This Halloween season, it’s all about the chills that linger long after the credits roll. From witches in Atlanta to haunted towns, twisted love stories, and eerie tapes that should’ve stayed buried — these shows redefine what it means to be scared.
Blending horror, suspense, and psychological tension with diverse perspectives and powerful storytelling, each series on this list proves that fear hits differently when it reflects our own realities. Whether you’re here for ghosts, gore, or gut-punching emotion, turn the lights down and press play — because these 20+ horror and thriller shows will haunt you in all the best ways.
Welcome to Derry (premieres Oct 26, 2025 – HBO Max)
The It prequel explores Pennywise’s origins and the town’s haunted history long before the Losers Club. With Jovan Adepo and Taylour Paige leading, it marks a chilling new chapter in Stephen King’s universe — one that brings Black leads to the heart of classic horror.
Swarm (Prime Video)
Dre’s obsession with a pop superstar spirals into a dangerous descent that blurs fandom and fanaticism. Created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers and starring Dominique Fishback, this psychological thriller is both eerie and brilliant — dissecting how devotion can turn deadly.
Them (Prime Video)
This anthology dives deep into the horrors faced by Black families — both supernatural and systemic — from 1950s Compton to present-day Los Angeles. It’s bold, cinematic, and unsettling, with each season unpacking generational trauma through a chilling genre lens.
The Institute (MGM+)
Based on Stephen King’s novel, the story follows kidnapped children with telekinetic powers trapped in a sinister facility. It’s a tense, character-driven exploration of control, resilience, and the consequences of unchecked power — haunting and deeply human.
From (MGM+)
A mysterious town traps anyone who enters, and at night, unspeakable creatures emerge from the shadows. Led by Harold Perrineau, this mystery-horror blends dread, suspense, and emotional storytelling that keeps you guessing until the final frame.
Grotesquerie (FX)
From Ryan Murphy and starring Niecy Nash-Betts, Grotesquerie is a chilling descent into the strange and macabre. The series explores the horrors that exist not just in the supernatural, but in human nature itself — the quiet kind of evil that hides in plain sight. With its mix of social commentary and psychological unease, Grotesquerie feels like the next evolution of Murphy’s storytelling — grounded, haunting, and impossible to look away from.
Archive 81 (Netflix)
When an archivist is hired to restore a collection of damaged videotapes, he uncovers a web of cults, supernatural forces, and a woman who may be reaching out from another world. Starring Mamoudou Athie, Archive 81 is a slow-burn horror series that fuses analog nostalgia with cosmic dread — part found footage, part fever dream. It’s eerie, imaginative, and criminally underrated.
Lovecraft Country (HBO / Max)
A man’s search for his missing father becomes a terrifying journey through 1950s America — where racism and monsters coexist. Produced by Misha Green and Jordan Peele, it’s a groundbreaking fusion of cosmic horror, history, and cultural reclamation.
The Other Black Girl (Hulu)
When a new Black employee joins a publishing house, eerie coincidences start to unfold for the company’s only other Black woman. Equal parts social satire and psychological thriller, it turns workplace microaggressions into a sharp, haunting story about identity and survival.
The Changeling (Apple TV+)
LaKeith Stanfield stars as a man whose search for his missing wife unravels a modern myth rooted in African folklore. Equal parts love story and nightmare, it’s a poetic, eerie exploration of fatherhood, faith, and what haunts us most.
The Midnight Club (Netflix)
At a hospice for terminally ill teens, a group gathers nightly to share ghost stories — until one story becomes all too real. From Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), it’s a heartfelt blend of grief, hope, and the supernatural that lingers long after the credits roll.
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
A wealthy family faces a brutal reckoning when the sins of their empire come calling. Mike Flanagan reimagines Edgar Allan Poe’s classic with modern edge, moral decay, and gothic grandeur — and honestly, any of his series (Midnight Mass, Bly Manor, Hill House) deserves a spot on your list.
Terror Lake Drive (ALLBLK)
Set in Atlanta, Terror Lake Drive is an anthology series where each season explores a different story of fear, secrets, and survival — all connected by one ominous apartment complex. From gentrification to generational trauma, the series blends social commentary with suspense, proving that sometimes the scariest things aren’t supernatural — they’re systemic. It’s sharp, layered, and deeply Southern horror told through a distinctly Black lens.
Kindred (Hulu)
A young Black woman in present-day Los Angeles finds herself pulled back in time to a pre–Civil War plantation. Based on Octavia E. Butler’s groundbreaking novel, it’s a time-travel horror story that explores ancestry, trauma, and survival in powerful, unexpected ways.
Homecoming (Prime Video)
A facility meant to help soldiers return to civilian life hides something much darker beneath its surface. Stylish, slow-burning, and haunting, it’s a psychological thriller with standout performances from Stephan James and Janelle Monáe that leaves you questioning everything.
The Couple Next Door (Starz)
When two neighboring couples’ friendships cross dangerous boundaries, passion turns to paranoia. A sleek, seductive thriller that peels back the layers of desire, obsession, and betrayal until nothing — and no one — feels safe.
Castle Rock (Hulu)
Set within Stephen King’s shared universe, Castle Rock ties together his most iconic characters and locations in a chilling, interconnected narrative. Anchored by André Holland, it’s an atmospheric gem that blends nostalgia, mystery, and psychological horror in one eerie package.
American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
In New Orleans, young witches fight for power and immortality while battling dark magic and history’s ghosts. Angela Bassett’s unforgettable turn as Marie Laveau anchors this iconic season — a blend of witchcraft, womanhood, and Southern Gothic energy.
Wicked City (ALLBLK)
Set in Atlanta, a group of witches must unite when dark forces threaten their coven and community. Rooted in Black womanhood and spirituality, Wicked City is a supernatural drama that celebrates sisterhood and power through an unapologetically Southern lens.
Outcast (Cinemax)
A man tormented by demonic possession uncovers the spiritual darkness threatening his town. From the creator of The Walking Dead, this series delivers raw, atmospheric horror grounded in faith, fear, and redemption — featuring the late Reg E. Cathey in a standout role.
Surface (Apple TV+)
After surviving a mysterious fall that leaves her with memory loss, Sophie sets out to uncover the truth about her life — and the secrets everyone around her seems desperate to keep hidden. Led by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Surface is a sleek, psychological thriller about identity, trust, and the dangers of not knowing who you really are. Stylish, tense, and emotionally grounded, it’s the kind of slow-burn mystery that lingers long after it ends.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (AMC)
Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira return as Rick and Michonne in a love story set against the ruins of the apocalypse. Separated by distance, war, and the living dead, the two fight to find their way back to each other — and to themselves. With its mix of high-stakes action and emotional intimacy, The Ones Who Live isn’t just a continuation of The Walking Dead — it’s a haunting, beautifully shot exploration of love, loyalty, and survival at the end of the world. — You can watch the entire Walking Dead franchise as well.
Saint X (Hulu)
After a young woman’s mysterious death on a Caribbean vacation, her sister becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth years later — unraveling a haunting story of race, class, and perception. Starring Alycia Debnam-Carey, Josh Bonzie, and West Duchovny, Saint X is a sun-soaked psychological thriller that peels back paradise to reveal the darkness underneath. It’s gripping, layered, and quietly unsettling — the kind of mystery that lingers long after the final episode.
Rosemary’s Baby (NBC Miniseries)
Zoe Saldana breathes new life into this reimagining of the 1968 horror classic, following a young woman who moves to Paris with her husband — only to discover their dream home and new neighbors are hiding something sinister. Rosemary’s Baby is a slow-burn psychological horror that trades cheap scares for creeping dread, exploring paranoia, faith, and the price of ambition. Saldana’s performance grounds the story in emotional realism, giving the iconic tale a haunting, modern edge.