There have been some great horror TV series on Netflix, particularly Mike Flanagan’sThe Midnight Cluband Ryan Murphy’sThe Watcher, but there have been some lackluster shows as well. Horror fans are always on the lookout for movies and TV shows that don’t rely on tired tropes or feature generic characters, but sometimes a show comes along and it’s disappointing, no matter how talented the cast is or how chilling and intriguing the premise seems to be.
From an adaptation of a popular comic book character who becomes a teenage witch to a series about high schoolers using a deadly phone app, these Netflix horror TV shows leave something to be desired. The characters aren’t that compelling and the plotlines aren’t very scary.
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The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)
Besides theconfusing end ofThe Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, the problem with this adaptation of the popular comic book character is that it feels lackluster. Sabrina Spellman is an intelligent adolescent who is stunned to learn of her magical powers on her 16th birthday, and the ’90s sitcomSabrina The Teenage Witchoffers up a charming look at the character’s (played by Melissa Joan Hart) life with her hilarious aunts Hilda (Caroline Rhea) and Zelda (Beth Broderick). Unfortunately, inThe Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, all the characters fall flat.
While Kiernan Shipka is a talented actress praised for playing Sally Draper onMad Menand Kat in thedark demonic movieThe Blackcoat’s Daughter, she doesn’t bring much to the role of Sabrina. The TV series can’t decide if it wants to be serious and scary or totally campy, and the end result is fairly disappointing.
The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020)
Whencomparing Mike Flaganan’s horror TV series,The Haunting of Hill House, The Midnight Club,andMidnight Massstand out againstThe Haunting of Bly Manor. The adaptation of the Henry James novellaThe Turning of the Screwhad a lot of promise, especially since Victoria Pedretti is as impressive as always as Dani, a young woman who becomes a nanny for two troubled children in a Victoria countryside mansion.
Bly Manorjust isn’t all that compelling. The tone of the series is painfully slow and while there are a few eerie ghosts and well-timed jump scares, that isn’t enough to make the miniseries worth watching. Rahul Kohli’s character Owen is very sweet, but overall, each episode feels dull and miserable instead of terrifying and exciting.
Black Summer (2019-2021)
Black Summerwas canceled after two seasons and didn’t have much fanfare during the time that it was released on Netflix. The show is a spin-off of another series,Z Nation, which had five seasons that aired on SyFy. Thefast zombie tropeis present in many fun movies, butBlack Summerdoesn’t offer up anything new, and it’s hard to say that any of the characters or storylines feel fresh or thrilling. And like some other spin-offs and sequels, it didn’t feel entirely necessary.
Rose (Jamie King) is trying to locate her daughter Anna when the apocalypse has happened and everyone around her has turned into zombies. She meets other people who are also trying to survive. Because there are so many TV shows and films that tell this same story, and because there are somany terrifying movie zombiesin particular, nothing stands out here.
Locke & Key (2020-2022)
While themany magical keys inLocke And Keyare fun to learn about, the show starts off strong in season 1, becomes less riveting in season 2, and is pretty lackluster in the third and final season. Adapted from the comic book series by Gabriel Rodriguez and Joe Hill, the show follows the Locke family as they move into their old family home and realize that there are powerful keys that offer a portal into another world.
The cast gives great performances and they always look genuinely scared by what’s happening, and the relationships between the main characters elevate it above some other horror and thriller TV shows. Still, when compared to thebest teen horror showsand other series about families, the lore of the show can feel a little confusing and convoluted.
Red Rose (2022)
Chances are that not many know aboutRed Roseas the 10-episode first season came and went in 2022 without much fanfare. Released on BBC Three in the UK and Netflix internationally,Red Roseis about teenagers in Bolton, England who start using an app that ruins their lives.
While there are greatBlumhouse horror movies about technology, sometimes it can feel a little gimmicky to see a story about high schoolers affected by an app or something involving their cell phone.Red Rosedoesn’t stand out enough or tell a very compelling story.
