Quick Binges: 12 Horror Shows Currently Streaming With Less Than 40 Episodes
Sharai Bohannon
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Netflix’s Squid Game dropped nine episodes last month, and a good chunk of us have been losing our collective shit over it ever since. Whether you are making your way through or have already zipped through it, you are probably wondering what other quick binges are out there. While the more popular genre shows last forever (looking at you, Supernatural and The X-Files), there are quite a few that never break 40 episodes. They’re perfect for the TV-obsessed but commitment-phobic like me!
Amazon Prime
Dark/Web (8 episodes)
A disappearance leads a group of old friends to reunite, but as they dig into their missing friend’s life they discover, “an impending technological crisis.” I somehow missed this Emmy-nominated creepy-looking show until putting this list together. It also has Julie Benz as part of the cast and seems like a damn good time. I am also cautiously optimistic that some Black and Brown characters will make it to the end of the season from looking at the cast list.
Tokyo Vampire Hotel (10 episodes)
Manami is nearly killed on her birthday and ends up running from vampires. Meanwhile, neo vampire Manami finds out that she is destined to save the Dracula clan. The more I read about it, the more it gives me big vampire slayer in Tokyo vibes. Now that I know that it exists, I need it. I am scheduling a day soon to watch these vampires throw down while Manami figures out her fate.
HBO Max
The Fades (6 episodes)
Paul is a troubled soul that has apocalyptic dreams, and he is also starting to see weird creatures. These creatures are called Fades. Their mission is to destroy the human race, which is not helping Paul’s issues. I will stop for anything produced by the BBC. But they sweetened the deal by casting Daniel Kaluuya as Paul’s best friend, Mac. I am not sure how I missed this 2011 series, but I plan to fix that immediately.
Fantasmagorias (3 seasons, 14 episodes)
HBO Max has a collection of animated shorts based on Latin America’s most hair-raising supernatural legends. Legends include The Weeping Woman, The Chupacabras, and Ghost Passenger. Each one is three minutes or less, and there are only fourteen episodes. This show can be knocked out in less than an hour. Plus, the animation looks incredible, so even if it ends up not being great there is gorgeous artwork to look at.
Folklore (6 episodes)
A collection of six scary stories from six Asian countries make up this series. Each episode is about an hour long and features a different part of Asia’s folklore. I love a good anthology because it is a chance to check out work from multiple filmmakers and add to the list of names to remember. As a Twilight Zone kid who became the loudest Black Mirror fan in the Midwest, I’m here for this!
Halfworlds (2 seasons, 16 episodes)
This dark thriller promises a seedy “underworld of mythological demons that inhabit the back alleys” of Southeast Asia. It seems to be closer to the kind of anthologies we currently see on TV that gives us a new cast and story every season. Because Joko Anwar directs and co-writes the first season, I have faith that this will probably be one of my favorites on this list. Season one was set in Indonesia, season two in Thailand, and if/when a third season happens it will be in the Philippines.
Hulu
Hannibal (3 seasons, 39 episodes)
Profiler Will Graham partners with our favorite cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to catch other criminals. It sounds funny on paper but, it’s an excellent show that was canceled way too damn soon. Our leading duo is part of a pretty stellar cast in what is arguably Bryan Fuller at his best (even though I will die on my Pushing Daisies hill). If you are like me, you were late to the Hannibal party and didn’t finish the series before it was ripped away from your preferred streaming service. Let us fix this before it disappears again.
Castle Rock (2 seasons, 20 episodes)
Castle Rock is a love letter to Stephen King fans, featuring his characters gone absolutely wild. Seeing all of these characters intersect while revisiting familiar places hits the nostalgia buttons just right. This show had a stacked cast. Oftentimes, it felt like it was one of the best attempts to visually capture the spiraling world that Uncle Stephen gave us. Sadly, it was ultimately canceled after two seasons.
Damien (10 episodes)
Full transparency, I did not know this existed until I was looking for a different show. Barbara Hershey is in it, and it is based on 1976’s The Omen. I find kids terrifying, and demonic kids are even scarier, so I will give it a try and report back.
The Exorcist (2 seasons, 20 episodes)
A family turns to the church when a demonic presence makes itself known.
Because I am making my way through the original franchise this year, I am cannot wait to roll into this series and see how they keep exorcisms fresh for two seasons. I am also highly interested in what they could get away with on network TV now that I have seen the original film and will be scarred for life.
Netflix
Crazy Head (1 season, 6 episodes)
Amy and Raquel become fast friends as they slay monsters. This show is the reason that I pitched this listicle. I’m bothered by the lack of people who have seen Crazyhead. This show has humor, heart, monsters, and is easily one of the best supernatural binges. It also has Susan Wokoma as one of the two leads. Imagine something akin to Buffy set in England without Joss Whedon, with a much smaller cast, and with Black people in six episodes in a row, and you have Crazyhead.
Ju-On Origins (1 season, 6 episodes)
A paranormal researcher searches for the home where something terrible happened to a woman and child. This series is based on the original The Grudge franchise and looks spooky as hell. The fate of the series is still up in the air, but there are six half-hour episodes to keep you occupied for about three hours.
Let me know if I missed any canceled (or presumed canceled) genre shows with less than 40 episodes that should be on this list at @misssharai on Twitter. You can also follow me there if you want to see me obsessively tweet about the shows on this list that I will be binging in the next few weeks.
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