Cosy TV for Spooky Season

Spooky Season is the best, I think we can all agree. Thankfully Netflix does as they’ve released some truly comforting* shows to enjoy under the covers with a sinister snack of your choice.

Here’s what I’m currently into.

The Midnight Club (2022)

The Midnight Club follows a group of eight terminally ill patients at Brightcliffe Hospice, who begin to gather together at midnight to share scary stories.

I’m only an episode into Mike Flanagan’s new series but so far so good. I’m very irritated by one of the central characters but I hope to either be able to tune her out or get over it in order to enjoy the story as it unfolds. Based on the Christopher Pike books I’ve never read, I have it on good authority that this show is probably right up my street. We’ll see.

The Watcher (2022)

A married couple moving into their dream home are threatened by terrifying letters from a stalker, signed – “The Watcher.”

The true story of The Watcher (here) is terrifying as it is, without the Ryan Murphy-fication but this is a highly bingeable series to get your teeth into. Criticised by many for being on the trashier side, we enjoyed it in one Saturday afternoon and have zero regrets.

While the core of the story is based on true events – the real family didn’t actually move into the house – the history portrayed in the show is much more action-packed with lots of sinister twists and turns.

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)

Story of the Milwaukee Monster told from the perspective of the victims and police incompetence that allowed the Wisconsin native to go on a multiyear killing spree.

If the above doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, maybe you’d prefer to spend some time with prolific serial murderer Jeff Dahmer, through the eyes of Ryan Murphy (again). I enjoyed this series, though did find it a bit of a slog at the beginning – meanwhile my friend Matt thinks it’s the best thing Murph has ever done so who knows?

It does explore Dahmer’s early years, police incompetence (and worse) and the effect his actions had on the Black community he targeted for very specific reasons – but it might not be everyone’s jam. I like that it goes in on the victims as much as it does Dahmer and explores why he was what he was, a question he started to ponder towards the end.

I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that Evan Peters can’t help but bring sex appeal to the central role and that might not sit very comfortably with everybody – we’re not supposed to be enjoying his underpants-only scenes as much as I did, I don’t think. Also, can Mr Murphy take a vacation? I’ve sent about two emails this week and he’s over here releasing two full TV series in the same month.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in a visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro.

I’m only three episodes into this bad boy and, apart from the third instalment, I’m having a blast. Presented by del Toro himself in a Hitchcock Presents stylee, it comprises eight horror stories for Halloween, or really any time of the year, why not? I’ve been waiting a while for this to come out and so far I’m into it.

The third episode was just super boring in my opinion, but maybe that’s because we’ve had a Tim Blake Nelson driven opener which was exquisite – and a giant practical effects beast in episode 2. That said there is probably going to be something for everyone in the series and we have instalments by Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), Panos Cosmatos (Mandy), Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) and Jennifer Kent (the mighty The Babadook) still to come.

So there we are, four shows to binge over Halloween and beyond, if you fancy.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?

*if spine-chilling nastiness is comforting to you. If not, may I recommend an Autumn rewatch of Gilmore Girls? (I recently did all the Autumn/Halloween episodes only and it was lovely).

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