10 Nearly Perfect Horror Shows, Ranked

I’m picky with horror TV because the format invites padding, stalling, and endless teasing. A show feels nearly perfect when it keeps the dread moving, pays off what it sets up, and never wastes your time just to hit an episode count. When the writing is sharp, the scares become a bonus rather than the whole meal.

The list ranges from the gentle opening of The Haunting of Bly Manor, where Dani Clayton arrives at a governess job and grief quietly sits in the corners, to the atmosphere-first Archive 81, which suffocates rather than chases scares as Dan Turner and Melody Pendras cross the line between past and present.

Channel Zero earns its spot by treating each season like a different nightmare — Candle Cove, No-End House and The Dream Door all reward close watching, and showrunner Nick Antosca favors fresh structure over recycled monsters. Midnight Mass builds fear through conversation and the ways faith masks hunger, and Mike Flanagan’s talkier approach still lands a big payoff.