Netflix's catalog of horror TV shows is excellent, and with fall setting in, now is the perfect time to binge-watch some of the streamer's best offerings in the genre. The best horror TV shows have the ability to capture their audiences, creating both fear and a story so gripping that viewers won't want to look away.
Netflix's horror offerings can be incredibly dark, but the streamer also balances that with shows that incorporate comedy and coming-of-age stories. While there are a lot of great Netflix shows to binge in every genre, Netflix's horror options stand out, and their variety means there is something for every viewer.
Brand New Cherry Flavor
Rosa Salazar and Catherine Keener at a party in Brand New Cherry Flavor
Brand New Cherry Flavor is a unique series, even among Netflix's other horror shows. It is best described as strange and surreal (in the best way possible), and it will keep audiences hooked and shocked throughout its eight-episode run.
The series takes place in Hollywood in the 1990s, and it follows an aspiring director, Lisa Nova. Though Lisa has a promising talent in horror films, the show quickly highlights the dark side of the entertainment industry that sees her cast out and searching for revenge.
Brand New Cherry Flavor incorporates elements of body horror, witchy curses, and disturbing twists. As Lisa goes further down the path of revenge, the very strange consequences of her actions follow suit. The Netflix series is difficult to fully define, but its creativity is memorable and will leave even the biggest horror fans shocked.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities works equally well as a binge-watch and as a treat to be spread over multiple days thanks to its anthology format. Each episode focuses on a different story, with some being original works by del Toro and some coming from older stories by authors like H.P. Lovecraft.
The variation in writers and directors ensures that each episode of Cabinet of Curiosities is unique. The stories will resonate differently with each viewer, but each episode is strong on its own. The show has everything from witches, to rats, to disturbing creatures, giving every horror fan something to enjoy.
While the stories themselves are already captivating, Cabinet of Curiosities is also aided by its mix of familiar actors. The anthology format allows the show to include cast members like Ben Barnes, Rupert Grint, Andrew Lincoln, F. Murray Abraham, and many others in their own impressive individual segments.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – Sabrina lighting a match with Satan behind her
Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a great option for fans of horror shows who also love teen TV. The series is reminiscent of shows like The Vampire Diaries and Riverdale (the latter of which it shares a universe with), but it also includes significantly more horror elements.
The series serves as an adaptation of the comics of the same name and is different in tone to the 1990s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The newer series sees Sabrina delve further into the darker elements of her witchy identity, dealing with demons and the devil.
At the same time, the series does still include some of the same crucial coming of age and friendship elements that are necessary for teen shows. While it may not be Netflix's scariest series ever, it is great for viewers getting into the horror genre or who simply want to watch something fun that's hard to look away from.
All Of Us Are Dead
Like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, All of Us Are Dead is another teen-centric horror series — but beyond their young adult characters, the two shows are completely different. The South Korean horror series centers on a zombie outbreak where students are forced to fight for survival in their journey to safety.
Like other great zombie shows and movies, All of Us Are Dead shows a rapid, gory zombie outbreak and the gruesome struggle to stay alive while its teenage characters also deal with issues in their relationships. The show is great for horror fans who want a new take on the iconic monsters that have long plagued the genre.
Dracula
Netflix Dracula 2020 the Count at the stairs
The 2020 BBC miniseries Dracula, created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, reframes the classic horror story that most audiences are familiar with. Each episode explores elements of Bram Stoker's original novel, but they are updated in an intriguing and unexpected manner.
The series begins with Jonathan Harker recounting his experience of meeting Dracula and discovering his secret while recovering from the horror in a convent. Like the novel, the second episode includes Dracula's voyage to England on the Demeter, and the third centers on his time in England.
In this way, the series follows the basic outline of the book and includes many of the same characters, but it is also a refreshing take. With just three episodes, each around an hour and a half, Dracula is easy to finish in an evening or two, and the show's significant but fitting differences will make it feel original even to the fiercest Stoker fans.
Midnight Mass
Hamish Linklater in Midnight Mass with congregation
The reputation of Mike Flanagan's Netlfix horror shows speaks for itself. They are easily among the best in the genre, and each showcases the director's unique mastery of balancing horrifying scares and emotionally devastating themes. 2021's Midnight Mass is easily one of his best works.
The miniseries builds slowly from its introduction of Riley Flynn leaving prison to return home to Crockett Island. Midnight Mass immediately sets up its themes of grief, belief, and love, highlighting how the past can haunt just as much as any monster. With that being said, Midnight Mass has a great monster, too.
After building the suspense through inexplicable and disturbing events across the small community, Midnight Mass unleashes its true horror in the second half of the season. It is expertly paced to build tension as it progresses, and once audiences start watching Midnight Mass, it is almost impossible to stop.
Santa Clarita Diet
Nathan Fillion as a severed head in Santa Clarita Diet
Netflix has some great pure horror shows that will have audiences stealing glances through their fingers during terrifying moments, but it also has great comedy as well. Santa Clarita Diet is the definitive example of a great horror-comedy show, and it perfectly balances out some of Netflix's darker options.
Santa Clarita Diet is set up like a sitcom, with the Hammonds going about their normal lives as real estate agents, but Sheila's zombie transformation throws a wrench in their normality. Despite having gory moments, the series isn't overly scary, but most importantly, it is always entertaining.
Archive 81
archive 81 canceled 2022
Archive 81 is a hidden gem in Netflix's horror catalog that never got the attention it deserved. The series is dark and twisty, and each episode reveals a shocking new discovery that has ramifications across the show's two timelines. Based on the podcast of the same name, Archive 81 is a dark, surreal trip that supernatural horror fans will love.
The series is split between two timelines, Dan Turner in the present and Melody Pendras in 1994. Dan is hired to restore footage from Melody's doctoral project about a storied apartment building, though naturally, things in both times are far more complicated than they seem.
The Haunting of Hill House
Nell looking pale in The Haunting of Hill House
If there is one horror series that is almost synonymous with Netflix's offerings in the genre, it is The Haunting of Hill House. Mike Flanagan's first horror series for the streamer has remained his best, and some have even argued that The Haunting of Hill House is Netflix's best horror show ever.
The series takes inspiration from Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name, but it differs extensively from its source material. The Haunting of HIll House centers on the Crain family in the past and present as they attempt to grapple with the trauma of living in a haunted house as children.
The series alternatively depicts the skepticism of some family members and the overtly ghostly experiences of the family as children, highlighting how the past has remained with them throughout the decades. Like Flanagan's other work, The Haunting of Hill House has its devastating moments that are matched by some of the director's best scares ever.
Camille looking at something in Marianne
While The Haunting of Hill House often gets the credit as Netflix's best horror series, the French show Marianne is arguably even darker and more horrifying. Marianne even has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating, proving that it deserves far more attention than it gets.
The series centers on a horror writer named Emma, who is convinced to return to her hometown after an old friend informs her that her mother is the witch that Emma's novels are about. It quickly becomes clear that Emma's horrifying creations are not so fictional after all, leading to one of the most disturbing horror villains of recent years.
The titular witch is nothing to be scoffed at, and even the most seasoned horror veterans will likely be disturbed by the graphic series. Despite the gruesome visuals, though, Netflix's Marianne is so good that audiences will want to watch it all at once.
