Tag: horror shows

Top Horror TV Shows

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Hannibal (2013) – The show that prompted me to do this list. I wish it had a fourth season! Bryan Fuller’s television shows all need to be longer. (Justice for Pushing Daisies, anyone?!) The acting in this series is phenomenal. Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy have always been two of my favourite actors and getting them in the same show was just wonderful. I know there’s talk of a fourth season on going, so there’s still hope! This show is downright horrifying, but it’s so well done with the atmosphere and twists and music. All of it adds to the spooky factor.

Bates Motel (2013) – [longer review] – Hands down one of my all time favourites, even if it really does leave you feel disastrously blue by the end. These poor characters get put through the ringer again and again and again. Dylan is definitely my favourite of the characters, but the actors are all so fabulous even when the characters leave you reeling.

The Exorcist (2016) – [longer review] – TWO SEASONS IS NOT ENOUGH. There were so many things to like about this show. Again, the characters. I just loved the two priests who were the mains, but the side characters were all great, too.

Zone Blanche (2017) – [longer review] – The fact that this ends on more or less a cliffhanger drives me barmy. It’s just so good!! Still, even if the storylines aren’t wholly wrapped up, I still recommend giving it a whirl. A very ~misty small town noir~ type of horror.

The X-Files (1993) – A classic. An original. Perfection. I feel like X-Files straddles the line of sci-fi/horror well, but so many of the episodes are utterly disconcerting or scary that it just has to be on the list. Mulder and Scully are such heroes and, of course, totally meant for each other ♡♡♡

Supernatural (2005) – Very much the legacy of The X-Files and one of my favourite shows growing up. I have no doubt that Supernatural will become a classic, too. I think it’s also now the longest fantasy show? I could be wrong, but it’s up there! Now, I can’t speak for the later seasons, but I pretty much stopped watching after season five, which was the original planned ending, but the early seasons are so perfectly done. So spooky. Just fabulous.

Fear the Walking Dead (2015) – [longer review] – Yes, I liked it more than The Walking Dead. I never thought I would. But I like the multi-country focus of TWD. I liked the focus on family. There’s great diversity/rep. We see more of the world of TWD than we got to see in the original. While I think season one of TWD is phenomenal, it lost me somewhere along the way. Too many of my favourite characters died. I still like it, but I think FTWD is that little bit more my preference. I still have to catch up on this one, but so far it’s my favourite of the universe. I haven’t really tried World Beyond, but I’m sure I will eventually.

Slasher (2016) – [longer review] – Scared. The. Crap. Out. Of. Me. I originally gave it a go because of Katie McGrath, but it’s also very well written and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I haven’t watched the other seasons (it’s an anthology), but I’ve heard good things! It’s still on my list to be finished.

Show Review: Truth Seekers (2020)

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Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are two of the most popular choices for comedians in my house. I have seen Paul so many times at this point that I can quote it backwards and forwards. (And yes, you should watch it!) So imagine my partner’s and my delight when Truth Seekers was announced. And it’s every bit as awesome as I’d hoped!

The eight episode first season follows Gus, an internet repair man and amateur ghost hunter, and Elton John, the newest hire at the company, as the pair wind up falling headfirst into the paranormal on their first call. Simon Pegg plays their boss Dave; there’s also Helen, Elton’s sister who suffers from agoraphobia, and Astrid, the girl with all the ghosts. Richard, Gus’ father, is played by Malcolm McDowell, and I loooooove his character. Oh my gosh, he’s a scene stealer and I’m so here for his character!

What I love about this show is that it’s simple, sweet and good fun. It’s classic Frost & Pegg, and I watched half of it before conceding that a break might be warranted so that I didn’t watch the entire series in one sitting. If you like ghosts, comedies and some wholesome spookiness, definitely check this one out!

Show Review | Slasher: The Executioner (2016)

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Slasher is a horror/mystery show that follows a new case/new cast every season. The first season, subtitled The Executioner, follows Sarah Bennett, played by the brilliant Katie McGrath, and her husband Dylan, played by Brandon Jay McLaren, after they return to Waterbury, Canada, a town with a dark past. Sarah’s parents were murdered before she was born (the death scenes are gruesome and yes, that’s how she was born, it’s awful). But despite this horrific past, she and Dylan are coming back to town because the house is empty and they want a fresh start and figure the past is in the past. Almost immediately, bad things begin to happen. The neighbour is horrible to Sarah, she finds shocking videos of her parents in the basement, and then a copycat killer begins hunting townsfolk. Each new murder takes on the theme of one of the Seven Deadly Sins and the storylines unravel the mystery of the town and everyone’s secrets. Pretty much everyone turns out different than you’d expect and there were some serious shocks.

Sarah was definitely my favourite, but I also really loved the character of Robin. Robin and his husband are old friends with Sarah and welcome her back with open arms. Cam, another friend and now one of the police, is also delighted she’s back in town. His wife June is far less thrilled. Sarah spends most of her scenes with Dylan, Cam or Robin. Dylan, Sarah’s husband, was a more complicated character and sometimes I found him frustrating, but he was a good husband to Sarah. He’s the editor-in-chief at the local paper and is very hungry for success, often taking things too far, but he’s not irredeemable. 

I thought Katie McGrath was absolutely brilliant in this and she totally stole every scene she was in! I’ve loved her since Merlin and she’s just so captivating. The character of Sarah was wonderfully complex and I rooted for her the entire time. She’s one of the best final girls of horror and was very capable and intelligent. I thought Brandon Jay McLaren and Christopher Jacot were fantastic as well.

Now, fair warning, this show is a gore fest. I looked away a good few times as the show isn’t shy with its gruesome scenes and there’s only so much I can take. But overall the mystery was very interesting and the cast were great! And I love watching shows set in Canada. ♥

On to season two!

Review: The Exorcist (2016)

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‘There are rules in place for a reason. We maintain purity, we don’t harm the innocent, we put duty before self.’

The Exorcist stressed me out. And grossed me out. And freaked me out. But oh holy moley, it was amazing and I loved it. I came at this show never having read the books (yes, there’s two!) or watched the movies (there are a lot!), so I really didn’t know what to expect. I just saw Alfonso Herrera and went, ‘Sounds awesome.’ Ben Daniels being in it was even better.

**spoilers for both seasons**

‘There’s this tall guy and he’s got a black jacket and short hair and a moustache, but not like a porn ’stache. Like a good ’stache.’

The show follows Father Tomás and Father Marcus, Catholic priests and exorcists. It also picks up where the movie left off, which again I haven’t seen, but the main girl Regan MacNeil who was the kid possessed in the movie/book is the mother of the girl possessed in the show (she’s played by the fabulous Geena Davis!).

Tomás is the priest of a poor, struggling parish and he starts having dreams of Marcus performing exorcisms. This leads him to Marcus after some time, and together they try and help the poor MacNeil family that just keeps getting possessed. Poor, poor family. As you can imagine, pretty much everything goes wrong throughout the first season as Marcus and Tomás try to help Casey Rance, Regan’s daughter.

Season two follows the priests’ encounters not just with more possession — this time in a group home run by Andy Kim (played by the amazing John Cho) — as well as people faking possession to get attention. That latter case really hits you hard. And it hits Marcus especially hard. As a result, he becomes deeply protective of the girl who was abused, and I love their interactions throughout season two. In fact, all of the kids in the show are fantastic actors. John Cho also freaking wrecked me in season two and was thoroughly phenomenal. His acting is amazing, I cannot stress this enough.

‘You’re not an apprentice anymore, Tomás. You’re an exorcist. And I’m proud to stand beside you, brother.’

I loved Marcus and Tomás. They both have their own personal obstacles that they’re dealing with in addition to all the exorcisms, and as characters they’re both so wonderful and believable. And I’m not gonna lie, Marcus and Tomás have mad chemistry and their relationship is hands down the best aspect of the show. Marcus is also revealed to be bisexual, which is something we see so little of on television and I totally cheered. 

‘I don’t want to lose you.’
‘Then bring me back.’

Unfortunately, The Exorcist was cancelled after season two, but the creator revealed that season three would have revolved around Tomás finding his way back to Marcus, who was consumed with guilt after the events of season two and went off on his own. I would have loved to see more of this show, but it ends right at that place where you want more but you’re not totally lost not to have it. I generally hate unresolved cliffhangers, but it works for this one and isn’t too frustrating. As a result, I can totally recommend it and I’m definitely going to be rewatching it. I also really want to read the book now, which I’ve since done a little research on and find myself rather intrigued by. I had no idea the writer was once most famous for his comedy work.

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable, if very frightening series.

‘You said I have nothing. You are wrong. I have love, I have hope, and I have faith. These things are not weaknesses. They make me what I am.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘An exorcist.’