We are well into the autumn season now that October has begun, and the chilly and dark surroundings that this season brings compels you even more to stay in the cozier indoors as evenings set. But what to watch during these dark evenings when you can let go of the preceding day? Not only for the shadowy October, but also as an anticipation for Halloween (as we can imagine many getting into the Halloween mood once October starts), here are four Netflix series to check out and watch.
Scream: The TV Series
Based on the memorable Scream film series, the show is a spin-off of the movies as a high school teenage drama that became a contemporary version of the films. The series takes place years after the incidents that happened in the original film as one of the survivors is related to the protagonist. Based in the fictional town of Lakewood, a string of murders take place and at the center of these events is Emma Duval who gains the attention of the new killer. These events raise the towns horrifying past while making the already socially struggling teenagers targets, suspects, and victims.
Midnight Mass
A supernatural horror miniseries, Midnight Mass has been gradually gaining more attention as “the most terrifying show on TV right now.” (Don’t read all of this unless you want any spoilers.) And no wonder. The plot centers around a small, isolated island community with a population of only 127 people, and they meet a young mysterious yet charismatic priest who arrives unexpectedly in their village. It’s your classic setting of an incredibly small, mostly Christian community who don’t like strangers much; however, then the miracles start to occur that makes even the viewer baffled and sit on the edge of their seat – but these are accompanied by frightening omens. Is the priest truly an angel sent by the Lord?
The Haunting of Hill House
Also a supernatural horror drama, Hill House is loosely based on the 1959 novel of the same name by the influential author Shirley Jackson. The plot of the series alternates between two timelines as it follows five adult siblings whose horrifying, paranormal childhood experiences at Hill House continue to haunt them. The siblings experience flashbacks depicting events that lead up to a traumatizing night in 1992 when the family had to flee from the house. It’s a heartbreaking story of a broken family that twenty-six years later is forced to confront how their experiences in Hill House has affected them. Will the siblings confront the ghosts of their past?
The Haunting of Bly Manor
A follow-up, but standalone story, to the Hill House, Bly Manor is a gothic-drama with supernatural elements as well for it’s an adaptation of Henry James’ horror novella The Turn of the Screw. The setting is late 1980s United Kingdom, where an American au pair, Dani Clayton, has arrived and been hired to care for two orphaned children living in their uncle’s manor in Bly. The manor has a dark past which is shown in flashbacks and is haunted by figures who resided there, whom the children have always seen and then are seen gradually by Dani as well. Bly Manor may not be as frightening as Hill House, but can be quite scary, nevertheless, as the ghosts of the past are closely connected to the children. Will Dani be able to save herself as well as them?
Now grab those protective blankets and pillows, or the friend with whom you always watch horror, and happy watching!