10 TV Shows Like From You Should Watch Next
For residents of a place known only as “The Town,” the feeling of being trapped in their small hometown takes on a literal meaning: once you set foot there, you can never leave. In the sci-fi series “Iz,” this isn’t just a metaphor: The Town is surrounded by forests inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures, a fact the unfortunate new residents, the Matthews family, discover only when it’s too late to leave.
While statistically, there must be plenty of people who are perfectly content living where they grew up, this gay guy isn’t one of them. And I can’t be alone, because there are plenty of other shows exploring the nightmarish potential of seemingly pleasant little communities, most of which find characters trapped in one way or another, including these 10 striking examples. “Iz ” is available to stream on MGM+ .
Midnight Mass (2021)
It may not be Mike Flanagan’s best work on Netflix, but it’s certainly his most emotionally devastating. Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns to the tiny, isolated community of Crockett Island, and his arrival coincides with that of Catholic priest Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater). Riley struggles with his justifiable guilt over the drunk-driving death he’s responsible for, while the charismatic priest reignites the town’s once-fading religious fervor while simultaneously escalating local tensions. The brewing conflict, which touches on the boundaries of faith and guilt, is captivating, and the horrific elements that accompany it are quite frightening.Watch Midnight Mass on Netflix .
Wayward Pines (2015–2016)
Based on Blake Crouch’s trilogy of novels, this series follows Secret Service agent Matt Dillon as he investigates the disappearances of two of his colleagues in Wayward Pines, Idaho. Events unfold rapidly: he awakens from a car accident to discover that one of his coworkers (Carla Gugino), his ex-girlfriend, has settled in this seemingly idyllic town—and is 12 years older than she was when he last saw her a few weeks ago. Adding to the drama is the fact that the local sheriff (Terrence Howard) imposes a strict travel ban that threatens reprisals—the fear of being stuck in a small town is a common theme and, apparently, an American nightmare. From there, the mysteries mount. Watch Wayward Pines on Hulu.
Darkness (2017–2020)
The series “Dark” began as a detective story about a missing child and, over three seasons, evolved into a stunningly complex time-travel tale exploring dark family secrets across generations. The German series boasts striking visuals and a captivating atmosphere, as well as a cast of teenagers and adults whose stories are skillfully intertwined. It turns out that small towns in Germany can harbor just as many horrors as cities in the United States.Watch “Dark” on Netflix .
Suburbs (2026 – )
This funny and very freewheeling film, though not quite as tonally as “Iz,” follows Samira (Keke Palmer) and Rob (Jack Whitehall), who return to their incredibly safe and orderly hometown. Their home is across the street from a rundown Victorian mansion that may have been the scene of a murder decades earlier—the murder of a girl who made the mistake of trying to run away. As Samira adjusts to motherhood and life in a cul-de-sac, she discovers that even the nicest neighbors (played by Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch, and Kapil Talwalkar) have secrets, and she begins to suspect that her husband knows more about the missing girl than he’s letting on. Watch “Suburgatory” on Peacock .
Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017)
With all due respect to all the other shows in the “small towns are weird” genre, I’m not sure there’s a finer example of the genre than this groundbreaking piece of weirdness from David Lynch and Mark Frost, in which teenagers and adults in the deceptively quiet Twin Peaks face tragedy accompanied by supernatural threats from beyond our ordinary space and time. Seems like it? The mysteries here are designed less to be solved than 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. Watch Twin Peaks on Paramount+ .
Castle Rock (2018–2019)
Cancelled after two (pretty excellent) seasons, Castle Rock fell victim to marketing. It was marketed as a dive into some Stephen King universe, promising Easter eggs but offering no concrete plot clues. And yet! There are real stories here, with genuine dramatic depth—the first-season episode “The Queen,” told from the perspective of a disturbed character (played by Sissy Spacek) with progressive dementia, was one of the best and most existentially terrifying events on television that year. Season two introduces young Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan), Kathy Bates’s character from Misery . The cast of both seasons is superb, including Bill Skarsgård, a creepy character not named Pennywise. King fans will have plenty to enjoy, delving into the backstory of another Stephen King town, but it also works beautifully on its own. Watch “Castle Rock” on Hulu.
Haven (2010–2015)
There are a couple of Stephen King-esque situations here, which is only fitting, given the writer’s knack for placing the most terrifying events imaginable in the most seemingly innocuous settings. Based on King’s novella “The Colorado Boy,” this X-Files- style mystery perfectly captures the “small town weirdness” vibe. Emily Rose plays Audrey Parker, an FBI special agent sent to Haven, Maine, on a routine case. She soon finds herself embroiled in “The Troubles”—a series of dangerous supernatural events that have recurred throughout the town’s history and, not coincidentally, are happening again. The “supernatural case of the week” format gives way to a larger mystery when Audrey discovers this isn’t her first visit to Haven. Watch Haven on Peacock and Prime Video .
It: Welcome to Derry (2025 – )
Another film from King that not only masterfully places horror in small towns but also conveys the unique trauma of being a child trapped in them . Set in the 1960s, the prequel It tells the backstory of Derry and the clown Pennywise through the eyes of the children who encountered him during his previous visit to the town. By the end of the first episode, it becomes clear that even the most charming children aren’t safe, and this series is set to be gritty, to say the least—and that’s before Bill Skarsgård’s memorably creepy Pennywise appears and before we delve into the secrets and lies of Derry’s adults. Watch It: Welcome to Derry on HBO Max .
Returned (2012–2015)
“The Returned” is a leisurely French detective series in which the dead come to life in a tiny French town: a teenager involved in a bus accident; a child murdered by muggers; a groom who commits suicide on his wedding day; a serial killer. The appearance of these people—literally zombies, but the series breaks with the usual tropes—dramatically complicates the lives of their families, while strange phenomena beset them, including the discovery of a town flooded by a local lake. Viewers’ opinions on the ambitious second season are divided, but the first is a masterpiece. Watch “The Returned” on Prime Video and Tubi.
Hemlock Grove (2013–2015)
One of Netflix’s first original series, this supernatural thriller takes us to the Pennsylvania town of the same name, where economic realities have forced the closure of the steel mill, leaving residents with few options other than their two remaining employers: the Godfrey Institute for Biomedical Technology and Hemlock Acres Hospital. Take your pick, but be aware that Olivia Godfrey (Famke Janssen), head of the Godfrey Institute, is rumored to be conducting all sorts of bizarre experiments. When two teenage girls are murdered, a 17-year-old Romani boy, believed to be a werewolf, becomes the prime suspect. And while he is indeed a werewolf , that doesn’t make him the killer. Watch Hemlock Grove on Prime Video .
Teacup (2024)
Given his place in the pantheon of horror novels, it’s somewhat surprising that Robert McCammon’s novels haven’t been adapted into more than one film (though at least one more is in development ). The series “Teacup” takes the limited scope of “From” and shrinks it even further: here, the characters are confined not to a city they can’t escape, but to the confines of their rural Georgia ranch. Leaving this place will result in death, and even attempting to leave will likely result in injury. Yvonne Strahovski and Scott Speedman lead a cast of mysteriously trapped characters, and although the series was canceled after just one season, it delivers an effective and mercilessly brutal finale. Watch “Teacup” on Peacock .