If you want a terrifying TV series to watch over a weekend, pick these horror shows. While Halloween is undeniably a fun time to get comfortable on the couch and get lost in a scary story, fans of supernatural tales, slashers, found footage, and other subgenres are happy to check them out any day of the year. Fall 2025 has been a particularly exciting time for horror lovers, with HBO Max’s Stephen King prequel It: Welcome to Derry premiering in October 2025. Although some fans wish there were more Pennywise in Derry, the prequel series is solid, and the iconic clown’s appearances are as chilling as ever.
While some excellent creepy TV shows span several seasons, like Ryan Murphy’s anthology American Horror Story, which has 12 seasons (with Season 13 coming soon), sometimes you want a series you can finish quickly. Whether it’s a miniseries from one of the most talented horror storytellers or a Netflix series that unfortunately didn’t get a second season, these horror shows will hold your interest on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
‘Midnight Mass’ (2021)
Mike Flanagan’s third Netflix horror series arrived on the streaming service in September 2021 and only has seven episodes. It’s not only possible to watch it in only two days, but it’ll be impossible not to race through this eerie, gorgeous, and sad story about the strange changes that take place on Crockett Island.
Whether it’s Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), whose arrival on the island is the inciting incident for terror, or Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), who comes home following a tragedy, Midnight Mass is full of Flanagan’s typically well-drawn characters who feel like actual people. Flanagan fans know he dives right into heavy themes with every project. The Fall of the House of Usher, The Midnight Club, and The Haunting of Hill House all feature blood, gore, and jump scares, but they also examine how people accept death and illness. Along with telling a legitimately scary story, Midnight Mass handles topics like religion, family, and following the crowd vs. being yourself.
‘Harper’s Island’ (2009)
Harper’s Island aired for one 13-episode season on CBS from April to July 2009 and is a good choice to start on a Friday night and wrap up with the last few episodes on Sunday evening. The series features some staples of good horror stories: a final girl who goes back home, a killer who brings up harsh memories, and a creepy island setting.
The entertaining 2000s horror series centers around Abby Mills (Elaine Cassidy), who finds herself in her hometown again for a wedding. Since a killer murdered Abby’s mother years ago, Harper’s Island is as much a serious story about family trauma and grappling with the past as it is a fun slasher. If the somewhat corny nature of 1990s and 2000s horror movies appeals to you, then this show will be exactly what you want to watch when staying home all weekend.
‘Marianne’ (2019)
The horror movie trope of evil, creepy grins is alive and well in Marianne, a one-season Netflix series that began streaming in September 2019. While there’s a lot to be scared of here, from a haunting lighthouse scene in Episode 5 to the overall eerie atmosphere of a small French town, it’s the title character’s smile that will stick in your mind.
Marianne has a lot for horror fans to enjoy, from main character Emma Larsimon’s (Victoire Du Bois) career as a novelist focused on scary stories to the old woman with the eerie smile who has frightened her since she was a kid. After watching all eight episodes in one weekend, you’ll be satisfied with a great twist at the end. Although a Season 2 could have worked and expanded Emma’s story, the ending works and allows the viewer to imagine the scary story continuing in a few different ways.
‘The Outsider’ (2020)
Although there are a few notable Stephen King TV series, including Castle Rock, which features several King Easter eggs, not all of them can be binged in one weekend. The Outsider, adapted from King’s book, has only 10 episodes and can be streamed on HBO Max. It has notable performances from Jason Bateman and Ben Mendelsohn. However, Cynthia Erivo is also incredible in the role of Holly Gibney, a detective King has written about in several books, such as Mr. Mercedes and its two sequels, Finders Keepers and End of Watch.
The Outsider begins with the chilling murder of a child character and reveals another terrifying element as you get further into the story. Fans of big twists and a wise detective investigating a complex case will find a lot to enjoy here. Back in 2020, King tweeted that the show is “one of the best adaptations of my work.”
‘It’ (1990)
Finished It: Welcome to Derry Season 1? Have you seen It and It: Chapter Two (and are still wondering why the sequel is so lackluster)? There’s another adaptation of Stephen King’s beloved novel, which was published in 1986, and it’s a quick watch.
The main draw for the 1990 ABC Itminiseries, which is just over three hours long, is Tim Curry’s incredible portrayal of Pennywise. The series is a great adaptation of the popular story, focusing on Curry’s villain and the likable and endearing members of the Losers Club, who are heavily affected by the horrors they see during their childhoods in their hometown of Derry, Maine. Like the films, the miniseries asks intriguing questions about whether people can move on from tragedy, or if they’ll always be marked by what they’ve gone through. It’s even more fun to binge-watch the It miniseries after watching the HBO Max prequel so you can compare Curry and Bill Hader’s versions of the chilling figure.
‘Archive 81’ (2022)
Watch all eight episodes of Archive 81 in one weekend, and you’ll appreciate Dina Shihabi and Mamoudou Athie’s performances in the roles of Melody Pendras and Dan Turner, two compelling characters who have a unique dynamic. Dan comes across Melody’s videotapes about the creepy Visser apartment building in New York City when he’s working on a project, and as he learns more about her story, each episode is more frightening than the last. Unfortunately, the show has joined the long list of Netflix projects that don’t get more than one season, but it’s still a good time.
Archive 81 has plenty of mysterious characters and creepy moments to keep any horror fan watching. While some horror movies and series leave viewers wanting more character development because the focus is on jump scares and gore, Archive 81 excels at both. And after binge-watching these eight episodes, you can check out the podcast of the same name, which has three seasons.
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