Top haunting series to check out this month just in time for spooky season

Written By Kylie Thomas, Co-Features/A&E Editor

Halloween is only three weeks away, and if you haven’t been binging spooky autumn shows already, what on Earth are you waiting for? There’s nothing better than staring out the window at the colorful leaves as ominous music plays in the background. If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit, then look no further! Here are some haunting TV shows that’ll have you up past the witching hour of midnight.

The Haunting of Hill House (Stream on- Netflix, Length – 10 almost hour long episodes, Genre- Horror, Psychological, Mysterious) – This one may be on the more basic side, but overall this show will have you up for days. Based on the book by Shirley Jackson, this series follows the Crain family as they explore the past and present of their spooky childhood home. With spirits, family trauma, and an intriguing, mysterious plot, this is the perfect series to binge during the spooky season.

Midnight Mass (Stream on- Netflix, Length- seven, hour long episodes, Genre- Horror, Drama, Ominous) – A Netflix Original by the same creator as The Haunting of Hill House that was recently released at the end of September, this limited series features your classic, spooky, small town. But this small town is on an isolated island with a tight-knit community. It revolves around a young priest who’s new to the town and hopes to bring it back to life. The show brings up many questions of religious beliefs and carries that ominous, religious context throughout. Not only is this show also a mystery but the religious aspect brings a different kind of horror to the plot, one almost more terrifying than ghosts and monsters.

American Horror Story (Stream on- Hulu, Length- 10, hour long episodes, Genre- Thriller, Drama) – “American Horror Story’ has been around for many years, but the show is currently in the middle of season 10. This season’s theme is Double Feature and consists of two different plots that end up coming together. The first half of the season is about vampires, while the second half of the season is about aliens. While the vampire section is in modern day, the alien section takes place in the past in black and white. This season carries the American Horror Story style and cast that fans love but adds in a new touch of horror as it explores themes of unethical success and more drama than past seasons. Be warned though, this season is filled with gore and blood.

Creepshow (Stream on- Shudder, Length- three seasons with 40 minute long episodes, Genre- Horror, Anthology) – Back in 1982, the movie “Creepshow” was released, containing five different scary tales and had audiences leaving the theatre shaking in fear. But more recently, a series based off the movie was released to the horror streaming service, Shudder. This series currently has three seasons and is set up much like the movie. Each episode contains two different scary stories to delight audiences with quick plots and something new in each episode. One of the best things about this series is that you can watch any episode with no need for the previous one since each has a completely different plot. It has just about every horror trope you can think of and so much more packed into just one series.

Prank Encounters (Stream on- Netflix, two seasons with 20 minute episodes, Genre- Comedy, Reality, Scary) – For those who might not want to venture into the terrifying usual horror shows, this pranking reality show might become your next binge. Host Gaten Matarazzo from “Stranger Things” comes up with different horror pranks to pull on victims. Some of the pranks range from scaring a babysitter with a haunted teddy bear to haunting a mansion with creepy residents. While the show can get a bit creepy at times, it’s all in good fun as audiences laugh at the terrified sufferers.

Don’t let this Halloween time go by without latching onto a new scary favorite. Watch these shows with your roommates or by yourself, but either way be sure to keep an eye out for things that may be lurking in the dark.