Advertisement

13 spine-chilling shows to keep you inside this summer


The temperature's soaring, which makes now the perfect time to stay inside with TV that'll chill your blood. But what if you've already slammed through the new episodes of Stranger Things and are impatiently waiting for The Walking Dead's return? We've got you covered with 13 fright-fests—some of them woefully overlooked—that you can stream right now. Get ready to crank the AC so you can huddle under a blanket. Who said October's the spookiest month?

Ghosts, Demons, and Monsters

<em>Evil</em>

This wicked little show from Michelle and Robert King is all the reason you need to subscribe to Paramount+. Katja Herbers stars as a Dana Scully-like skeptic assigned to investigate abnormal activities on behalf of the Catholic church alongside a hot-as-hell priest in training (Mike Colter) and a jovially evil foil (the always delightful Michael Emerson). Like The Good Wife and The Good Fight, Evil riffs on the societal vibes in the ether, but unlike those other King shows, Evil turns them downright chilling.

Available on: Paramount+

Evil "Justice x 2" Pictured Mike Colter as David Acosta
Evil "Justice x 2" Pictured Mike Colter as David Acosta

<em>Lovecraft Country</em>

Sometimes the best horror is allegorical, and Misha Green's Lovecraft Country is one of the strongest recent examples of a show that mixes real-world anxieties with blood-thirsty monsters. Set in the 1950s, when sundown towns still existed across America, the show follows Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett, and Courtney B. Vance as they take a road trip that exposes them to the racism lurking in the heart of the country—as well as terrifying creatures straight out of a Lovecraft novel. Each of the actors delivers a powerhouse performance while covered in various amounts of gore, and Smollett in particular deserved award consideration for her performance in the haunted house episode alone.

Available on: HBO Max

Lovecraft Country
Lovecraft Country

<em>American Horror Story season 1</em>

Since its FX premiere in 2011, Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story has churned out double-digit seasons and spun off American Crime Story and anthology series American Horror Stories. With so much content spanning eleven years, it can be easy to forget how truly scary the first season of AHS truly was. Murder House introduced future Murphy ensemble all-stars Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, Denis O'Hare, and Lily Rabe, alongside some frightening mysteries (who is Rubber Man and what does he want?) and a truly shocking twist or two. Season 1 is worth revisiting a decade later.

Available on: Hulu

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: Matt Ross and Lily Rabe airing Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: Matt Ross and Lily Rabe airing Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011

Zombies

<em>Kingdom</em>

All of Us Are Dead may be the newest South Korean zombie show on the Netflix block, but 2019's Kingdom mixes undead thrills with the sweep of a historical epic. Ju Ji-Hoon stars as a 16th century prince who maneuvers political rivals while investigating a plague that makes his people unusually… hungry. The plotting is dense, the costuming is immaculate, and the zombie effects are gnarly. But the show, based on Kim Euh-hee's webcomic The Kingdom of Gods, has more on its mind than the undead, raising questions about the damage uncaring leaders can do to its populace during a nationwide crisis.

Available on: Netflix

KINGDOM
KINGDOM

<em>Black Summer</em>

Pound for pound, Black Summer might just be the most satisfying zombie show around. The Jamie King-led Canadian series—a spin-off of the far goofier Z Nation—knots its seemingly disconnected storylines together in unexpected ways as season 1 progresses. Don't miss the almost wordless episode "Heist," which features the protagonists executing a dangerous plan in the middle of an underground rave packed with nihilistic survivors. The show's a little more clever, a little more vicious, and a lot more fun than the other zombie fare out there.

Available on: Netflix

BLACK SUMMER (L to R) in episode 202 of BLACK SUMMER Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021
BLACK SUMMER (L to R) in episode 202 of BLACK SUMMER Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

<em>Freakish</em>

What if The Breakfast Club had to face down an undead horde? Students in Saturday detention are trapped in the school when the town's chemical plant explodes, freakifying the friends and family members outside those four walls. With the school as their base of operations, the survivors learn how to work together (or not) and which authority figures they can trust (or not) to help them survive the fallout. Freakish mayhem ensues.

Available on: Hulu

Freakish "Self Preservation" Everyone's suspicious of the newcomers, especially after weapons start to go missing. Ollie and Anka try to bribe everyone with an unusual plan to get out of the valley. (Photo by: Rachael Thompson/Hulu)
Freakish "Self Preservation" Everyone's suspicious of the newcomers, especially after weapons start to go missing. Ollie and Anka try to bribe everyone with an unusual plan to get out of the valley. (Photo by: Rachael Thompson/Hulu)

Serial Killers

<em>Mindhunter</em>

Most of the creep factor in Mindhunter is, well, in your mind. The Netflix show doesn't traffic in gore and jump scares, but it does seep into your brain like a vapor. Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv play FBI agents out to pioneer the criminal profiling of (real-world) serial killers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Part of what makes the show so unsettling is knowing that it's based on the non-fiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit.

Available on: Netflix

MINDHUNTER
MINDHUNTER

<em>Hannibal</em>

The scariest part of Hannibal might be what NBC let Bryan Fuller get away with on network TV. But if beautiful carnage is your thing, Hannibal's your show. Mads Mikkelsen as the world's most famous cannibal tangles with FBI investigator Will Graham (a wet-eyed, curly haired Hugh Dancy), along the way becoming America's favorite murder husbands. And anyone saying Gillian Anderson's Bedelia Du Maurier isn't one of TV's most fascinating psychotherapists doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Available on: Hulu

Mads Mikkelson HANNIBAL -- \u0022Apertif\u0022 Episode 101
Mads Mikkelson HANNIBAL -- \u0022Apertif\u0022 Episode 101

<em>Bates Motel</em>

Meet Norma Bates before her endless rest in her rocking chair. This Psycho prequel finds Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore creeping everyone out as the thick-as-thieves mother and son duo who open up a motel sleepy Fairvale, California. Bates Motel offers more suspense than true horror, but Norman's growing mental instability and his intense bond with Norma will leave you off-kilter.

Available on: Peacock

Bates Motel Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) and Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore).
Bates Motel Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) and Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore).

Funny Scares

<em>Ash vs Evil Dead</em>

Nobody fights unstoppable evil like Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams. The campy cult films from the '90s make the jump to the small screen without losing a step, with the one-handed Ash pressed into demon-hunting service once again. In Ash vs Evil Dead, he's joined by the flawless Lucy Lawless as well as Dana DeLorenzo and Ray Santiago as the next generation of Deadite hunters. Under the guidance of horror auteur Sam Raimi, Ash exudes the same hapless bluster that fans adore. Hail to the king, baby.

Available on: Netflix and Starz

Ash vs Evil Dead Season 1 Air Date: 2015 Pictured: Ray Santiago as Pablo, Bruce Campbell as Ash
Ash vs Evil Dead Season 1 Air Date: 2015 Pictured: Ray Santiago as Pablo, Bruce Campbell as Ash

<em>Stan Against Evil</em>

The delight of Stan Against Evil resides primarily in John C. McGinley's performance as a crochety retired sheriff who butts up against his steely replacement (Janet Varney) as they join forces to fight the evil unleashed by the town's mass burning of witches centuries ago. With episode titles like "Dig Me Up, Dig Me Down" and "Spider Walk With Me," you know you're in good hands for a show that's frighteningly self aware—and gory. Don't forget gory.

Available on: Hulu

Stan Against Evil Episode: The Hex Files Pictured: Chris Dougherty, Janet Varney
Stan Against Evil Episode: The Hex Files Pictured: Chris Dougherty, Janet Varney

<em>Crazyhead</em>

What a travesty that this British show only got one season. Demon hunter Raquel (Susan Wokoma) rescues the supernaturally gifted Amy (Cara Theobold) from a demon only the two of them can see, then agrees to train her. As the friendship between the women grows, the humor flows faster — along with some dark turns. Savor all six sensational episodes.

Available on: Netflix

Crazyhead
Crazyhead

In a League of Its Own

<em>The Twilight Zone</em>

When's the last time you sat down with an episode or two (or twenty) of the granddaddy of fright TV? Compared to today's standards, some of The Twilight Zone's last-century stories may not pack the same punch, but rest assured that plenty of the 156 entries still have the power to make you leave a light on after dark. The show's biting social commentary still stings, too, in giddy paranoia fests like "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" and "The Shelter." And don't sleep on the 2019 reboot, with its sharp gender critique in "Not all Men."

Available on: Paramount+

American actor Burgess Meredith (1907 - 1997) as Henry Bemis in 'Time Enough at Last', the eighth episode in the American TV series 'The Twilight Zone', 1959. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
American actor Burgess Meredith (1907 - 1997) as Henry Bemis in 'Time Enough at Last', the eighth episode in the American TV series 'The Twilight Zone', 1959. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content: