Sommereigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
Is it just me or is there a new television series debuting every week? I can’t keep up folks! It’s gotten so bad I’ve actually created a list of shows I need to check out so that I don’t forget their names.
With dozens of streaming services out there and even cable television stepping up their game you wouldn’t be at fault if a great new show was out doing its thing and you missed it. No worries though as I might be a bit behind on my sci-fi and superhero series (I still haven’t finished Obi-Wan, Halo or even started on Ms. Marvel). But when it comes to horror, you know I’m all over it!
With a promise to keep things Spoiler-Free, here are my picks for the Top 10 Horror Television Shows You Might’ve Missed. Why ten and not my usual five? Because there’s way too many good ones to leave off this list.
#10 Wellington Paranormal (HBO Max)
From the brilliant minds of Jermaine Clement and Paul Yates, Wellington Paranormal is a spin-off of Clement and Taika Waititi’s What We Do In The Shadows movie. Following the police officers from the film, Officer Kyle Minogue and Officer O’Leary, the series which is comedic in nature and set in New Zealand centers around cases where these two well-meaning simpletons have to deal with ghosts, werewolves, possessed people and the like, all while trying to uphold the law.
Because they take these extraordinary situations and play them straight (the series is shot in the style of Cops with a camera crew following them around and interviewing them about their cases) it adds to the hilarity and ridiculousness of it all. Sadly the show has ended with its current fourth season, but that just makes it easier to catch up with the shenanigans of Wellington Paranormal.
#9 Slasher (Shudder <previously on Netflix USA>)
Debuting around the same time as the Scream series, as well as Dead of Summer and Stranger Things, it’s easy to see why this one got lost in the pack. But Slasher was tailor-made for fans of the genre it was named after.
Each season focuses on a different town, different people and a different killer, each with the whodunit mystery at its core. I’ll admit the first season isn’t that strong but it does get better, and each season having a new killer and a new story to tell is what makes Slasher worth watching. Not to mention each killer has their own unique look which is a nod to icons like Jason, Freddy and Michael. The kills are bloody and gorgeously gruesome (that’s the horror fan in me, I’m all about peace and love IRL) and the mystery of who the killer could be, with the exception of the first season, is always a tricky one to figure out. So if you’re a fan of slasher horror, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
#8 30 Coins (HBO)
This is one of those series you’ll have to see to believe. A happy accident for me, I came across this one while skimming the internet for something new to watch and after just one episode I was hooked!
Centered around the 30 pieces of silver given to Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus, this Spanish language mystery horror is tailor-made for fans of creepy creatures, weird paranormal phenomena and, of course, possessions. The awesome thing about foreign language series is they don’t hold back. And with Paul Giamatti jumping on board for the upcoming second season, now is the perfect time to check out this series that pits a handful of good people against an international sect of evil priests and a ton of demons that want to destroy the world as we know it.
#7 Chucky (Syfy and USA Network)
I honestly didn’t think this would work as well as it did, but as a fan of the Child’s Play movies I’m happy it did.
Bringing the movie to the small screen and yet somehow still managing to make the stakes higher and the characters feel larger than life Don Mancini, the mind behind the killer doll, is the series creator here as well. Mancini’s love of his iconic character Chucky is on full display throughout and he smartly brought all the elements that worked in the entire franchise, including Jennifer Tilly as Chucky’s other half Tiffany, Alex Vincent is back as a grown up Andy Barclay (Child’s Play 1 & 2), Fiona Dourif as Nica from the most recent films Curse and Cult of Chucky, as well as the man or should I say the voice himself, Brad Dourif as Charles Lee Ray/Chucky. The newer characters, however, do take a minute to grow on you.
As crazy as things get in this first season, I think it all works and I for one can’t wait to see where this pint-sized serial killing doll will take us next.
#6 Creepshow (Shudder)
Based on the movie anthology of the same name (the series is actually a direct sequel to the first Creepshow movie while ignoring the sequels), this series maintains the same format as the films with two separate stories being told per episode, which means you’re getting more bang for your viewing buck.
Fans of the similarly-styled Tales from the Crypt will already know there are lots of horror gems that can be mined from stories such as these, especially with genre icons like Greg Nicotero, John Harrison and Tom Savini (just to name a few) behind it, not to mention the talented actors in front of the lens.
With three seasons out so far there’s a lot of good stuff to choose from, with some of my favourite episodes presently being Grey Matter, Bad Wolf Down, The Man in the Suitcase and Lydia’s Layne’s Better Half, and that just from Season 1! If you’re a fan of horror anthologies, Creepshow is definitely must-see TV.
#5 Inside No.9 (BBC/HBO Max)
I have no idea how this series doesn’t get more coverage than it does because Inside No. 9 is, simply put, the best anthology series I’ve seen since The Twilight Zone (original, not that awful reboot).
Created, written and starring Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, the themes/genre vary from episode to episode but most of them have some sort of psychological or thriller twist and a large percentage of it is based in horror, which is why I had to include this amazing series on my list.
Shearsmith and Pemberton play roles in every episode but as different people. They are so damn good in fact, you’ll actually find yourself forgetting it’s the same people! Think Tatiana Maslany in Orphan Black or Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight, then multiply that by a hundred, THAT’S how talented these two actors are. But they are also backed by stellar writing and some very imaginative storytelling.
I can’t stress enough how much I think you should be watching Inside No. 9, a series so good it’s into its seventh season as we speak. But don’t let that stop you because the show is so good you’ll probably binge it all in a week!
#4 From (Epix)
There’s nothing like a good mystery and From has that in spades.
From follows a family that gets trapped in a town by some unseen force that doesn’t allow anyone to leave. The unwilling residents then strive to stay alive while also hoping to find a way out. But every night strange creatures emerge from the forest to feed on anyone unlucky enough to be caught outside or, worse, let them in.
It’s a show best watched by knowing as little as possible going into it but I will say it feels like a mix between Salem’s Lot and Lost (lead actor Harold Perrineau is a Lost alum). With a solid cast, great pacing and the kind of mystery fans love to untangle, From has only one season so far under its belt. And with ten episodes you can jump in and start enjoying one of the more intriguing horror-based series on television right now.
#3 Cursed Films (Shudder)
When it comes to movies I’m one of those people who don’t really like to know how the cake is made, meaning I don’t watch a lot of behind the scenes features or documentaries. But when it comes to my favourite classic horror movies it’s a totally different ball game and that’s the beauty of Cursed Films.
Each episode plays like a mini-documentary on the making of the movie, but what makes Cursed Film stand out from similar works is they focus on movies that had so many issues behind the scenes or even after the film was released that people have come to think of them as cursed.
From the real life deaths that plagued The Omen, to the damage done to careers after The Exorcist to the possible criminal acts that went into making Cannibal Holocaust, it’s all here and it’s your favourite horror movies like you’ve never seen them before.
#2 Yellowjackets (Showtime)
While the other shows on this list are definitely horror, Yellowjackets is more of a drama with horrific twists. Still the things that these characters have gone through and do to each other are the kinds of stories that can only be labelled as just that, horror, so I had to include this stunning series here.
With adult and teen actors portraying the same characters at different points in their lives, Yellowjackets tells the story of a group of high school soccer players who while travelling to Seattle for a tournament end up in a plane crash in the wilderness. The remaining team survive there for 19 months and the series follows who they’ve become, how the trauma of their pasts have affected them and exactly what they did to survive.
There’s a reason this series has such high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (94% from Critics and 78% Audience) and like From I recommend staying away from the internet spoilers and just checking this out for yourself. If you can have a show like this on a smaller platform like Showtime and it’s still one of the most talked about programs, then you know Yellowjackets is doing something right.
#1 Evil (Paramount+)
2019 was a good year to be a fan of horror on television. The Passage, What We Do in the Shadows, Black Summer, The Purge and Castle Rock were just some of the shows we had to choose from. But while most of them have come and gone (Santa Clarita Diet, I still miss you!) Evil managed to stick around and there’s a reason for that—this show is awesome!
Think The X-Files meets The Exorcist and you’ll have an idea of what Evil brings to the table. Starring Katja Herbers (Westworld) as Dr Kristen Bouchard, a psychologist who’s hired by former journalist and priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter of Luke Cage fame). Working together with David’s friend and tech expert Ben (Aasif Mandvi of The Dictator) they investigate cases where people claim that supernatural elements are involved.
The show does a wonderful job of playing logic against faith with characters that are both skeptics and believers, but the icing on the cake is how deeply unsettling and genuinely scary the episodes tend to be. I promised no spoilers but I have to mention actor Marti Matulis who plays George. George is a demon who visits Kristen while she sleeps. Is he real? Is he just a figment of her overworked imagination? All I know is George is equal parts humorous and horrific and Evil is one of the best horror series on television right now. So do yourself a favour and check this one out.
Did I mention Michael Emerson who played the slimy, punchable, love-to-hate him villain Benjamin Linus on Lost also plays a villainous role here? Trust me folks, you do not want to miss out on this one.
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes.
Double Tap Baby!
Well that’s my list? Are you a fan of any these series? Know of any other great under-the-radar horror series? Hit us up in the comments. And check out more horror series lists below:
