Horrorandsci-fican have totally different vibes, but they are not mutually exclusive. From the 1938War of the Worldsradio broadcast that terrified listeners to Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror movie classicAlien, the two genres have a long history of happily walking hand in hand. Just look at how many successfulAliensequels there have been over the past 46 years.
Movies aren’t the only place to find great horror and sci-fi stories, either. Television has seen its fair share of horrifying science fiction narratives, some of which have become full-blown genre-defying phenomena.
Don’t miss out on these 10 exceptional sci-fi horror shows.
10’Archive 81' (2022)
Where To Watch: Netflix
Based on the podcast by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger,Archive 81is a time-bending horror series created by Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys). Mamoudou Athie (Kinds of Kindness) stars as Dan Turner, an archivist hired to restore a mysterious collection of tapes that are connected to a student filmmaker and her investigation into an old apartment building. The cast features Dina Shihabi (Painkiller), Matt McGorry (How to Get Away With Murder), Evan Jonigkeit (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Julia Chan (Katy Keene), Ariana Neal (Fruitvale Station), and Martin Donovan (Tenet).
Fans really lovedArchive 81, but Netflix canceled the show after one season. If the name sounds familiar, but you haven’t seen the show, chances are you recognize the title from numerous articles about the best shows that werecanceled by Netflix too soon. This compelling slow-burn earned two Young Artist Award nominations in 2023 and continues to hold an 87% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
9’Castle Rock' (2018 - 2019)
Where To Watch: Hulu
Castle Rockis an eerie horror series set in the world of Stephen King’s famed fictional town, Castle Rock, Maine. It features a ton of references to King’s characters and stories, but is an original series created by Sam Shaw (Manhattan) and Dustin Thomason (Lie to Me). Designed as an anthology series, the first season starred André Holland (Moonlight), Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets), Bill Skarsgård (It), Jane Levy (Don’t Breathe), and Sissy Spacek (Carrie).
The second season featured Lizzy Caplan (Cobweb), Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire), Barkhad Abdi (Blade Runner 2049), Yusra Warsama (Deliver Me), Elsie Fisher (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Matthew Alan (13 Reasons Why), and Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption).Castle Rock’s first season was nominated for Best Television Series at the Satellite Awards. It received two Saturn Award nominations in 2019 and one in 2021. Unfortunately,Castle Rockwas canceledafter two seasons.
8’From' (2022 - Present)
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Fromis a sci-fi horror seriesthat started out on Epix, before moving to MGM+ for Season 2. The show was created by John Griffin, who also wrote the screenplay for the 2023 filmCrater.Fromis about a city in America that traps everyone who enters it. Harold Perrineau (Lost) stars as Boyd Stevens, a retired veteran who functions as sheriff of this uncanny town, where strange creatures stalk the woods at night.
The cast includes Catalina Sandino Moreno (Ballerina), Eion Bailey (Once Upon a Time), David Alpay (The Tudors), Elizabeth Saunders (Mary Kills People), Scott McCord (The Sinner), Ricky He (Trial & Error), Chloe Van Landschoot (Carrie), and Pegah Ghafoori (Hello Au Revoir). The series has been celebrated for its cast, direction, and writing. The show has been nominated for eight Saturn Awards, winning in 2025 for Best Horror Television Series. It currently has a 96% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
7’The Last of Us' (2023 - Present)
Where To Watch: HBO Max
Based on the popular video game,The Last of Usis a post-apocalyptic drama set after a global pandemic causes society to crumble. The series was developed by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann, who was creative director for the video gamesThe Last of UsandThe Last of Us Part II. Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) star as Joel and Ellie, two survivors thrown together by chance who form a powerful bond. Ellie is immune to the global infection ravaging the world and could be instrumental in the creation of a vaccine that could save humanity.
Guest stars onThe Last of Usare known for being incredible. The list includes Anna Torv (Mindhunter), Storm Reid (Euphoria), Melanie Lynskey, Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give), Murray Bartlett (Nine Perfect Strangers), Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation), Catherine O’Hara (The Studio), and Jeffrey Wright (The Hunger Games).The Last of Ushas received over 20 Emmy nominations across two seasons, winning several of them — including Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Nick Offerman and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Storm Reid.
6’Lovecraft Country' (2020)
Based on the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff,Lovecraft Countryis a horror science fiction fantasy drama developed for television by Misha Green (Underground). The show follows Atticus “Tic” Freeman, a young Black veteran, as he embarks on a road trip in 1950s Jim Crow America alongside his friend, photographer Letitia (Jurnee Smollett), in search of his missing father. The cast includes Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), Courtney B. Vance (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks), Jamie Chung (The Gifted), and Michael K. Williams (Boardwalk Empire).
Lovecraft Countrywas a huge hit and cultural phenomenon. It was nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Courtney B. Vance and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series. The show earned a nomination at the Golden Globes for Best Television Drama, and Michael Kenneth Williams won a Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Despite rave reviews and critical acclaim,HBO did not renewLovecraft Countryfor a second season.
5’Black Mirror' (2011 - Present)
Black Mirroris an anthology sci-fi seriesinspired byThe Twilight Zone. Created by Charlie Brooker (Dead Set), the show ran on Channel 4 for the first two seasons, while all subsequent seasons have been released by Netflix. Each episode features a new story and new cast, though there is often a dystopian/technological angle that sometimes veers into horror territory.
Actors who have appeared on the series include Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who), Issa Rae (Insecure), Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers), Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal), Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Kelly Macdonald (Dept. Q), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), Wunmi Mosaku, Jesse Plemons (The Irishman), Josh Hartnett (Trap), and Cristin Milioti (The Penguin). The series has earned 25 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning six. It has received 17 BAFTA Award nominations and won three.
4’Stranger Things' (2016 - 2025)
Stranger Thingsis one of the biggest shows of the century, drawing on 1980s nostalgia to create a compelling, and at times terrifying, sci-fi coming-of-age tale. Created by The Duffer Brothers (Wayward Pines),Stranger Thingsfollows a group of young friends in Hawkins, Indiana, as supernatural events and secret government experiments bleed into their everyday lives.
Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes), Finn Wolfhard (It), Gaten Matarazzo (Honor Society), Caleb McLaughlin (The Book of Clarence), Noah Schnapp (The Tutor), and Sadie Sink (Fear Street) star as the younger kids. Natalia Dyer (Things Heard & Seen), Charlie Heaton (The New Mutants), Joe Keery (Free Guy), and Maya Hawke (Fear Street) play the older kids. David Harbour (Thunderbolts*) plays Jim Hopper, chief of the Hawkins Police Department, and Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice) appears as Will and Jonathan’s mom, Joyce Byers. Stranger Things has won 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Saturn Awards. Thefifth and final seasonis scheduled to be released later this year.
3’The X-Files' (1993-2018)
The X-Filesis a cult classic sci-fi series created by Chris Carter (A Brand New Life). David Duchovny (Californication) and Gillian Anderson (The Fall) star as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, FBI special agents investigating the unexplainable. Mulder believes in aliens, while Scully is a skeptic. The show ran for nine seasons on Fox, inspiring films and a two-season television revival.
The X-Filesremainsa touchstone for sci-fi fans to this day. It won 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globes, six Saturn Awards, and a Peabody Award in 1997. It has been referenced in countless other sci-fi and horror shows and has an 85% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
2’The Twilight Zone' (1959 - 1964)
The Twilight Zoneis an anthology series created and hosted by Rod Serling (The Loner). It ran for five seasons on CBS, with each episode blending together different degrees of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror elements. Thescariest episodes ofThe Twilight Zoneinclude “Where Is Everybody?” and “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”
This beloved show is often considered to be one of the best shows of all time. Contemporary anthology shows continue to cite it as a foundational series. During its run,The Twilight Zonereceived eight Primetime Emmy nominations, winning three of them — including Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama for Serling in 1960 and 1961. He then won a Golden Globe for Best TV Producer/Director in 1963. On Rotten Tomatoes,The Twilight Zonehas a 92% rating from critics and an 85% rating from audiences.
1’Alien: Earth' (2025)
Where to Watch: Hulu
Alien: Earthis a brand-newhorror sci-fi TV show from Hulu/FX that’s already generating a ton of buzz. Set in the year 2120, the show serves as a prequel to the 1979 movie,Alien. Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling) plays Wendy, the first person to have their human consciousness transferred into a synthetic body. Alongside a group of soldiers, Wendy is forced to confront humanity’s greatest threat after a strange space vessel crashes on Earth.
The cast includes Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World), Essie Davis (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries), Samuel Blenkin (Mary & George), and Timothy Olyphant (Justified). Behind this series is Noah Hawley, best known for creating the FX showsFargoandLegion. The first episode ofAlien: Earthpremiered on August 12, and the series already has a 93% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
