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Dark began as a mystery involving a missing child and evolved, over its three seasons, into a wildly complex narrative: a time travel-driven story that explores dark family secrets over the course of several generations. Youth may be a sort of protection in some horror stories, but not here, not even a little tiny bit. No one is safe from the show’s emotions threats, nor from literally being killed. Dark gets twistier and more compelling throughout its three seasons and, miracle of miracles, ends on its own terms and on a highly satisfying note. There’s nothing quite like it out there, which is a big part of the appeal, but it’s certainly not the only show with a smart, mature tone and compellingly twisty mysteries. Stream Dark on Netflix and then check out these other smart and spooky shows.
Wayward Pines (2015 – 2016)
Based on a trilogy of Blake Crouch novels, the show, initially, stars Matt Dillon as a Secret Service agent investigating the disappearances of two fellow agents in the Idaho town of Wayward Pines. Things go awry pretty much immediately, and he wakes up from a car accident to find one of the agents (Carla Gugino), who’s also his ex, having settled down in the seemingly idyllic community—and she’s 12 years older than when he last saw her a few weeks ago. Even more dramatically, the local sheriff (Terrence Howard) enforces a strict “no one ever leaves” policy, on pain of having one’s neck slit. The mysteries pile up from there. Stream Wayward Pines on Hulu.
From (2022 – )
Here we travel to The Town (we never get a name—definitely a red flag), from which no one can ever leave. The residents and visitors aren’t metaphorically trapped, but literally so, and are beset by creatures come from the woods and kill anyone found outside after dark. The Matthews family learn all about this firsthand when they roll into town in their RV and find themselves trapped alongside the local sheriff (Harold Perrineau)—just as the sun’s going down. The show’s monsters aren’t just mindlessly hungry, they’re cunning and sadistic, and more than capable of killing residents in impressively gory ways. It’s very much a supernatural spin on the “small towns ain’t what they seem” vibe. Stream From on MGM+ or buy it from Prime Video.
12 Monkeys (2015 – 2018)
Though the series at first felt like a pointless retread of the Terry Gilliam film (and of La Jetée, on which that was based), the series eventually began to luxuriate in its extended timeline and use it to ruminate on ideas of free will versus predetermination, even while throwing in plenty of action and mystery. Well before the end of the first season, the show found its sometimes-confusing (but always heady) groove. It’s sort of a pre-apocalypse story, with time travelers from a pretty rotten future sent back into the past to seek out and stop the release of a virus that will ultimately kill seven billion humans, and that’s expected to continue to mutate and eventually wipe out everyone left. Stream 12 Monkeys on Prime Video.
1899 (2022)
The steamship Kerberos is headed to New York City from Southampton in the UK, full of immigrants ready to start a new life. Sounds inspirational, except for that portentously named ship—and the fact that the series comes from Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar of Dark fame. The passengers soon discover that the boat isn’t just a boat, but includes portals to other locations and seemingly even other times. The unplanned ending (the show was cancelled) answers some questions while raising many others. Still: a bit of spooky fun on a boat. Stream 1899 on Netflix.
Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991, 2017)
With all due respect to every other “small towns are weird” show, including Dark, I’m not sure that there’s any finer example of the form than than this addictive bit of weirdness from David Lynch and Mark Frost. Teens and adults in the deceptively quiet Twin Peaks face tragedy accompanied by supernatural threats from outside of our normal space and time. I think? The mysteries here aren’t really meant to be solved as much as pondered with an eye toward nebulous existential dread (and if that’s not your idea of fun, I’m not sure what you’re doing here). Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who arrives in the title town to investigate the murder of teenager homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), precipitating a (very) long night of the soul as Cooper uncovers secrets and mysteries among the town’s delightfully, and often disturbingly, weird residents. As good as the original is, the anti-nostalgic followup series is a triumph. Stream Twin Peaks on Paramount+.
Signal (2016 – )
Blending police procedural, mystery, and science fiction, this K-drama remains one of the most-watched dramas in South Korean TV history—enough that a second season is coming after a wait of nearly 10 years. Police profiler Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) finds a discarded walkie-talkie that connects him with Detective Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong), who disappeared in 2000 but who is able to communicate from an earlier time. The two detectives are able to work together, across time, to solve a very cold case—but soon discover that there are disturbing consequences in the present when they fiddle with time. Stream Signal on Netflix.
Curon (2020)
Set near the real-life Lago di Resia in northern Italy, the show was inspired by the lake’s singular view: the bell tower of a 14th century chapel rising above the water, the only visible remains of a village submerged by a dam in the 1950s. That eerie setting is home to Anna Raina (Valeria Bilello); it was, anyway, until she fled while pregnant with her twin daughters following her mother’s tragic and mysterious death. The twins are now teenagers, and the three of them have returned—except nobody seems to want them around. They come to learn that Anna’s been having dreams about her mother’s death in which she’s the killer, and then she herself disappears. It all ties back to that lake and the creepy bell tower. Stream Curon on Netflix.
Fringe (2008 – 2013)
We don’t talk nearly enough about Fringe, a smart sci-fi/crime procedural that served as a true successor to the X-Files (and that wrapped more satisfyingly than that show ever did, even given multiple tries). Starting out as a kind of weird-mystery-of-the-week thing with Anna Torv as FBI Agent Olivia Dunham, Joshua Jackson as civilian consultant Peter and John Noble as his science-guy dad, Walter, straight out of a mental institution. It soon becomes clear that the odd occurrences they’ve been investigating are all linked to potentially universe-ending incursions across time and space, and that Walter has dark secrets that are both personal and existentially profound. Stream Fringe on Hulu.
Archive 81 (2022)
A clever and spooky horror noir that gets a mixed recommendation only because of Netflix’s tendency to cancel shows after a single season. Archive 81 stars Mamoudou Athie as archivist Dan, hired to restore some old tapes from the 1990s. What follows involves a demonic cult, Lovecraftian horrors, and a jazz-age demon cult. It builds an impressive horror mythology that it only barely had a chance to develop. And yet! We love a spooky tape moment. Stream Archive 81 on Netflix.
Channel Zero (2016 – 2018)
A mind-bending and occasionally gruesome expansion of various online creepypastas, Nick Antosca’s series takes the form of four season-long storylines. While the tone is far from juvenile, the vibe here is childhood-nightmares-come-to-life: The show’s first season anticipates I Saw the TV Glow with a story about a half-remembered TV series linked to the disappearances of several children; another finds a couple of sisters dealing with cannibals and a mysterious staircase in the middle of the woods, while the last has a newlywed couple finding a mysterious door that unlocks childhood anxieties (and a freaky clown). The most Dark-like (perhaps) is the second season, which sees a group of friends trapped in a tourist-attraction haunted house that exits into a disturbing alternate reality. It’s all smart and genuinely freaky, existential dread blending with memorable visuals such as a child made entirely of human teeth. Stream Channel Zero on Shudder and AMC+ or buy it from Prime Video.
Feria: The Darkest Light (2022)
Dark deeds and supernatural forces from the past haunt multiple generations—this time, in 1995 Andalusia. This import finds teenage sisters Sofia and Eva caught in a nightmare when their parents go missing while being implicated in a cult ritual that’s left 23 people dead, including a woman who’d been missing for years. Tying back to 1975 and, implicitly, the fall of Francisco Franco, Feria shatters this small town’s sense of community and security while calling into question the value of the organizations—including government and church—that everyone holds dear. Kids getting caught up in generational cycles of violence and shame is an extremely recognizable vibe. Stream Feria on Netflix.
Tales From the Loop (2020)
A gorgeous-looking anthology, Tales From the Loop takes place in the small town of Mercer, Ohio—a town that happens to sit upon the titular Loop, a physics lab exploring mysteries for which science has no answers. Each episode offers the story of a person or family in the town impacted by the work of the Loop, in slow-burning stories about the intersection of technology and human existence. It’s based on a conceptual art book by artist Simon Stålenhag, and successfully ports over that book’s striking look and feel. Stream Tales from the Loop on Prime Video.
The OA (2016 – 2019)
The unclassifiable sci-fi/mystery series stars Brit Marling as Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling), a woman who returns after a seven-year disappearance, proclaiming herself to be the “original angel”; aiding her case is the fact that she has the ability to see, though she was previously blind. She assembles a group of young people to help her in a mission to save others who’ve been lost, which she can only do by opening a portal to another dimension. The critically acclaimed show was unceremoniously cancelled after two seasons, which hasn’t stopped people talking about the show and its mysteries. Stream The OA on Netflix.
The Leftovers (2014 – 2017)
The premise of The Leftovers is brilliantly subdued: Around 2% of the world’s population disappears without explanation, and it’s enough to upend just about everything. Politics have adapted to the new normal, religions have collapsed and reformed, and families have had to make peace with the inexplicable loss of loved ones. The first season revolves around the Garvey family. led by Kevin (Justin Theroux), a sheriff whose wife (Amy Brenneman) left him to join a cult, while subsequent seasons broaden the scope to bring in other characters in other locations. Showrunner Damon Lindelof also co-created Lost, and the two series share some similarities (including a relatively grim tone), but where Lost spun out of control, The Leftovers recognizes that complex plotting and the search for answers is really the point. Stream The Leftovers on HBO Max.
Gravity Falls (2012 – 2016)
Finally, a little something for the kids, who also deserve a spooky mystery or two. (I say “kids,” but this is genuinely pretty fun for all ages.) The much-loved, if relatively short-lived, animated series follows twin siblings Mabel and Dipper Pines (Kristen Schaal and Jason Ritter) sent to spend the summer with their great uncle (aka “Grunkle”) Stan (voiced by show creator Alex Hirsch). While helping Stan run his mystery-themed tourist shack, the kids run into a series of supernatural mysteries, many related to the show’s ultimate antagonist, dream demon Bill Cipher. The show’s finale was similarly a blockbuster—the highest rated telecast in the history of Disney XD, as a matter of fact. Not terrifying, perhaps, but genuinely clever. Stream Gravity Falls on Disney+.
