Six horror TV series to spook you silly

From curses and crucifixes to mutants, killers and UFOs. These are the Halloween shows on the small screen you need to see, writes Darren Bevan.

Halloween is upon us once again, but with large swathes of the country under various forms of Covid-19-induced restrictions, wandering outside to catch a film or attend a spooky party is not an option for all.

Thankfully, streaming services are keen to keep you terrified on your couch with some truly horrifying options.

BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR (NETFLIX)

A woman coughs up a kitten like a furball, a sleazy Hollywood producer lives up to his reputation, and a series of visions haunt someone who’s involved in casting a curse. Yep, Brand New Cherry Flavor has some seriously freakish vibes over its eight unsettling episodes.

Alita: Battle Angel’s Rosa Salazar stars as Lisa Nova, a would-be film director who comes to Hollywood looking for her breakthrough. But after a Harvey Weinstein-esque producer (Eric Lange) harasses her, she finds herself mixed up in a world of vengeance and crazy curses.

THE THIRD DAY (NEON)

A folk-horror drama in the vein of The Wicker Man, The Third Day stars Jude Law as Sam, a grieving father who heads to an island off the coast of England in an attempt to move on after the death of his son.

But when the off-kilter villagers take more of an interest in Sam than he’s comfortable with, it soon becomes clear Sam has more of a connection with the island than he’s aware of.

A mesh of psychologically disturbing moments and psychedelic imagery combines to make this limited series a definite mind melt that will haunt you after it’s finished.

SLASHER: FLESH AND BLOOD (SHUDDER)

In a premise that could be encapsulated by the elevator pitch – ‘‘A Succession-style family reunion during which the characters must play a deadly game to survive’’ – Slasher: Flesh and Blood seems like it could be the literal bloodbath the Roy family is missing.

When the Galloways reunite at the behest of their patriarch (David Cronenberg), they learn they’re all pitted against each other for the family fortune.

However, among them is a serial killer waiting to pick off their victims – if the family don’t stab themselves in the back first.

It’s fertile ground for a horror series and despite some B-grade acting from some members of the cast, Slasher: Flesh and Blood delivers an unexpected buzz – and a high body count.

THE TERROR (AMAZON PRIME VIDEO)

Horror and historical drama combine to make an unsettling exploration into the icy unknowns in this anthology series.

When the HMS Terror sets off from England in 1846 to forge a trading route through the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, mind-numbing cold temperatures freeze it in place. As the sailors begin to panic, it becomes clear something is also hunting them from within the wilds.

It may be historical fiction, but a slow build and brooding atmosphere help turn The Terror into something nerve-shredding and psychologically crippling thanks to stoic turns from the likes of Jared Harris and Ciaran Hinds.

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (NETFLIX)

The original series that spooked many before the likes of The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass emerged is still the most unsettling creepfest for you to catch on a streaming platform.

Creepy faces on doorknobs, jolts and jump scares help tell the story of five adult siblings whose paranormal experiences at Hill House continue to haunt them in the present day. When actual ghosts start showing up, and kittens start spewing bugs, you’ll be reaching for the lights or a blankie to hide under.

THE X-FILES (DISNEY+)

Strip out the tediously overdramatic and overly complicated UFO mythology episodes, and The X-Files is still one of the best shows to work under the ‘‘monster of the week’’ ethos.

FBI Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) track various creeps and oddities in the show’s entire run – but the first series remains its most terrifying work.

From frights that include a mutant who kills to sustain his 30-year hibernation, a riff on The Thing as Mulder and Scully get trapped in the Arctic, and a forest trip that nearly sees the agents permanently benched, the show’s first season has enough terror to traumatise you for years to come.