Amazon Prime has some awesome horror shows, all of which are available with an Amazon Prime subscription. Even if it isn’t quite October yet, it's my favorite time of the year, where I get to dress up in my warm fall sweaters, decorate my apartment with way too much orange and black, and get ready for my favorite holiday - Halloween.
While I could spend my spooky time watching the best Halloween films or the best Friday the 13th movies, I’m trying to get into the long-haul with some horror TV shows, and luckily, Amazon Prime Video has plenty to offer. Here is what’s there.
American Horror Story (2011 - Present)
If you’re looking for the ultimate horror TV show, look no further than American Horror Story. In this popular FX series, viewers are taken through a different story each season, all with their own horrifying twists and turns, from a simple family living in a haunted home, to witches down in New Orleans, to a summer camp in 1984, and more.
The creator, Ryan Murphy, knocked it out of the park with this scary creation. Truly, American Horror Story is so popular for a reason. Not only is the AHS cast amazing – including awesome stars Evan Peters, Finn Wittrock, and more – the stories are genuinely unsettling. It’ll send chills up your spine constantly, and make you check around in the shadows of your home after watching each episode. You should definitely check it out if you love Sarah Paulson. There are twelve seasons to watch on Prime.
Stream American Horror Story on Amazon Prime.
Them (2021)
Next up on the list, we have Them. In this horror series, the audience follows a Black family as they move from their home in North Carolina all the way across the country to Los Angeles. But as they adjust to their new lifestyles, they start to notice that the world around them holds a lot more secrets than they ever believed, and their home isn’t quite what they thought it would be.
Them is a great horror show. I do think there are certain moments that could be done better, but the show has some amazingly scary moments that made me jump, and the casting is out of this world. There are also some great social messages that will make you think, as well. It’s not the best series out there, but for fans of horror, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Hazbin Hotel (2024 - Present)
Okay, so while it’s technically more of a horror-comedy, I have to put this on here. Hazbin Hotel is an adult animated series that follows the princess of Hell, Charlie Morningstar, who wants to create a program for sinners to be “rehabilitated” so they have a second chance of getting into heaven, and of course, she runs into plenty of roadblocks.
While this show wouldn’t normally be what I would consider your average horror, there are plenty of moments that feel gross and get under your skin beneath the comedy of it. It’s one of the most creative shows on television right now and has a story that’s super interesting, and the humor mixed in with the horror aspects makes it all the more enjoyable. There’s one season out, and another planned.
Stream Hazbin Hotel on Amazon Prime.
Panic (2021)
If you’re looking for a good teen series that’s also mixed with horror, Panic is one to see for sure. In this Amazon original, we follow the story of several teenagers who are given the chance to compete in a game of “Panic,” which has increasingly dangerous, life-risking challenges, for the chance to win a ton of money to escape their hometown. But this year, the rules begin to change, and it’s up to these young adults to figure out how to truly win.
I will never forgive Amazon for canceling this show after only one season, because it was so good. It almost reminded me of a different version of The Hunger Games franchise, but with less dystopia-vibes and a lot more scary situations. I wish it had been given the chance to expand more, but you can still check out Season 1.
Grimm (2011 - 2017)
In this horror series, Grimm follows the story of Nicholas Burkhardt, a Portland homicide detective who is the latest in a line of guardians, who are known as Grimms, sworn to keep the balance between humanity and mythological creatures.
I think what I love the most about Grimm is that it’s such a fun combination of genres. While you get your horror moments, filled with scary monsters, plenty of blood, and much more, Grimm is also a show about mysteries, since Nick is a detective and works police cases, creating a very interesting dynamic. It’s always fun to see these intense monsters in a show that still had moments from normal police procedurals.
Bates Motel (2013 - 2017)
This show is the definition of psychological horror. Starring Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel is based on the novel Psycho and is considered a prequel to the film of the same name, although it takes place in modern day, and follows the story of Norman Bates and his mother before the events of the film, and how they sunk deeper into madness.
This show is such a great one for horror fans. It’s not really gory or bloody (it has its moments for sure but it’s not that bad). But what it does do is give an excellent prequel story and dives deep into the mind of someone unstable enough to kill. The performances from both Highmore and Farmiga are top-notch and with five seasons of ten episodes each, this is the perfect horror show to binge next.
Stream Bates Motel on Amazon Prime.
Being Human (2011 - 2014)
This supernatural drama is based on the BBC series of the same name, and is one you can’t miss. Being Human follows the story of a werewolf, a ghost, and a vampire who all live in the same house together, but of course, their lifestyles don’t necessarily collide very well, and it creates crazy circumstances.
I will say that this version of Being Human can be a lot more dramatic than its BBC counterpart, but it’s still entertaining nonetheless, and features some fun performances from Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington. There’s three seasons available to watch on Prime, so it’ll be a quick binge.
Stream Being Human on Amazon Prime.
Teen Wolf (2011 - 2017)
In this popular MTV series, Teen Wolf follows Scott McCall, a high school student who ends up becoming the titular teenage shapeshifter when he is bitten by an alpha werewolf the night before his second year of high school, changing his life forever.
While Teen Wolf isn’t what I would instantly think of as a horror series – since it’s not super bloody or anything – there are still plenty of chilling moments full of fantasy and genuine instances of terror that have it make the list. The monsters included in it can be actually pretty terrifying. The Teen Wolf cast has such great chemistry, with Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Dylan O’Brien, and more, and the story is filled with your typical werewolf fun, but mixed with drama and lots of great comedy, as well. It’s a treat, for sure.
Stream Teen Wolf on Amazon Prime.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)
Another teen drama? Let’s go! I Know What You Did Last Summer, based on the book of the same name, follows a group of teenagers a year after a car accident they were involved in that killed someone. Now, a killer is hunting them down, one by one, saying that they know what they did last summer.
I mean, how can you get any better than that? It’s a classic premise that has been done over and over again, like the iconic film adaptation of the same novel. However, the TV version on Amazon is still decently fun and has some pretty gory kills for fans of horror, so I think it lives up to the other adaptation well.
Stream I Know What You Did Last Summer on Amazon.
The Fades (2011)
Hailing from England, this is a British horror TV show that will probably terrify the heck out of you. The Fades follows a student named Paul, who is able to see spirits around him, known as “the Fades,” vengeful deceased humans who aren’t able to enter Heaven, and have found a way to become partly human again, and now he has to find a way to stop the Fades from destroying the world.
The series only has six episodes, but personally, it’s such an interesting idea that I wish it was expanded on more. There’s so much creativity in horror now and to see a series like this only have six episodes is unfortunate. However, it still tells a very compelling story, and you will be drawn into it from the moment it begins.
Stream The Fades on Amazon Prime.
Truth Seekers (2020)
Let’s lighten up the room a little with some horror comedy. Truth Seekers, starring names such as Nick Kroll, Malcom McDowell, Simon Pegg and more, tells the story of regular workers who have normal jobs during the day, but become paranormal investigators at night. That job leads them to search across the United Kingdom to look for ghosts.
It’s a very fun series and honestly very light in tone in comparison to many of the other picks on this list, and one I can whole-heartedly recommend to anyone that likes both horror and laughter. Nick Kroll is always amazing in any role he does, and truly knocks it out of the park with Truth Seekers.
Stream Truth Seekers on Amazon Prime.
Bonus: The Boys/Gen V (2019 - Present) (2023 - Present)
The Boys, as well as Gen V, take place in the same universe where being a superhero is a business, and you can’t get better than being in The Seven, where the ultimate heroes are sworn to protect. But in this world, the heroes aren’t really heroes, and it’s up to civilians and those who oppose these heroes to expose them to the world and stop their dastardly deeds. Gen V follows young superheroes as they attend a college that is based on powers, but even academia has its dark secrets.
Okay, so technically, these shows are more of a black comedy than an actual horror, but if you’ve watched either series, you know damn well how horrifying it all is. It’s not what you would instantly consider scary – there’s no boogeyman or vengeful spirit out to get the characters. But the amount of ungodly, nasty gore that you’ll see in these shows is enough for me to put them on this list for people looking for something gory. I have been permanently scarred because of some of their content and for that, they deserve a spot on this list. There’s four seasons of The Boys with a fifth and final coming, as well as one season of Gen V with Gen V Season 2 on the way. Both are some of the best Amazon Prime original shows.Time to check out this disgusting – but great – universe.
Stream The Boys on Amazon Prime.
Stream Gen V on Amazon Prime.
With Halloween not so far away Amazon Prime Video is just one of the many places you can go to watch some scary shows. With plenty of options to pick from, hopefully one can keep you satiated this fall. Meanwhile, I’m going to go and watch AHS over and over again.
