Black Mirror, The X-Files & The Leftovers: Scary TV That’s Not Horror

Sometimes the scariest part of a TV show is what you don’t see.

An adage applicable for horror and non-horror series alike, the above certainly plays to our topic of the day: Halloween. While many will be celebrating by dressing up and going out, those that dress down to stay in have plenty of options in front of them for safe, cinematic frights. But what about the less popular Halloween picks? You know, the shows that really get under your skin without making you watch as they literally peel it back. The series that defy a ratings system because maybe there’s no gruesome violence, but parents still feel iffy about letting their kids watch it.

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These shows will rattle your bones, shake you to your core and, yes, frighten you in (we hope) a refreshing, progressive manner. Your hosts for Very Good TV Podcast, IndieWire TV Editor Liz Shannon Miller and TV Critic Ben Travers, have compiled a list of said programs, detailing specific scenes that freaked them out without any garish onscreen brutality. Here’s a short list of a few of their choices:

“Black Mirror”
“The X-Files”
“The Leftovers”
“Hannibal”

After all, what truly terrifies you long after Halloween is over is a feeling, not an image.

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