Sayak Basu
The dominance of Netflix in the international online streaming market is unquestionable. The platform has been able to make itself massively popular all over the world because of its penchant to produce content in as many different languages as possible.
The fact that Netflix goes around the world hiring local talents to meet this purpose also helps these shows attract huge audiences. The Netflix series ‘The Ghost Bride‘ is a Taiwanese-Malaysian co-production. The series is set in the late 19th century and centers around a woman who has been given an offer to marry a deceased person’s spirit in exchange for material possessions. Although she agrees, Li Lan, the woman in question, soon realizes that she is in deep soup.
Constantly being haunted by the dead spirit whom you have agreed to marry cannot be a bearable way of life after all. With a fresh new concept quite different from the ghost stories we are used to seeing, ‘The Ghost Bride’ is a show horror fans should not miss out on. If you have enjoyed watching this film, here are a few other titles you might also like.
7. The Haunting Of Hill House (2018-)
Released in 2018, this Netflix original series is based on a novel by Shirley Jackson. The story centers around a couple called Hugh and Olivia Crane, and their five children. The couple buys an old country house which they wish to renovate and then sell at a profit.
However, there are some strange presences in the house, which soon start haunting them. After a major tragedy, the family moves away to the city, but their experiences keep haunting them even in their adult lives. The story evenly builds up through its ten episodes and gives us a chilling climax.
6. Hemlock Grove (2013-2015)
Hemlock Grove has many dark secrets, with everyone in the town apparently trying to hide something most of the time. The economic divide within this former steel town is rather sharp, causing a sense of distrust between the two sections of inhabitants. In this scenario, the brutally murdered bodies of two teenage girls are found, sending shockwaves throughout the community.
As the narrative unfolds, we are made aware of the fact that the killer might not be human after all. Although the series falls back upon horror tropes, it is thoroughly enjoyable. However, there are some rather gory scenes, thus making viewer discretion a prerequisite.
5. Marianne (2019-)
A Netflix original horror series from France, ‘Marianne‘ is the story of a young but successful horror writer called Emma Larsimon. When she was younger, Emma used to be haunted by a ghost that reappeared in her adult life once again.
In order to find out the truth behind this entity, Emma travels back to her hometown, only to find that the characters of her stories have their real-life versions as well. With a brilliant story and unusual moments of genuine scare, ‘Marianne’ is a worthy addition to the canon of horror TV shows.
Read More: Shows Like The Haunting of Hill House
4. Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (1990-1996)
‘Are You Afraid Of The Dark?‘ is a Canadian horror anthology series about a group of teenagers who call themselves “The Midnight Society”. They gather at a secret location inside a forest and tell each other horror stories. Of course, instead of listening to the tale, the viewers get to see the story unfolding in front of their eyes.
Most of the stories narrated in this series are based on urban legends, fairy tales, and stories in the public domain. The series had a revival once in 1999 and again in 2019. While it goes without saying that the special effects in the original run of the series are not that great, the episodes are otherwise rather well-made.
3. Night Gallery (1969-1973)
Rod Serling, the TV presenter who earned huge acclaims with his work on the series ‘The Twilight Zone‘, is also the presenter of this horror anthology series. When each episode begins, we find Serling inside an art gallery where he unveils a painting while telling us that each work we see here is actually “suspended in time and space, a frozen moment of a nightmare.” The stories which follow are sometimes rather popular fairy tales while others are penned by Serling himself.
2. The Terror (2018-)
One of the finest horror TV shows in recent years, ‘The Terror‘ tells one unique story every season. The name of the series is borrowed from the book written by Dan Simmons which inspired the story of the first season. While the story of Season 1 revolves around two British ships that are out to explore the polar region, Season 2 deals with a community of Japanese-Americans who are captured by the US government after the Pearl Harbor bombings.
Each of these two groups is haunted by a menacing presence that is out for blood. Brilliant production designs, performances, and cinematography have made ‘The Terror’ a series you must check out.
1. American Horror Story (2011-)
The most popular horror anthology series on TV at the moment, ‘American Horror Story‘ has provided us with some rather unique tales over the years. The best aspect of this series is that each season brings to us a tale of a completely different flavor from the previous ones.
Haunted houses, asylums, mysteries of a cult, or the mysterious events at a summer camp- all such horror elements find a place in this series. Some wonderful acting performances, coupled with a brilliant storytelling technique in each season has made ‘American Horror Story’ the most talked-about horror show in recent memory.
Read More: Shows Like American Horror Story
