If you’re like me and just powered through all 8 episodes of “Stranger Things” in roughly two days, you’re probably looking for another creep-tastic show to remind you why you’re scared of things that go bump in the night. As a self proclaimed horror fanatic and the type of person who actually enjoys watching things that freak me out, here’s my top ten list of bingable scary shows for the sedentary thrill seeker in us all.
1. Stranger Things
If you haven’t watched the new Netflix original series “Stranger Things”, stop what you’re doing and enjoy. This show has everything: stereotypical 80s setting (replete with a deliciously vintage soundtrack), shaky pseudoscience, and enough evasion of explanation to keep the story interesting. Every episode ends on a cliff hanger that will make you click “Next Episode” every time.
2. American Horror Story
I have and always will be an avid AHS fan, especially since the first four seasons are on Netflix! If you haven’t seen AHS, it’s an anthology series, so each season has a different theme, plotline, and characters, though the incredibly talented cast stays the same. I would definitely recommend starting with season 1, Murder House, and going from there! It definitely amps up the gore factor, so if you have a weak stomach give this rec a pass.
3. Twin Peaks
An awesome surreal crime drama, twin peaks focuses on the investigation surrounding the murder of a teenage girl and the strange things that happen in the town she’s from. It has a wonderful retro feel (definitely due to the fact that it was filmed in the 90s) and a total must watch.
4. The Twilight Zone
This is legitimately one of my favorite shows on this list. It’s a television anthology series, so each episode is self-contained and they often focus on a range of genres, from psychological thrillers to the supernatural. It’s really fun to watch and will definitely up the creepy factor.
5. Supernatural
Supernatural has such a strong fan base online it’s impossible to miss some of the hilarious memes. While delving into 9 seasons is a commitment, the character development of Sam and Dean and gripping storylines definitely keep it from getting monotonous. This show is also heavy on all things mythic, magic, and ghostly, and it’s definitely the show for anyone who likes urban legends on believes in the fantastic.
6. Bates Motel
This show focuses on the childhood of Norman Bates, the antagonist from Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Psycho. Bates’ unsettling relationship with his mother, the hostility of the surrounding town, and his own psychological development all contribute to the creepy aura and it’s really well done.
7. The X Files
This is basically the original sci fi thriller show and all 9 original seasons are on Netflix! Two FBI agents and conspiracy theorists investigate all things weird, paranormal, and outlandish in an effort to prove that “the truth is out there”. Definitely worth the watch!
8. Hemlock Grove
Another Netflix original series, Hemlock Grove focuses on a small town, the secrets inside of it, and a lot of murders. It’s also produced by horror mastermind Eli Roth, so it’s gory, but really well done and intriguing.
9. Criminal Minds
To me, Criminal Minds is actually one of the scariest ones on this list, simply because it doesn’t involve any supernatural elements at all. It focuses on a team of FBI profilers who hunt serial killers, and it’s absolutely riveting. After 9 seasons, the crimes are almost less important than the team’s dynamic and relationship—you’ll definitely feel like one of the family.
10. Alphas
Probably one of the lesser-known shows on the list, “Alphas” ran for two glorious seasons on Scy-Fi. It centers on a team of humans with super natural abilities, fighting other humans with super natural abilities that reach just barely beyond the range of normalcy, like an ability to harness an adrenaline rush for super strength or the human equivalent of a Rosetta stone. It’s gripping, interesting, and totally makes me wish I had special powers too.
