If you’re wondering why, you saw a bloke in a hockey mask on your way to work this morning, it’s because it’s Friday the 13th.
And while Jason Voorhees might be trying to get to Crystal Lake so he can get busy slaughtering those pesky campers, I know exactly how you should spend this legendarily unlucky day.
Specifically, I think you should spend it watching some truly terrifying TV shows.
Why? Well, the sun may be shining (not in the Stephen King way), and the birds may be singing, but there’s nothing quite like a good scare, is there? That feeling of creeping dread, the tingle down your spine, the sweat in your palms – ok maybe not that last one – can’t be beat.
And as there are 140 days or so before Halloween and the start of the official spooky season, I think it being Friday the 13th is the perfect excuse to indulge in monsters and morbid.
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So here are five truly horrifying TV shows that – if you’re a fan of things that go bump in the night – you need to check out.
The Haunting of Hill House
If you like feeling horribly anxious and enjoy spotting hidden ghosts, then I can’t recommend The Haunting of Hill House enough.
This nightmarish Netflix series is based on Shirley Jackson’s book of the same name and was directed by horror mastermind Mike Flanagan. A twisty-turny series, the show follows the Crain family as they deal with the horrors that lurk in their new home and try to escape from the paranormal entities that lurk within.
To say The Haunting of Hill House is scary would be a massive understatement. It’s genuinely disturbing at times, and one of the few shows that had me hiding behind a cushion waiting for the horrors to end.
Still, it’s not all chills and thrills; the series has a deeply satisfying story that’s as complex as the ghosts are horrifying.
Don’t take my word for it, though. Quentin Tarantino has called it his favourite Netflix show ever, and that’s a man who knows a great story when he sees one.
The Haunting of Hill House can be streamed on Netflix now
From
From is kind of like Lost’s younger brother who’s going through a goth phase. What does that tortured metaphor mean? Well, like Lost and similar series, From is a mystery box show, but one that’s full of horrible monsters like the worst jack-in-the-box imaginable.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching, the show follows the Matthews family after they have the bad fortune to drive through a small, unnamed town while on a road trip across the US. Unfortunately, once they drive in, they find themselves trapped – alongside several other residents – and besieged by weird creatures.
Shows like this, which are slow builds and rely on teasing the audience, are naturally very reliant on their cast to keep viewers engaged, and I think the From cast is exceptional.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say they’re the show’s secret weapon – especially Harold Perrineau, who plays the town’s poor put-upon sheriff.
If the summer heat’s getting you down, might I recommend The Terror, a series set in the frozen wilderness of the North Pole.
All three seasons of From is available to stream on NOW
The Terror
Based on Dan Simmons’s 2007 novel of the same name, the show follows the crews of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror as they explore the Arctic Archipelago in the hopes of completing the first crossing of the Northwest Passage.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, things don’t go to plan, and the ships find themselves trapped in the tundra. The Terror documents how both crews try and survive in the icy wasteland as tempers fray, and a mysterious creature makes its presence known.
A dark tale wrapped in the clothes of prestige drama (presumably to keep warm), The Terror is a haunting and entertaining story about the thin line between civility and barbarity. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% is a must-watch for those who love chilling stories.
The Terror is available to stream on ITVX
Teacup
Teacup might sound like the type of thing you’d pop on for the kids while you made dinner, but I can’t recommend showing this to children.
The series follows a group of neighbours who one day find a strange man in a gas mask painting a blue line across their farmland. When they try and cross this line… well, let’s just say bad things happen.
Shocking and more than a little confusing, Teacup is a surprisingly gory series, which means it won’t be for everyone, but if the sight of blood and bone gets your pulse racing, then this may be the series for you. I must admit that the show does lose some steam towards the end, but I’d say the first five or so good, you won’t be disappointed when the series takes a turn from overt horror to science fiction.
I’m not the only fan of the show either. On Reddit, SMNZ75 wrote he thought they did a fantastic job of ‘taking what was pretty much a sci-fi book and making a great horror series’.
Teacup is available to stream on Paramount Plus
The Outsider
Last but not least, we come to The Outsider because every horror list has to have something written by Stephen King on it; otherwise, he comes to your house at night and gives you nightmares.
Anyway, completely made-up stories about the greatest horror author of our time aside, The Outsider boasts an impressive cast including Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo, Julianne Nicholson, and Jason Bateman.
The series tells the story of Detective Ralph Anderson (Mendelsohn) as he investigates the murder and mutilation of a young boy. While Ralph initially believes local coach Terry Maitland is the guilty man, he soon discovers something far more sinister at play.
A nightmarish version of NCIS, The Outsider is a dark take on the police procedural we’ve come to know and love that’ll delight those with a fondness for the macabre. The real reason to watch, though, is Cynthia Erivo’s performance; she’s wicked in this.
As you’d imagine, I’m far from the only one to think that as well, with Vulture’s Jan Chaney calling her ‘superb’ in her review.
The Outsider is available to buy now on Sky Store
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