From ‘Stranger Things’ to ‘Kingdom’: 5 best Netflix Original horror shows to binge on this weekend

Horror aficionados usually do not need to wait until Halloween to enjoy content enlisted under their favourite genre on Netflix. From demonic entities to grotesque monsters and ravenous zombies, the element of physical and psychological horror seems to attract the attention of genre enthusiasts equally. 

Netflix, a certified horror treasure trove, constantly strives to better their content while being an abode to brilliant horror films and shows that indulge the horror fans in us.

From controversial horror films making a comeback to the screaming giant to more consistent performers like Hereditary, The Conjuring and more, Netflix has housed various kinds of scary films that are enough to terrify one into oblivion. 

However, it is important to note that Netflix has a brilliant collection of scary horror series, some of which are produced by the streaming giant itself. 

If you are looking for a weekend binge, take a look at the 5 best Netflix Original horror shows: 

5 best Netflix Original horror shows to binge on this weekend

5. Marianne (Samuel Bodin, 2019)

This French neo-Gothic series abounds in plenty of jumpscares and an ominous setting coupled with a background score that adds eerie calm to the show. A thrill ride laced with altered realities and gloomy tones, the plot is disturbing where nobody is spared from the torment, despair and anguish of mortality and death. While it borrows heavily from other popular horror flicks, the showrunner manages to weave a captivating tale that ends on a pretty open-ended note. 

The series is based on the life of Ema Larsimon, a horror story author, who uses her nightmarish visions of Satanic evil as modes of inspiration to write her book. However, sinister events begin to unfold in her hometown and Emma, along with her trusted aides, is soon pitted against such terrifying evils while constantly fighting for survival.  

4. The Haunting of Hill House (Mike Flanagan, 2018)

Based on Shirley Jackson’s eponymous novel, this 2018 miniseries marked the beginning of Flanagan’s spectacular collaboration with Netflix as he merged the past, present and future into one to present a harrowing portrait of horror that transcends the spatial and psychological realm. With ghostly apparitions, jump scares and other sinister occult disturbances, the omnipresent tension in the series manifests in the frail characters who, along with the audience, slowly advance towards insanity. 

It revolves around the Crain family who moves into the titular Hill Huse to make renovations before being confronted by sudden problems and anxieties upon coming in contact with the supernatural horrors of the house. Following their mother’s suicide, they grow up into dysfunctional adults who are forced to unite under mournful circumstances which lead to an epic yet terrifying showdown. 

3. Kingdom (Kim Eun-hee, 2019)

Set in the Joseon Dynasty in Korea following the gory Omjin War, the series focuses on a mysterious plague that leads to the resurrection of the dead into zombies that soon overrun the empire amidst rising political tension and other important affairs. With several malicious conspiracies surrounding several characters, the show advances steadily to uncover the truth behind such horrifying events while providing a sharp, socio-political and socio-economic commentary. 

Kingdom is a brilliant portrayal of how power corrupts one and all present. A brilliant fusion of various genres, namely period drama, political thriller and horror, the series reflects Eun-hee’s vision of how “politics and the living dead are not separated but come together as one”. With plenty of violence, blood, gore and emotional upheavals, the show focuses on injustice, envy, greed and inequity across various social sectors, while enhancing Eun-hee’s opinions regarding what politics really is. 

2. Squid Game (Hwang Dong-hyuk, 2021)

 Starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon and others, Squid Game became one of Netflix’s most popular series, generating maximum revenue and inducing the Korean Wave globally. Set in a dystopian version of modern-day South Korea, the series is a scathing analysis of class differences, power struggles, capitalism, corruption and financial crisis. With vulnerability, paranoia and chaos plaguing the participants, the series chronicles how desperation brings out the worst in man, often unleashing immense depravity and moral degradation. 

With staggering prize money of 45.6 billion Korean Won, 456 participants are forced to partake in twisted versions of children’s games while being forced into confined spaces under the panoptic gazes of masked men in red overalls. These participants are basically fighting for survival that will determine their life or death; the winner bags the money while the loser dies a slow, painful demise. 

1. Stranger Things (Duffer brothers, 2016)

Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, David Harbour, Noah Schnapp, Winona Ryder, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery and others, Stranger Things is a nostalgic ode from the creators to the enigmatic eighties where they incorporate various elements of sci-fi, namely interdimensional time travel, deadly monsters and a kid with psychokinetic powers, within the grunge aesthetics of the 80s. Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the show has become a pop-cultural phenomenon and will be back for its fourth season soon. 

Explosive, violent and mysterious, the show is a concoction of every child’s dream sequence over the last three seasons. While it began with the mysterious disappearance of a boy named Will Byers, prompting his family and friends to search for him desperately, the series quickly uncovered the sinister secrets being concealed by corrupt government officials while discovering terrifying monsters and the Upside Down.