From Cartoons to Cannibalism: Spooky TV Shows to Watch on Halloween

As we celebrate this spooky season, enjoy these picks from The Crimson’s Arts Board for the best shows to get you in the mood for Halloween. Whether you’re looking for a thriller, a lighthearted paranormal comedy, or a grotesque storyline, there’s truly something here for everyone.

“The Haunting of Hill House”

Offering both bone-chilling horror and gripping family drama, Mike Flanagan’s masterful adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s celebrated novel, “The Haunting of Hill House,” is one of the best horror series of the 21st century. The show follows the seven members of the Crain family after an unexpected tragedy forces them to revisit their childhood in America’s most famous haunted house, featuring performances by a stellar ensemble cast including Victoria Pedretti, Timothy Hutton, and Carla Gugino.

All ten episodes of the series offer high-quality scares, surprising plot twists, and a plethora of “hidden ghosts” that can still surprise and scare even after multiple rewatches. Hardcore horror fans may find the scares a tad mild, but ultimately, the subtlety with which “The Haunting of Hill House” approaches its subject matter is what makes it dramatically successful. The show never loses sight of its emotional center and endows every character with inner complexity and narrative attention alongside a healthy dose of the supernatural. It also provides an unexpectedly thoughtful examination of the long-term effects of trauma, making the show haunting in more ways than one.

—Staff writer Evelyn J. Carr can be reached at evelyn.carr@thecrimson.com.

“Wednesday”

From “New Yorker” cartoons to the theme song of the 1960s TV show, just about every iteration of The Addams Family inspires Halloween spirit — and Tim Burton’s 2022 Netflix series “Wednesday” is no exception. The series centers around the titular character (Jenna Ortega) — the angsty, sardonic teenage version of Wednesday who is sent to Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts with special powers.

Burton’s consistent mastery of dark yet poetic aesthetics and mysterious storylines shines through as characters investigate strange attacks around Nevermore amid numerous plot twists. Ortega’s performance brings her character into the new generation, as she perfectly represents the sharp and irritable cleverness that defines Wednesday herself, as well as a relatable high school coming-of-age experience (which, let’s admit it, is truly the frightening part). Murder mysteries, paranormal creatures, and overblown teenage drama make this an exciting — yet not overly scary or grotesque — binge for Halloween.

—Staff writer Margo A. Silliman can be reached at ​​margo.silliman@thecrimson.com.

“Over the Garden Wall”

10 years after its release, “Over the Garden Wall” is still a perfect show. The animated miniseries follows Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean), two brothers finding their way home through a mysterious wood. Surprisingly for a Cartoon Network production, it’s a katabasis narrative — a journey to the Underworld — a 21st-century successor to Dante’s “Divine Comedy” with its own bluebird version of Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey). Appropriate for this classical heritage, “Over the Garden Wall” flourishes from clever storytelling in which no detail is overlooked and a chilly, rustic world that feels as timeless as a fairytale. Yet the miniseries is good simply because it’s funny and creative, each compact episode bursting with peculiar characters and humor. To watch is to encounter the familiar — through classic story structures, an authentic brotherly dynamic, and an impeccable folk-jazz soundtrack — and the unknown — through fresh twists on old archetypes and a neverending wealth of hidden implications. With a story that begins on Halloween, chock-full of autumnal vibes and only 10 short episodes, “Over the Garden Wall” is the perfect annual watch for the spooky season.

—Staff writer Isabelle A. Lu can be reached at isabelle.lu@thecrimson.com.

“Hannibal”

One of fiction’s most perversely fascinating villains gets a sleek and gruesome revamp in NBC’s “Hannibal.” Inspired by Thomas Harris’s novels, the show follows Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), an FBI special investigator with a gift for catching serial killers. Plagued by personal neuroses and the demons of his work, Graham receives therapy from the titular Dr. Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). The show revels in gore, as each episode showcases the sickening creations made from murdered victims. These tableaus made from human bodies resemble dreadful works of art that viewers, and Will, can’t look away from. Just as Hannibal treats his cooking with finesse, his meals get the same horrifically meticulous presentation before they’re ingested.

Despite the presence of thrilling chase scenes and action sequences, the show’s tensest moments often come from quiet conversations between Hannibal and Will. Watching these matched intellects attempt to manipulate each other for their own ends feels electric. While showrunner Bryan Fuller intended for the show to run for six to seven seasons, NBC sadly canceled “Hannibal” after just three. Thankfully, its shocking ending still provides incredible payoff to one of the most twisted TV shows in recent memory.

—Staff writer Ria S. Cuéllar-Koh can be reached at ria.cuellarkoh@thecrimson.com.

“Wellington Paranormal”

With a delightfully spooky and offbeat sense of humor from idiosyncratic director Taika Waititi, “Wellington Paranormal” stacks nonstop laugh-out-loud moments with an oblivious and deadpan sensibility. The show is an unlikely spin-off of the comedy-horror mockumentary “What We Do In The Shadows,” featuring unconventional protagonists in the good-hearted and mild-mannered — if somewhat clueless — detectives Minogue (Mike Minogue) and O’Leary (Karen O’Leary) as they attempt to investigate the unexplainably prolific supernatural phenomena in their New Zealand city.

Minogue plays a genuine yet bumbling idiot of a cop, while O’Leary is his somewhat more competent foil — though that’s not saying much. They’re led by the fearless Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), who has an unusual curiosity towards the creatures they investigate and seems to know more than he’s letting on.

In this version of Wellington, all sorts of mythical creatures are real. Over the course of four seasons, the team battles all of the classic paranormal agitators — whether it be demonic spirits, zombies, witches, vampires, or aliens — to amusing ends. The show also incorporates creatures from traditional Māori mythology, like the Taniwha, a supernatural being of the sea, or the Maero, a giant wild man of legend. The characters accomplish this all through hilariously soft-spoken Kiwi accents that are both deadpan and ironically under-enthused for the situations they find themselves in.

With most episodes clocking in at less than twenty minutes each, the show is lighter fare, and there’s not a ton of character development. But if you’re craving a whimsical and lighthearted monster romp that will have you laughing out loud, “Wellington Paranormal” just might be your fill.

—Staff writer Derek Yuan can be reached at derek.yuan@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByDerekYuan.

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”

All things spooky, haunted, and chilling can be found in the Netflix TV show “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” based off of the Archie Comics series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” If “Riverdale,” “Stranger Things,” and “Wednesday” had a baby with moderately better acting, it would be this show. The plotlines are intricately woven and the historical, witchy details are well-researched and-executed. The show draws heavily on biblical references, including characters such as Lilith, Judith and Judas, and a golem, while also bringing in some pop culture references. Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman was the perfect casting choice, as she is able to bring just the right amount of eeriness to the character while maintaining a demure aura and making her character stand out with her signature platinum blonde bob.

Unfortunately, the show was canceled by Netflix due to delays in filming and production because of the pandemic, with the fourth part being released on Dec. 31, 2020. It is the perfect TV show to watch – or rewatch — in time for Halloween for all of the occult fanatics out there who are tired of kitschy representations of witches and magic. For everything satanic, mysterious, and downright weird, check out “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” on Netflix.

—Staff writer Gillian H. Selig can be reached at gillian.selig@thecrimson.com.