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10 Best Modern Horror TV Shows That Are Stephen King's Personal Recommendations

10 Best Modern Horror TV Shows That Are Stephen King's Personal Recommendations
Image credit: Netflix

If the King of Horror said these are good, you better prepare some sedatives.

10. La Mante (2017)

Remember that one cannibal guy with a hilariously revealing name who collaborated with the police? And that other maniac, too? In La Mante, a serial killer also decides to help the cops — but not because she’s nice like that.

Someone is out there copying her signature murder style, and she’s infuriated. She wants them locked up.

“I'm enjoying La Mante. It is surveying previously unexplored realms of gruesomeness,” Stephen King wrote.

Watch La Mante on Netflix and Apple TV.

9. Dark (2017–2020)

Sometimes, what seems stable and picture-perfect hides worse secrets than the most dysfunctional relationship. For decades, four families have seemingly peacefully co-existed in a small German town, but the disappearance of two young kids dragged their old rivalries and problems out of the closet, escalating in no time.

“Dark is dark and complex...and...well...very German. Terrific show,” the King of Horrors said.

Watch Dark on Netflix.

8. Marianne (2019)

We love the concept of “a supernatural being growing powerful from public belief.” Haunted by dark visions since her childhood, a young woman gets rid of them by writing horror books. Her series becomes popular, but as she finishes it, the terrifying witch comes for her demanding she keeps writing, making the witch stronger yet.

“If you're one of those sickos—like me—who enjoys being scared, Marianne will do the job. <...> It also has a Stephen King vibe,” the celebrated author wrote.

Watch Marianne on Netflix and Apple TV.

7. N0S4A2 (2019–2020)

Those familiar with Stephen King’s Christine might find the general idea of N0S4A2 quite familiar, but trust us: it goes in a very different direction. Or, rather, drives in it. This series follows a young boy who forms a weird and unique bond with his father’s new car — which turns out to be first, possessed, and second, more than a car.

“NOS4A2: Scary? Yes. Involving? Yes. <...> The best horror stories are firmly wedded to real life,” King remarked.

Watch N0S4A2 on Apple TV and Prime Video.

6. Servant (2019–2023)

There are few traumas in the world as rough as losing one’s child, and parents have to be really strong to recover from it. But what if they don’t want to be strong? A happy middle-class couple is struck with grief when their firstborn dies, but the woman refuses to accept it and starts caring for an eerily lifelike infant doll, instead.

“Extremely creepy and totally involving. Two episodes and I'm hooked,” Stephen King wrote.

Watch Servant on Apple TV.

5. Dracula (2020)

The most classic Gothic horror story ever, Dracula finds a new life, scratch that, undeath in this recent series. An exhausted and barely human escapee from a powerful count’s castle tells the story of his tormentor to a nun who saves him. The more he describes the horrors of Dracula’s domain, the more she realizes who he is.

“Smart, involving, and bloody terrific. Which is to say it's terrific and VERY bloody,” the King of Horror shared.

Watch Dracula on Netflix and Prime Video.

4. Midnight Mass (2021)

There’s little new in isolated communities, and it’s often newcomers that bring life into them. A small island exists as if frozen in time, and nothing changes there — until a charismatic young priest with a mysterious past arrives. With his arrival, many miracles start happening around the island, varying from wonderful to terrifying…

“A dense, beautifully photographed terror tale that climbs to a high pitch of horror,” the famous author said about it.

Watch Midnight Mass on Netflix and Apple TV.

3. Yellowjackets ( 2021–Now)

How do you destroy someone? Take everything from them and force them to struggle for survival. After a wildly successful girls soccer team gets stranded in Canadian wilderness, it doesn’t take long for them to descend from a solid crew into warring cannibalistic clans, eager for each others’ blood and delusion of old times.

“Yellowjackets is a hell of a good survival story, a hell of a good mystery story, and has its fair share of horrifying moments <...> and sharp characterization and a mordant sense of humor,” King praised.

Watch Yellowjackets on Paramount Plus, Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV, and Prime Video.

2. Guillermo del Toro 's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

It’s Guillermo del Toro, everybody. There’s hardly anything new we can tell you about this man, but we’ll share just why Cabinet of Curiosities is worth every second of your time. You see, this is an anthology series, and it features some of the most original and unique horror stories you’ve seen. And it’s del Toro, so it’s really good.

“I strongly advise you to open Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. <...> Scary, sinister, and beautiful to look at,” Stephen King wrote.

Watch Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix.

1. From (2022–Now)

The most horrifying phrase you can hear is, “There’s no escape.” For the inhabitants of a small American town slapped dead in the middle of the country, it’s their reality: no one who enters the town can leave it, and while during the day, they live semi-normal lives, when the night falls, they are visited by diabolical monstrosities.

“I’m three episodes in. Wonderful concept, beautifully handled. Is it possible these people are dead and don’t know it? That spike through the head…holy cow,” the King of Horror shared his impressions on X (formerly Twitter).

Watch From on Max and Prime Video.