5 shows that are basically horror movies (and perfect for Halloween)
By Reed Gaudens
2. American Horror Story
Did you think American Horror Story wouldn’t be included in a list of TV shows that are basically horror movies? Horror is in the title for a reason. Sure, it might be too easy to feature American Horror Story, but you can’t go wrong with the show that effectively put anthology series on the map and also continues to reinvent what the genre can do. Eight seasons later, and the horror stories keep supplying us with extra fuel for our nightmares.
American Horror Story began with its first and by far most beloved season, Murder House, which took place in mansion haunted by the ghosts of its past residents and their victims. Asylum delivered some of the series’ most chilling stories, while Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, and Cult each explored different themes and kinds of horror. From creatures to jump scares to blood-curdling gore, AHS has the stuff to keep you up at night.
The current ninth season of American Horror Story, dubbed Apocalypse, combines many of the previous seasons for a fan-serving crossover season of surprises and spooks. The witches of Coven and the ghosts of Murder House return as their shared world comes to an end, and there’s even a quick dip back into Hotel. Whether its scares that are surreal or all too real, American Horror Story is lights-on required viewing just like the scariest horror movies.
Similar scares: Hulu’s Castle Rock and Netflix’s Stranger Things also employ high-concept storytelling to accompany their horror movie-esque leanings.