5 Best Horror TV Shows Of 2026 (So Far)

2026 has been such a triumphant year for horror movies on the big screen, delivering box office mega-hits like “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” that it’s easy to overlook the horror gems on TV. The gloriously messy vampire relations of “Interview With the Vampire” returned with a rebrand. Apple TV delivered another original hit, this time centered on an island full of nightmares. And anthology series “The Terror” finally returned with a third season and a whole new setting.

Of course, the year’s not over yet, and scary season is just getting underway. There are some highly-anticipated horror TV shows still to come, like Josh Hartnett’s sea monster thriller “Below,” witchy murder mystery “Yaga,” and Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel “Carrie.” But if you’re hungry for some scares right now, or you just want to get caught up before Halloween, here are the five best horror TV shows of 2026 so far.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs

There is nobody who has been a voice for horror in the way that Joe Bob Briggs (aka. John Bloom) has for the last several decades. As the host of “Joe Bob’s Drive-In Theater” and “Monstervision” on cable TV back in the day, he showered love on horror movies that had been most ignored by mainstream audiences back then. He’s since brought that same energy into the streaming era with “The Last Drive-In” on Shudder. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and Season 7 served as the show’s last. But Joe Bob went out on top.

The final few double features Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince) hosted on Shudder aired this year, alongside a few specials. Yet, Joe Bob never lost a step, showcasing everything from classics like “House on Haunted Hill” to confounding gems like “The Last Horror Film.” Most importantly, he presented these movies with love, passion, honesty, and that Joe Bob sense of humor.

Cynicism feels rampant in the age of the internet. The streaming era can also be isolating, as we all watch what we want, when we want. What Joe Bob and “The Last Drive-In” facilitated was a communal viewing experience that bucked cynicism at every turn, regardless of the quality of the movies on display in this one-of-a-kind show — a place where horror fans could gather around and be surprised.

“The Last Drive-In” may be over, but the drive-in will never die. (Ryan Scott)

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen

Of all the extremely niche horror genres out there, meet-the-in-laws horror might be one of the most relatable. After all, who isn’t a bit anxious when meeting their partner’s family for the first time? Especially when your efforts to make a good impression go awry when the in-laws try to harvest your body (see: “Get Out”), hunt you down in the name of the devil (see: “Ready or Not”), or subject you to a surprise late-night polygraph test (see: “Meet the Parents”).

This year’s meet-the-in-laws offering is the Netflix horror miniseries “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen.” It was created by Haley Z. Boston, who cut her teeth as a writer on another excellent Netflix horror miniseries, “Brand New Cherry Flavor.” If you’ve seen that show and loved its blend of  supernatural horror and giallo gore, you’re in for a treat with “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen.” 

Camila Morrone stars as Rachel Harkin, who’s heading to a secluded woodland vacation home belonging to her fiancé Nicky’s (Adam DiMarco) wealthy family, where the whole clan will be gathering for their wedding. That premise might sound pretty familiar, but brace yourself, because “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” breaks away from the usual meet-the-parents horror formula. Don’t worry, though — it definitely delivers on the title. (Hannah Shaw-Williams)

The Terror: Devil in Silver

“The Terror: Devil in Silver” is technically the third season of AMC’s horror anthology series, but in practical terms, it’s a standalone miniseries that’s as disconnected from the previous two seasons as they were from each other. If there is one theme loosely linking this show’s installments, though, it’s horror rooted in real-life history. That includes a lost Arctic expedition’s descent into cannibalism, the injustice of Japanese American internment camps during World War II, and, with “Devil in Silver,” the popularization of the transorbital lobotomy (which, in layman’s terms, involved hammering an ice pick into the patient’s eye socket and wiggling it around inside their brain).

“Devil in Silver” stars scream king Dan Stevens (“The Guest,” “Abigail,”) as a heavy metal drummer adorably nicknamed Pepper, who finds himself committed to a psychiatric hospital on a suspiciously flimsy pretext. Once inside, he starts to suspect that something isn’t quite right at New Hyde Hospital. Maybe it’s the staff’s anxious obsession with “compliance.” Maybe it’s the off-limits hallway ending in a mysterious silver door that no one is willing to talk about. Or maybe it’s the monster arms coming out of the ceiling. There’s just something off about the place.

Executive produced by Karyn Kusama (“The Invitation,” “Jennifer’s Body”), who also directed the first two episodes, “Devil in Silver” is an absorbing slice of slow-burn horror with shades of Steven Soderbergh’s “Unsane” and Brad Anderson’s cult classic “Session 9.” If this one flew under your radar, now’s the time to catch up. (Hannah Shaw-Williams)

The Vampire Lestat

AMC wasn’t merely being extra (like the titular vamp) when it renamed its “Interview with the Vampire” TV show “The Vampire Lestat” for Season 3. No, the real reason is because this entry in Rolin Jones’ splendid small screen take on Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles novels is about the horror of being Lestat himself, as recounted by Sam Reid’s fiendishly over-the-drop blood-sucker. And, by that, I mean it retains Seasons 1 and 2’s profound themes of familial trauma and unreliable memory in a story about Lestat embarking on a rock band tour that’s definitely unrelated to his estranged lover Louis (Jacob Anderson) giving a tell-all interview about their tumultuous history.

Funnily, “The Vampire Lestat” is the second 2026 release about a musician whose theatrical antics mask their insecure soul after David Lowery’s beguiling “Mother Mary.” (That film’s composer, Daniel Hart, even wrote Lestat’s honest-to-goodness bangers.) However, where the latter is moody and darkly ethereal, “The Vampire Lestat” comes at you like a bat out of hell (vampire or otherwise), blending luxurious voiceover narration with queer camp and full-throated sorrow. This is modern gothic horror melodrama unlike anything else on TV, and while its stylistic extravagance threatens to overwhelm you, it knows when to slow down and let its exemplary cast take center stage (including Assad Zaman as Louis’ chaotic ex Armand and Jennifer Ehle as Lestat’s toxic mother Gabriella). 

And never fear, Anne Rice devotees: The Queen of the Damned is coming. (Sandy Schaefer)

Widow’s Bay

Remember the mayor in “Jaws” who was so obsessed with tourist dollars that he kept the beaches open despite the presence of a giant bloodthirsty shark in the waters? Well, replace the giant shark with an island absolutely riddled with ghosts, ancient curses, undead serial killers, and eldritch terrors, and you’ve got “Widow’s Bay” — captained by Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys). Tom just wants to make his quaint little island home the new Martha’s Vineyard, even if it means being aggressively in denial about the bed of nightmares that Widow’s Bay has been built on.

“Widow’s Bay” will be a delight for fans of the horror genre, with nods to folk horror, teen slashers, and haunted hotels. But the show never merely feels like a bag of references and parodies. Rather, it has an identity that’s all its own, thanks to its small town spirit and the collection of oddballs who are doomed to live and die on this cursed rock. It’s hard to even pick a standout in the first-rate cast, which also includes Dale Dickey, Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Stephen Root, and Jeff Hiller, along with great guest stars like Chris Fleming, Betty Gilpin, and Hamish Linklater.

This isn’t just one of the best horror shows of 2026 so far. “Widow’s Bay” a strong contender for the best new TV show of the year overall. So, hop on a ferry and sail on over to this popular new tourist spot. Just watch out for the sea hag. (Hannah Shaw-Williams)