10 Small Town Horror TV Shows To Watch Now

The horror genre has long proved itself ideal for long-form storytelling, which is why several shows have endured on television as pioneering classics. The medium allows for a deeper exploration of dark themes, psychological terror, and the creeping unease that steadily builds over time and seasons. There also seems more potential for slow-burn storytelling when horror TV shows are set within a close-knit, isolated small town. The setting is ripe with dark secrets and a sense of being cut off from the hustle and realism of the outside world.

Horror TV shows set in small towns create an eerie but enchanting, self-contained fictional sphere where menace becomes a common thing and mysterious forces are stronger than ever. The ten shows mentioned in this list are examples of how small towns can become the perfect backdrop for foreboding intrigue and horror. From possessed dolls to vampiric mayhem, the TV shows present the creepiest of places to tell the scariest of tales.

10 Chucky (2021 – Present)

In continuation with the Child’s Play franchise and a direct sequel to 2017’s Cult of Chucky, this TV show takes you to the small town of Hackensack, New Jersey. After the iconic killer doll Chucky is mysteriously found at a local yard sale, strange deaths begin to occur. When 14-year-old Jake Wheeler investigates them, all clues lead to the red-haired doll that was once just a toy but now seems to have a sinister and terrifying mind of its own.

A Fresh Take On A Classic Slasher

Chucky is a revival series that brings the beloved slasher franchise to the small screen with its gritty but devilish reimagining of the character. Unlike other TV reboots, this one stands out because of its superbly-crafted horror elements and entertaining performances of Brad Dourif as the maniacal doll and a new brand of misfits led by Zackary Arthur that team up to take Chucky down. Across its well-paced three seasons, the show dives deeper into Chucky’s twisted origin and stays terrifying throughout.

9 Midnight Mass (2021)

Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, Midnight Mass follows Riley Flynn, a young man who returns to his hometown of Crockett Island for a normal life after spending four years behind bars. At the same time, the town welcomes a charismatic yet mysterious young priest who promises to restore their wavering faith. But his dangerous practices lead to rising tensions in the isolated community, and are followed by a series of strange and ominous events.

Leaves You in a State of Hypnosis

Flanagan’s limited series format works extremely well as a hypnotic examination of religious fanaticism and existential dread. The brooding isolation of the tight-knit town, paired with the relentless ratcheting up of the tension episode after episode, creates a whole new level of unease. Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, and Hamish Linklater deliver exceptional performances, bringing out the faith and flaws of their characters and pulling no punches in revealing the true horror that disturbs them. Overall, Midnight Mass is a slow-burn masterpiece.

8 NOS4A2 (2019 – 2020)

Set in the sleepy town of Christmasland – an imaginative Christmas Village where every day is Christmas – NOS4A2 tells the story of a mysterious figure named Charlie Manx who lurks in the shadows and feeds on the minds of children. Young, working-class artist Vic McQueen discovers that she has the strange ability to track down Manx, who transports his prey’s souls to Christmasland. Vic then tries to destroy this horrible domain with her powers.

Road Trip into the Supernatural

NOS4A2 is a magnificent adaptation of a supernatural horror novel written by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King. It combines suburban creepiness and stylish fantasy tropes to capture the viewers’ attention instantly. Apart from the layered paranormal powers possessed by Vic and Manx and their atmospheric war, the most interesting aspect of the series is the vividly realized town of Christmasland, which harbors ingenious plot twists and gripping visuals, all leading to an unforgettable showdown.

7 The Outsider (2020)

Stephen King’s novels have been the perfect seed to sow into movies and TV shows for a long, long time now. The Outsider adapts one of his novels of the same name and tells the story of Terry Maitland, who finds himself embroiled in an open-and-shut case after being wrongfully accused of the gruesome murder of a little boy. Detective Ralph Anderson is in charge of the investigation, and she finds some truly bizarre evidence that points far away from Terry.

Delivers Sophisticated Scares

King’s extremely unnerving, slow-burn psychological thriller gets new life on HBO at the hands of Richard Price, who weaves an exquisite small-town mystery that leaves audiences scratching their heads until the very end. The series spans ten tightly wound episodes with flawless pacing as the unsettling events unfold one after the other. Holding a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it is a series that can hold the audiences’ attention throughout – in no small part thanks to an amazing performance from standout Cynthia Erivo.

6 Bates Motel (2013 – 2017)

Based on Robert Bloch’s characters, the ones he created for his 1959 novel titled Psycho, Bates Motel is a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s movie of the same name. It chronicles Norman Bates’ teenage years as he navigates life in the idyllic coastal town of White Pine Bay. Running the Bates Motel with his mother, Norma, but struggling with their codependent relationship, Norman finds his psyche unraveling into something strange.

Tragic, Heartbreaking, and Funny

This contemporary reimagining of what took place in these characters’ lives before Hitchcock’s timeless story is as witty as it is terrifying. It is spread neatly across five seasons and allows the audiences to feel mesmerized by the Bates family but experience chills from the creepy atmosphere they reside in. Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore’s remarkable performances paint a new and fascinating picture as the dysfunctional duo of Norma and Norman and redefine horror for television.

5 Shining Vale (2022 – Present)

In Shining Vale, Courtney Cox plays Pat Phelps, a one-time-hit novelist whose very public infidelity scandal forces her dysfunctional family to leave New York City for a quiet life in the small Connecticut town of Shining Vale. Pat and Terry hope to revive their marriage in this new home, but instead, they realize that the majestic estate holds a sinister presence that threatens the family’s well-being.

This is What a Suburban Nightmare Looks Like

Even though its premise may not suggest it, Shining Vale puts a comedic spin on comedic horror. Kicking off from the first episode itself, the series features an amazing and relatable dysfunctional family dynamic and then steers into Cox’s Pat, facing a midlife crisis where she’s either convinced about being possessed or being crazy. Greg Kinnear is the perfect bickering partner, and humor arises from the domestic drama and subtle horror.

4 Wayward Pines (2015 – 2016)

Wayward Pines is adapted from Blake Crouch’s trilogy of books of the same name, and it tells the story of U.S. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke, who is in search of two missing colleagues in the titular small town. But the deeper he delves into their disappearance and speaks with the town’s locals, the more he questions everything around him, eventually realizing that nobody really ever escapes Wayward Pines.

A Mind-Bending Psychological Thriller

Underrated and canceled prematurely despite being brilliant, Wayward Pines is described by critics as being creepy and bizarre. It has a familiar vibe when it comes to supernatural storytelling but holds its own with strange plot twists and shocking reveals. The series is also a return to form for M. Night Shyamalan, who directed the first episode and executive produced the rest. Overall, it offers an innovative spin on the small-town horror format.

3 Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991)

More mystery-laden but just as ghastly, Twin Peaks is one of the most influential ‘90s TV shows. The series centers around FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who is appointed as the chief investigator of a bizarre murder case of high school student Laura Palmer. He arrives at the quirky mountain logging town of Twin Peaks determined to solve the mystery, but what begins as a routine case soon spirals into an increasingly dark and surreal drama.

Who Killed Laura Palmer?

Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, Twin Peaks sparked a cultural phenomenon with its aesthetic storytelling. Its idyllic setting redefined the mystery-horror genre, the offbeat characters inspired many other similar ones, and the unsettling tone left an enduring impression on television. Worth noting are the stellar performances by Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee, who kept the intrigue alive across three seasons and almost 50 episodes.

2 Salem’s Lot (1979)

Directed by Tobe Hooper and adapted from Stephen King’s 1975 novel of the same name, Salem’s Lot is a chilling miniseries that centers around writer Ben Mears, who returns to his small hometown of Salem’s Lot, Maine. Meanwhile, a strange European man called Straker has a crate shipped to his house; the crate contains his business partner, Kurt Barlow, an ancient vampire. Both events coincide, and Mears discovers the presence of blood-sucking vampires in the town.

A Terrifying Vampire Classic

Salem’s Lot features a superb cast, including David Soul and James Mason, who anchor this classic adaptation and offer a nuanced take on small towns plagued by vampiric horrors. Hailed by critics as a surprising success known for turning the genre on its head, it takes some very interesting plot twists, delivers supernatural terrors, and kicks off a new era of vampire content.

1 Stranger Things (2016 – 2025)

The ultimate small-town horror TV show, Stranger Things is Netflix’s greatest triumph in recent years. It transports audiences to the 1980s, in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a young boy named William Byers seemingly vanishes into thin air. His devastated mother, Joyce, Police Chief Jim Hopper, and Will’s friends search for him. But the only reality that comes forward is a physically gifted girl and the existence of an alternate dimension.

Thrives on Nostalgia and Mystery

By opening a Pandora’s box of unexplained events, the Duffer Brothers pay homage to 1980s thrillers and capture our collective imagination. Stranger Things features a talented ensemble of actors, including Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, and more, who deliver wonderful performances. The meticulous attention to detail, dark and gripping conspiracy theories, sci-fi mysteries, and modern pop culture references make it a hit.