Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year, especially by lovers of the macabre. And if there are those who love to celebrate this anniversary with costumes, exclusive parties or group outings, there are also those who prefer to spend the evening of October 31st in front of the TV. And if you still don’t know what to watch, here is a choice of the best horror series in streaming and where to see them.
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix) – 1 season
The Fall of the House of Usher is the perfect series to watch on Halloween: a very intelligent horror created by Mike Flanagan. This diabolical horror series is inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and tells a story made not only of fear but also of many reflections. The ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have made Fortunato Pharmaceuticals an empire of wealth, privilege and power, but when the heirs of the dynasty begin to die at the hands of a mysterious woman they met in their youth, the secrets of the past come to light. The Fall of the House of Usher tackles several themes from madness to isolation, from identity crisis to family.
The Fall of the House of Usher review
Netflix link
The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix) – 1 season
A petrifying horror from the same creator as The Fall of the House of Usher and a modern retelling of Shirley Jackson’s legendary novel “The Haunting of Hill House.” The story is that of five brothers who grew up in America’s most notorious haunted house. Now adults, they reunite due to the suicide of their younger sister which forces them to finally face the ghosts of their past. Some are only imaginary, but it’s possible that others lurk right in the dark corners of the iconic Hill House.
Netflix link
Midnight Mass (Netflix) – 1 season
Also by Mike Flanagan is the horror series Midnight Mass, about the story of a small community on a remote island whose differences are amplified by the return of a disgraced young man (Zach Gilford) and the arrival of a charismatic priest (Hamish Linklater ). When the appearance of Father Paul on Crockett Island coincides with inexplicable and seemingly miraculous events, a renewed religious fervor captures the entire community, but what will be the price to pay?
Netflix link
Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix) – 1 season
Let’s move on to a horror genre gem available on Netflix: Cabinet of Curiosities by Guillermo del Toro. The acclaimed Oscar-winning director is the creator, executive producer and co-showrunner of this spine-tingling anthology series. It is a collection of eight short stories, which can also be viewed individually, which range from macabre, magical, gothic, grotesque and traditionally disturbing are equally sophisticated and sinister (including two original subjects by del Toro) and are brought to life by a team of screenwriters and directors personally chosen by him.
The review of Cabinet of Curiosities
The best episodes of Cabinet of Curiosities
Netflix link
Ratched (Netflix) – 1 season
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the names behind masterpieces such as Dahmer, The Watcher, The Story of the Menendez Brothers, are also the authors of Ratched, the series that tells the story of Mildred Ratched, a nurse who arrives in Northern California in 1947 with the hope of being able to work in a prestigious psychiatric hospital where new and disturbing experiments on the human mind are carried out. Mildred has a secret mission to complete and presents herself as the perfect picture of a passionate nurse. But then the situation changes and, as she infiltrates the people involved in the mental health system, her apparent elegance begins to hide a dark nature that has been growing inside her for some time, proving that monsters are not born, but you become. Ratched is inspired by Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Netflix link
Marianne (Netflix) – 1 season
If you are looking for a horror series that will make your skin crawl on Netflix there is Marianne, a spine-chilling French series. The plot revolves around a horror novel writer who takes a break from work and suddenly discovers that the demon she described in her book really exists. This evil spirit, called Marianne, lures her home and threatens her to keep writing.
Netflix link
The Watcher (Netflix) – 1 season
A horror thriller that will literally keep you glued to the screen. The minds behind this series are Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, creators of hits like Dahmer, The Menendez Brothers, Ratched and much more. Dean (Bobby Cannavale) and Nora Brannock (Naomi Watts) have just purchased their dream home in the idyllic residential area of Westfield in New Jersey, but after investing all their savings to close the deal they soon realize that the neighborhood not welcoming at all. But it doesn’t end there because the Brennans’ life quickly turns into a real hell when threatening letters start arriving from someone who calls himself “The Watcher” and scares the Brannocks to death, while the sinister secrets of neighborhood come to the surface. This series is inspired by a true story.
The Watcher review
Netflix link
American Horror Story (Disney+) – 12 seasons
The name of Ryan Murphy returns and signs one of the most iconic horror series of recent years: American Horror Story. Consisting of 12 seasons, each with a different plot, cast and stories, this series is a true legend of the horror genre which boasts 16 Emmys and two Golden Globes. A thrilling series that saw some of the best actors in the cinema and serial scene acting as protagonists from Zachary Quinto to Lady Gaga, from Evan Peters to Angela Bassett up to Emma Roberts.
Disney+ link
American Horror Stories (Disney+) – 3 seasons
A horror anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk that serves as a spinoff of American Horror Story. Consisting of fifteen thrilling stories, set in the American Horror Story universe, this series maintains Murphy’s iconic style and is ready to glue you to the screen and conquer you with charm and fear.
Disney+ link
The Strain (Disney+) – 4 seasons
With The Strain we go back in time to 2014 and return to the world of Guillermo del Toro who wrote this series together with Chuck Hogan. The story is based on the Nocturna trilogy of books written by del Toro and Hogan and tells of a plane that lands in New York with the lights turned off and the doors sealed. There are 206 dead on board and only 4 people survived. A disturbing situation that worsens when the bodies of the deceased begin to disappear from the morgues. What will be behind all this?
Disney+ link
Them – Them (Prime Video) – 2 seasons
An anthology TV series… but not too much, because in the end the theme is always a disturbing mix of real and supernatural threats. In the first season, set in the 1950s, we see a black family who goes to live in a white neighborhood and has to face the racism of their neighbors and mysterious forces. The same forces that act in the second season, set in the 90s and starring an LAPD police detective who, as a woman and African American, has to work three times harder to assert herself.
The review of Loro 2
The Devil’s Hour (Prime Video) – 2 seasons
Another unconventional series, from every point of view. Without giving spoilers to those who have not seen the first season, The Devil’s Hour is a series starring a woman who wakes up every night at 3.33 in the throes of nightmares, who has deja-vu and memories of a life she has never lived, a mother with dementia issues who seems to speak to ghosts and a son who seems to have no emotions. But there is an explanation for all this…
The Devil’s Hour review
The Devil’s Hour 2 review
Swarm – Swarm (Prime Video) – miniseries 1 season
In this miniseries the literal meaning of “to be ready for anything for someone” is brought to the fore. The protagonist is Dre, a girl obsessed with a singer who resembles Beyoncé, and for whom Dre is calmly ready to kill anyone who even questions her divinity status.
Sciame’s review
The Changeling (Apple TV+) – 1 season
TV series not recommended for anyone about to have a baby. Yes, because The Changeling begins with the romantic love story between Apollo and Emma, but the fruit of their love, Brian, will throw them into a desperate, unacceptable and perhaps impossible situation. But a parent’s love knows no surrender.
The Changeling review
Apple TV+ link
Servant (Apple TV+) – complete series 4 seasons
Speaking of children, if the topic terrifies you, forget about Servant, the TV series produced by the master of thrills M. Night Shyamalan for Apple TV+. Without spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it yet, Servant tells the story of a couple who tragically lose a child in four seasons, all available, and, to help the mother overcome the trauma, buys a doll to replace him. But when a young nanny arrives, that doll once again becomes the dead son.
The Servant 4 review
Apple TV+ link