The very structure of a television series means they require more of a time commitment than a movie. Then there’s the overwhelming volume of shows available, many with ongoing seasons. In an age where season renewals can be tricky to come by, dipping your toes into a brand new series can be daunting, to say the very least.
This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to short and breezy horror shows that you can binge quickly. Some are limited series, and some never made it past a single season. All are self-contained and bring the horror, either through scares, laughs, or bloodshed. Often a mix.
As usual, here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace – Prime Video, Peacock, Pluto TV
Horror author Garth Marenghi (Matthew Holness) gives viewers a look at previously unaired ‘80s sci-horror horror series “Darkplace” in this fictional show within a show that lampoons the era of television. The cast gives insight into episodes with wacky plotlines, from telekinetic doctors on a rampage to men giving birth to giant eyeballs, while parodying the low budget production, sound design, special effects, outdated social norms, and more. What We Do in the Shadows’ Matthew Berry and Prevenge’s Alice Low co-star in this six-episode series that sadly never received a second season. It’s a complete blast.
Wolf Like Me – Peacock
Each episode under half an hour, the six-episode series “Wolf Like Me” uses a werewolf to mend broken hearts still reeling from loss. Josh Gad stars as Gary, a single dad struggling to raise his daughter in the wake of his wife’s death. Her passing emotionally stunts both. Gary then runs into Mary (Isla Fisher), a loner with a tragic past. Or rather, she runs into him with her vehicle. Sparks fly, and emotional wounds mend, but there’s a pesky little problem that strikes every full moon. Series creator/director/writer Abe Forsythe (2019’s Little Monsters) applies werewolf horror to the rom-com formula with Peacock’s “Wolf Like Me,” making for a charming horror-comedy that you can binge in one sitting.
You can watch the “Wolf Like Me” trailer here.
The Third Day – HBO Max
For fans of Midsommar and similar folk horror, The Third Day followed a man and a woman’s separate journeys to a mysterious island off the British coast. In the first half of the six-episode series, Sam (Jude Law) discovers a group of islanders dead set on preserving their way of life at any cost. Their secrets and bizarre rituals force him to confront his trauma, and he finds himself unable to leave. The second half follows Naomie Harris’s Helen, a woman who comes to the island determined to find answers. Instead, she finds herself in a perilous fight for survival. The Third Day does offer a familiar entry in folk horror, but it’s well-executed and full of enchanting mysteries that engross you anyway.
I Am Not Okay With This – Netflix
This short 7-episode series premiered on Netflix in February and was the first of the year to explore the coming-of-age tale through exploding teens. Sophia Lillis starred as Sydney, a teenage girl navigating the trials and tribulations of high school while dealing with her family’s complexities, her budding sexuality, and mysterious superpowers just beginning to awaken deep within her. As heartfelt as it is bloody, with a fantastic supporting performance by Wyatt Oleff, I Am Not Okay With This was a critical darling and worthwhile adaptation of a YA novel.
Dracula – Netflix
If you thought you’d grown tired of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this series shook things up in a surprising way. A very, very loose retelling of the Bram Stoker classic that runs a bit longer than the rest, but its bold swings make it worth the time. The feature-length, three-episode run followed Dracula (Claes Bang) from his Eastern Europe origins to his battles with Van Helsing’s descendants and beyond. Dolly Wells threatened to steal the entire show as the feisty Sister Agatha Van Helsing, but the gore certainly helped quite a bit.
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