15 TV Shows Like Dark You Should Watch Next
Dark began as a detective story about a missing child and, over three seasons, evolved into an incredibly complex plot: a time-travel tale exploring dark family secrets across generations. In some horror films, youth can serve as a kind of protection, but here it is not, not in the least. No one is safe from the show’s emotional threats, nor from literal death. Dark grows increasingly twisted and gripping over its three seasons and, miracle of miracles, ends on its own terms and on a deeply satisfying note. There’s nothing else quite like it, and that’s a large part of its appeal, but it’s certainly not the only series with a smart, mature tone and gripping, twisted mysteries.Watch Dark on Netflix , then check out other smart and creepy series.
Wayward Pines (2015–2016)
Based on a trilogy of novels by Blake Crouch, the series initially follows Matt Dillon as a Secret Service agent investigating the disappearances of two of his colleagues in the town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. Events unfold rapidly: he awakens from a car accident to discover that one of the agents (Carla Gugino), his ex-girlfriend, has settled in this seemingly idyllic town—and she’s 12 years older than she was when he last saw her a few weeks ago. To make matters even more dramatic, the local sheriff (Terrence Howard) institutes a strict “no one ever leaves town” policy under penalty of death. From there, the mysteries mount. Watch Wayward Pines on Hulu .
From 2022 to present.
We travel to The Town (we’re never given a name—a definite red flag) from which no one can escape. Residents and visitors alike are literally, if not metaphorically, trapped, besieged by creatures that emerge from the woods and kill anyone who ventures outside after dark. The Matthews family learns this firsthand when they arrive in their RV and find themselves trapped with the local sheriff (Harold Perrineau) just as the sun sets. The monsters in the series aren’t just mindlessly hungry; they’re cunning and sadistic, more than capable of killing residents in spectacularly gory ways. It’s a deeply mystical take on the “small towns are not what they seem” theme. Watch on MGM+ or buy on Prime Video.
12 Monkeys (2015–2018)
While the series initially seemed like a pointless retread of the Terry Gilliam film (and La Getie , on which it was based), it eventually began to relish its expanded timeline and use it to ponder the ideas of free will versus predestination, even with its abundance of action and mystery. Long before the end of the first season, the series found its sometimes confusing (but always gripping) rhythm. It’s a pre-apocalypse story of sorts, where time travelers from a rather bleak future travel back in time to find and stop the spread of a virus that will eventually kill seven billion people and which is expected to continue mutating and eventually wipe out everyone else. Watch 12 Monkeys on Prime Video .
1899 (2022)
The SS Kerberos is heading to New York from Southampton, UK, with a full crew of immigrants ready to start a new life. It would sound inspiring, if not for the ship’s suggestive name—and the fact that the series is created by Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, known for their work on Dark . The passengers soon discover that this is not just a ship, but a vessel with portals to other places and, it seems, even other times. The unplanned ending (the series was canceled) answers some questions but raises many more. Still: some spooky fun on the ship.Watch 1899 on Netflix .
Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017)
With all due respect to all the other “small towns are weird” shows out there, including Dark , I’m not sure there’s a finer example of the genre than this gripping piece of weirdness from David Lynch and Mark Frost. Teens and adults in the deceptively quiet Twin Peaks face tragedy, accompanied by supernatural threats from beyond our normal space and time. Seems like it? The mysteries here aren’t so much meant to be solved as they are to be pondered, with a touch of murky existential dread (and if that’s not your idea of entertainment, I’m not sure what you’re doing here). Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who arrives in town to investigate the murder of prom queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), leading to a (very) long night of heartbreak as Cooper uncovers secrets and mysteries among the town’s delightfully, and often disturbingly, strange inhabitants. As good as the original is, the anti-nostalgia sequel is equally triumphant. Watch Twin Peaks on Paramount+ .
Signal (2016–)
Combining elements of police procedurals, mystery, and science fiction, this Korean drama remains one of the most popular in the history of South Korean television—so much so that a second season is being released after a nearly 10-year wait. Police profiler Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) finds a discarded walkie-talkie that connects him to detective Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woon), who disappeared in 2000 but is able to communicate with people from earlier times. The two detectives work together, transcending timelines to solve a very old case, but soon discover disturbing consequences of their actions in the present.Watch “Signal” on Netflix .
Kuron (2020)
The series is set near the real-life Lake Resia in northern Italy. It was inspired by the lake’s unique appearance: the bell tower of a 14th-century chapel rises above the water, the only visible remains of a village dammed in the 1950s. Anna Raina (Valeria Bilello) lives in this eerie place; at least, she did until she fled, pregnant with her twin daughters, after the tragic and mysterious death of her mother. The twins are now teenagers, and all three have returned—except no one seems to want them. They discover that Anna has been having dreams about her mother’s death, in which she herself was the killer and then disappeared. It all connects to that lake and that eerie bell tower.Watch Curon on Netflix.
Fringe (2008–2013)
We’ve barely talked about Fringe , the clever sci-fi detective series that became a true successor to The X-Files (and which ended far more convincingly than that show, despite numerous attempts). It begins as a kind of bizarre mystery-of-the-week, starring Anna Torv as FBI agent Olivia Dunham, Joshua Jackson as Peter’s civilian consultant, and John Noble as his scientist father, Walter, fresh out of a mental institution. It soon becomes clear that the strange events they’re investigating involve potentially universe-shattering intrusions across time and space, and that Walter harbors dark secrets that are both personal and existentially profound. Watch Fringe on Hulu.
Archive 81 (2022)
A clever and creepy horror noir that’s receiving mixed reviews only because of Netflix’s penchant for canceling series after one season. In “Archive ’81,” Mamoudou Athie plays archivist Dan, hired to recover old recordings from the 1990s. What follows is a demonic cult, Lovecraftian horrors, and a Jazz Age demon cult. The series builds an impressive horror mythology that it barely manages to develop. And yet! We love the creepy recording moments.Watch “Archive ’81” on Netflix .
“Channel Zero” (2016–2018)
Nick Antosca’s series, a mind-bending and occasionally terrifying spinoff of various online creepypastas, consists of four storylines, each lasting a full season. While the tone is far from childish, the atmosphere is the embodiment of childhood nightmares: the first season foreshadows I Saw Television Glowing with the story of a half-forgotten TV series linked to the disappearances of several children; another season sees a pair of sisters encounter cannibals and a mysterious staircase in the middle of the woods; and in the final season, a newlywed couple discovers a mysterious door that opens doors that evoke childhood fears (and a creepy clown). Perhaps most similar to Dark is the second season, in which a group of friends find themselves trapped in a haunted house that, upon exiting, leads to a disturbing alternate reality. It’s all clever and genuinely creepy, with existential dread mixed with memorable visuals, such as a child made entirely of human teeth. Watch Channel Zero on Shudder and AMC+, or buy it on Prime Video .
Feria: The Darkest Light (2022)
Dark deeds and supernatural forces from the past haunt several generations, this time in Andalusia in 1995. In this film, teenage sisters Sofia and Eva find themselves in a nightmare when their parents disappear, implicated in a cult ritual that left 23 people dead, including a woman who disappeared years earlier. Harking back to 1975 and, indirectly, to the fall of Francisco Franco, “Feria” shatters this small town’s sense of community and security, questioning the value of institutions—including the government and the church—that are held dear by everyone. Childhood addiction to violence and shame, passed down through generations, is a relatable theme.Watch “Feria” on Netflix.
Tales from the Loop (2020)
The brilliant anthology series Tales from the Loop is set in the small town of Mercer, Ohio, home to the eponymous Loop—a physics laboratory exploring mysteries that science cannot answer. Each episode tells the story of a person or family from the town impacted by the Loop’s work, in slowly unfolding narratives exploring the intersection of technology and human existence. Based on a concept art book by artist Simon Stålenhag, the series successfully captures the book’s striking visual style and atmosphere. Watch Tales from the Loop on Prime Video .
The OA (2016–2019)
In this sci-fi/mystery series that defies genre, Brit Marling plays Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling), a woman who returns after seven years of disappearance, proclaiming herself the “Original Angel”; her ability to see, despite being previously blind, helps her in her quest. She gathers a group of young people to assist her in her mission to rescue missing people, which she can only do by opening a portal to another dimension. The critically acclaimed series was unceremoniously canceled after two seasons, but that didn’t stop people from talking about the show and its mysteries.Watch The OA on Netflix .
Survivors (2014–2017)
The premise of Lost is brilliantly understated: about 2% of the world’s population disappears without explanation, enough to upend almost everything. Politics has adapted to the new reality, religions have collapsed and been reborn, and families have had to come to terms with the inexplicable loss of loved ones. The first season focuses on the Garvey family, led by Kevin (Justin Theroux), a sheriff whose wife (Amy Brenneman) left her to join a cult, and subsequent seasons expand the scope, introducing other characters in different settings. Showrunner Damon Lindelof also co-created Lost , and the two shows share some similarities (including a relatively dark tone), but where Lost spiraled out of control, Lost understands that a complex storyline and the search for answers are its very essence. Watch Lost on HBO Max .
Gravity Falls (2012–2016)
Finally, something for the kids, who deserve a few spooky mysteries too. (I say “kids,” but it’s seriously a lot of fun for all ages.) The beloved, if relatively short-lived, animated series follows twins Mabel and Dipper Pines (Kristen Schaal and Jason Ritter), who are sent to spend the summer with their great-uncle (aka “Uncle”) Stan (voiced by series creator Alex Hirsch). While helping Stan run his spooky-themed vacation cabin, the kids encounter a number of supernatural mysteries, many of which involve the show’s main antagonist, dream demon Bill Cipher. The series finale was also a blockbuster—the highest-rated show in Disney XD history, to be exact. Perhaps not terrifying, but genuinely witty. Watch Gravity Falls on Disney+ .