Despite not getting as much attention as their film counterparts, there are a lot of greathorrorTV shows, and these eight are so good that audiences will be hooked in the first 10 minutes. Thebest horror TV showsvary greatly in their stories, characters, and themes, but each of them shares the ability to create a great hook.
From starting out strong withimmediate jump scaresto setting up intriguing central mysteries, these eight shows give audiences a taste of what is to come without giving too much away. What’s more, their opening scenes showcase some immediately impressive performances and haunting writing that will stick with audiences as the shows progress.
8Evil
CBS and Paramount+’s drama seriesEvilhas an incredible team dynamic between its three leads, but even before Kristen Bouchard joins David Acosta and Ben Shakir in their supernatural investigations, the series has already set up an interesting question: Where is the line between possession and insanity, andwhere do science and religion meet?
The opening 10 minutes ofEvilset up a strong character in Kristen and an interesting case in Orson LeRoux. Despite Kristen being a skeptic,the show allows viewers to question whether it is possible that he could be possessed. This investigation into LeRoux and Kristen’s introduction to David set up the show’s premise and central debate.
The divide between the evils of man and supernatural evils remains one that is present throughout the series, and the show’s opening episode makes that clear. This is supplemented by the constant conversation occurring between religion and science, which allowsEvilto explore messages surrounding its titular concept well.
7Midnight Mass
All ofMike Flanagan’s Netflix horror showsare good, butMidnight Massstands out as being one of the best. His shows often deal with much larger themes that are perfectly intertwined with the horror narrative, andMidnight Massis arguably the most interesting exploration of guilt, grief, and religionin any of Flanagan’s works. That is immediately clear from the start.
The miniseries' opening moments explore both the idea of lost faith and Riley Flynn’s sense of guiltover his drunk-driving accident. Not only is the death of the teenage girl something that he can never take back, but it also sets the character apart from those around him on Crockett Island when he returns home to his family.
While the primary supernatural antagonist isn’t introduced until a bit later in the episode,Midnight Massimmediately sets its emotional stakes and outlines what is haunting Riley Flynn. The seven-episode series perfectly highlights exactly what makes Flanagan’s shows so rich and engulfing, and that starts right in the first 10 minutes.
6Penny Dreadful
The 2014 seriesPenny Dreadfulwas one of the most creative horror shows on TV during its runthanks to its unique approach to Gothic horror. The series combines original characters with classic figures from some of the most well-known fictional stories of the Victorian era.
The show’s historic setting and complete immersion in the worlds of its famous fictional characters lets audiences know what they are getting into right away. In the opening scenes of the episode,questions are already raised about what creature could be terrorizing the streets of London, even before Eva Green’s Vanessa Ives recruits Ethan Chandler.
What makesPenny Dreadful’s opening minutes work so well ishow nicely Ethan Chandler serves as a stand-in for the audience. He is a great character in his own right, but his introduction into the world of vampires and other supernatural creatures perfectly mirrors pushing audiences right into the deep end in episode 1.
5Castle Rock
Castle Rockis the perfect show for any Stephen King fan, as it combines elements from many of his stories without being based on any particular one. Even for those unfamiliar withStephen King’s extensive work,Castle Rock’s first 10 minutes prove just how good it’s going to be.
In the first 10 minutes of the series,audiences are given not one, but two, huge mysteries the series needs to solve. First, viewers are shown the mysterious appearance of a boy in the middle of a frozen lake who wasn’t there seconds earlier. Then another man, years later, commits suicide on the day of his retirement.
Without directly connecting these two events at all in the first 10 minutes,audiences are left wondering how they will intertwine, why Dale Lacy killed himself, and why he kept an entire cell block of Shawshank State Prison locked for 30 years. As the series expands, it raises more questions, only finally and satisfyingly answering them in the season finale.
4The Walking Dead
Looking back, it is easy to see whyThe Walking Deadbecame the successful franchise that it is today, as the first 10 minutes set it up for success so well. The Frank Darabont-directed pilot, “Days Gone Bye,” is anexcellent hour of television that is everything a horror fan could want.
After being shot, Rick Grimes' emergence from his coma sets up a solid amount of tension for the series, and that tension and confusion turns to horror in quick succession. Right away,The Walking Deadlets audiences know exactly what they are getting into: it is brutal, bloody, and amazing.
While the first 10 minutes (and the pilot episode as a whole) don’t shy away from the amount of blood and violence that audiences should prepare for,it also has an impressive level of sadness and humanity. Rick quickly learns that life means something different now, and the shots that linger on the walkers capture this well.
3Hannibal
Both at the time of its release and in the years since,Hannibalhas been praised as one of the best horror TV shows. This was as clear from its opening scenes, as well as from the fact thatHannibalonly got more highly rated as it continued into seasons 2 and 3.
With that being said, audiences can find everything they need to know about the series in those opening minutes, and it is certainly impressive.Hannibalquickly sets up Will Graham as its troubled lead character, a gifted investigator with a skill for understanding killers that shows just how dark the show’s tone is going to get.
The series' opening 10 minutes also display exactly what audiences can expect in terms ofHannibal’s aesthetic sensibilities. The show, like its titular character, feels polished despite its incredibly graphic imagery.Hannibalis beautifully shot and impeccably acted even in its initial moments, highlighting exactly why it has remained so well regarded.
2The Haunting of Hill House
I may be biased since Shirley Jackson’sThe Haunting of Hill Houseis one of my favorite books, but Netflix’sThe Haunting of Hill Houseseries is immediately perfect. The show’s plot may not have tons in common with the book, butits decision to begin with lines from the book sets the themes of the series up perfectly.
Introducing the house and the young Crain family blends perfectly into adult Steven Crain’s roleas an author and supernatural skeptic. The initial scenes of the episode are both scary and force audiences to wonder whether there is any real supernatural presence there or simply the imaginings of imperfect human minds, which continues throughout the season.
Like Flanagan’s other miniseries,The Haunting of Hill Houseis expertly directed and acted from start to finish, with even the children performers doing great work. The show is incredibly dark thematically, dealing with grief, addiction, and trauma within the context of the Crain family, but it is one ofNetflix’s best original shows.
1Twin Peaks
Twin Peaksis a surreal, horrifying masterpiecethat is often considered one of the best TV shows of all time. On its face,Twin Peakscould be described as a murder mystery show, but any fan of the series knows it is so much more than that, and even the first 10 minutes of the series make that depth clear.
Audiences are introduced to the small town of Twin Peaks through the death of Laura Palmer, a seemingly perfect typical American girl from a good family. Her death and the mysterious reappearance of Ronette Pulaski perfectly display the contrast between seemingly idyllic small-town life and the darker truth in Twin Peaks.
While this exploration of the dark underbelly of America’s small towns has a clear place throughout David Lynch’s work,Twin Peaksexemplifies this perfectly. Thehorrorseries only gets better after the first 10 minutes, but this initial set-up tells audiences everything they need to know to be hooked.
