scares and stories. —ER
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
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Don’t let the humor of the “Scooby Gang” fool you; Sarah Michelle Gellar was fighting for her life as Buffy Summers on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Buffy has to battle with creatures who steal the voices of the people in town while collecting human hearts, and that’s just one episode. The inventive mix of humor, horror, and romance endeared Buffy to generations of viewers, while also providing weekly frightfests they’ve probably returned to in the past. –KN
Twilight Zone (1954–1964; 1985-1989; etc)
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The anthology series to trump all others, The Twilight Zone first began in 1959. And along with various short-lived reboots and two films, the original five-season run is still worth watching. Episodes take on various genres (sci-fi, fantasy, black comedy, etc) and explore horrors existential, supernatural, and physical. You never know what you’re about to watch. Two astronauts travel to a new world, where one becomes a god to the people there. A couple discovers a stolen camera and takes pictures of the future. A woman realizes the floor of a department store she visited doesn’t actually exist. With award-winning writers and famed guest stars, shows like Black Mirror and Goosebumps have The Twilight Zone to thank for their success. –MP
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Supernatural (2005–2020)
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One of the most well-known shows at The CW’s arguable peak, Supernatural follows two monster-hunting brothers determined, no matter what, to rid the world of evil. The series ended in 2020 after 15 seasons, and while it could veer into fan service and silliness at times, Supernatural (much like its spiritual ancestor Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is a strong entry in the teen/young adult drama canon. With spooky and mysterious monsters mixed with melodramatic storylines, the series is an entertaining show throughout its long run. –MP
Goosebumps (1995–1998)
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With a (very solid) show of the same name now airing on Disney+ and Hulu, it’s the perfect time to give the original Goosebumps television adaptation its props. Ripped from the pages of R.L. Stine’s irreplaceable book series, Goosebumps aired from 1996 to 1998, but lived on in reruns to scare an entire new generation of kids in the 2000s. With a catchy theme song, spooky animatronics, and thrilling tales, Goosebumps served as the perfect introduction to both horror books and TV shows for kids. –MP
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Sweet Home (2020–)
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With the popularity of Squid Game, Korean television is finally getting its due among Western audiences, with Netflix spearheading distribution. Sweet Home follows a young man who moves into a new apartment. But just as he’s getting settled in, chaos reigns and monsters are unleashed upon the world. Along with his neighbors, he settles into the apartment building and tries to survive. While the series only has one season out so far, Netflix reportedly renewed it for Season 2 and 3. If that’s not a promising early sign, we’re not sure what is. –MP
All of Us Are Dead (2022–)
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All of Us Are Dead is what would happen if Lord of the Flies was set in a school wrecked by a mysterious outbreak of a zombie virus that turns people into flesh-eating monsters. The South Korean television series never lets you relax for a second, as you’re either hit with a wave of carnivorous zombies in the blink of an eye, or deep in the midst of a suspenseful life-or-death decision that these students must make that none of them are old enough to be prepared for. Your next Netflix and Chill session could have you watching this show through the slits of your fingers because, at any moment, terror can strike. –KN
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Interview with the Vampire (2022–)
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We all know the film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire starring Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, and Tom Cruise (plus a young Kirsten Dunst). But AMC’s Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, a reimagined version of the same book series, manages to explore far more than the film did at the time. Through two great seasons (and with the help of charismatic star Jacob Anderson!) the series has already proven to be something great, and in our opinion, is already one of the best vampire shows out there. –MP
From (2022 - )
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Fans of Lost who love their puzzle box mystery but want it just a bit spookier are in for a treat with From (and Lost star Harold Perrineau plays the lead role, for a little bit of an added bonus). From is about a mysterious town where anyone can enter—but no one can leave. The town's residents want to find a way out, but need to figure out how to survive (and fight off some horrifying monsters) first. —ER