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I love a scary small town full of secrets and dark deeds, whatever it is twin Peaks<\/em>Hawkins (of stranger things<\/em> fame), or Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove, Maine fishing village murder, he wrote<\/em> With an alarmingly high mortality rate. The latest addition to this atlas of regrettable vacation spots is Widows Bay, the insular New England island that’s the setting for the new Apple TV series of the same name.<\/p>\n On the surface the town seems idyllic, but according to some locals, it appears to be “awakening” in a supernatural way. It’s bad timing for the mayor, Tom Loftis, a relative newcomer who is hoping to turn the place into a quirky tourist destination. In some episodes, the show is often legitimately funny, but also quite scary (think clowns in crawlspaces) \u2014 and if you want to visit other terrifying places between episodes, here are 15 scary suggestions. Stream Widow’s Bay<\/em> on apple tv<\/strong>.<\/p>\n shining valley<\/em> It begins by advising us that women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men \u2013 but also twice as likely to be possessed by a demon. And the symptoms are also the same. Courteney Cox’s Pat Phelps isn’t really sure what she’s facing when her extremely dysfunctional family moves into a big old Victorian mansion in a small Connecticut town, hoping that getting out of the big city will solve all their problems. As you might suspect, that’s not the case, and it adds a lot as to supernatural forces related to dark things happening in the house. shining valley<\/em> Talks openly about issues of women and mental illness but, e.g. Widow’s Bay<\/em>Even approaches his ghostly threats with a sense of humor. Stream shining valley<\/em> on HBO Max.<\/strong><\/p>\n There’s nothing too supernatural here, but the premise of the show is that suburbia is very strange and scary, especially if you’re not a local, which feels close enough. This fun and very loose adaptation of the 1989 Tom Hanks film takes Keke Palmer’s Samira and Jack Whitehall’s Rob back to their impossibly safe and sanitized hometown. Their house is across the street from a dilapidated Victorian eyesore that may or may not have been the site of a murder a few decades ago. As Sameera adjusts to new motherhood as well as life in prison, she discovers that her best neighbors (played by Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Prokash and Kapil Talwalkar) also have secrets, and she suspects that her husband knows more about the dead girl than he is letting on. Stream ‘burbs<\/em><\/u> on peacock<\/u><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Jude Law’s Sam arrives on the island of Oceania while mourning his murdered son and trying to save his failing business in this strange and ambitious piece of folk horror. After intervening when he sees a young woman attempting to hang herself, Sam gets sucked into some wildly atmospheric horror around town. Later, Naomie Harris’s Helen arrives at the island with her daughters and discovers that everything has gone to hell, and the road connecting the island to the mainland has also disappeared. In between the two parts of the miniseries, the creators created an immersive 12-hour long, Single-camera livestream<\/a> Capturing a day in the life of the island, and it’s a unique piece of innovation. Granted, this is all a bit more liveliness than plot, but these vibes are really disturbing. Stream on the third day<\/em> on HBO Max. <\/strong><\/p>\n Moving to rural Ireland, we meet Elvira Clancy (Siobhan Cullen), a freelance mortician and former goth girl who has money problems. There is good money in the job, but there is none so many<\/em> Deaths in the small (fictitious) town of Kilraven – but she was on her way to increase the death toll when she accidentally falls from a cliff. This is as dark as dark comedies get, as Elvira comes across less like a serial killer and more like an adult Wednesday Addams. Stream obituary<\/em> On Hulu.<\/strong> <\/p>\n Sometimes light but not obviously humorous, Heaven<\/em> (Based on the short story “The Colorado Kid” by Stephen King) Still below is the “Strange Things Happen in a Remote Town” section. Emily Rose plays Audrey Parker, an FBI special agent sent to a Maine town on a routine case. Soon she becomes embroiled in the “Troubles”, a series of harmful supernatural events that have repeated throughout the town’s history – and, no coincidence, are happening again. The supernatural-case-of-the-week format gives way to a bigger mystery when Audrey discovers that this is not her first time in Haven, nor the first time she has encountered troubles. Stream Heaven<\/em> on peacock<\/strong> and prime video<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s got its work cut out for it if Widow’s Bay is to compete with the town (and strange locals) at the center of this groundbreaking weirdness from David Lynch and Mark Frost, in which the teens and adults in the deceptively serene Twin Peaks confront tragedy along with supernatural threats from outside our ordinary space and time. I think? The mysteries here aren’t really meant to be solved as much as one might think, in keeping with the vague existential dread (and if that’s not your idea of \u200b\u200bentertainment, I’m not sure what you’re doing here). Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who comes to town to investigate the murder of teen homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), and uncovers secrets and mysteries among the town’s delightfully (often disturbingly) strange residents. Stream twin Peaks<\/em><\/u> on Paramount+<\/u><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Stephen King’s best trick is setting his horror in seemingly idyllic small towns. It is set in the 1960s it<\/em> The prequel dives into the backstory of Derry and Pennywise the Joker through the eyes of the children who met him during a previous visit to the city. By the end of the first episode, it’s clear that even the sweetest kids aren’t safe, and this is a show that, if nothing else, will work hard. Tonight, it’s far from a match Widow’s Bay<\/em>-but it was given bay<\/em> Already featuring a scary ’60s ghost clown as its supernatural scare, there’s some overlap if you’re a particular kind of freak. Stream This: Welcome to Derry<\/em><\/u> on hbo max<\/u><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n Here, there is a complete tonal mismatch in that night country<\/em> takes himself far more seriously Widow’s Bay<\/em>. However, this is the most recent true Detective<\/em> The season is one of the better creepy-in-an-isolate-location narratives of recent years, moving away from the sweaty brother energy of earlier seasons in favor of a chilling mystery involving missing scientists at a research station near a small and necessarily remote Alaskan town, where the darkness and cold are practically characters themselves. The resulting case involves veteran Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reese), two women with complicated pasts and dysfunctional current family lives. Stream True Detective: Night Country<\/em><\/u> on hbo max<\/u><\/strong>.<\/p>\n This much-loved animated series centers on twin siblings Mabel and Dipper Pines (Kristen Schaal and Jason Ritter), who are sent to spend the summer with their uncle (aka “Grunkle”) Stan (voiced by show creator Alex Hirsch). While helping Stan run his mystery-themed tourist cottage, the children encounter a series of supernatural mysteries, many of which relate to the show’s ultimate antagonist, a dream demon known as Bill Cipher. The series recently reached a planned conclusion (albeit after four years instead of ten), and its finale was a ratings blockbuster – highest rated broadcast<\/u><\/a> In fact, in the history of Disney XD. Stream gravity Falls<\/em><\/u> on Disney+<\/u><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What do you think so far? tracer<\/em> takes us to the quaint Irish coastal town of the title for a dark comedy thriller that parodies true crime dramas in almost the same way Widow’s Bay<\/em> Takes the shit out of supernatural narratives. Will Forte plays Gilbert Power, an American podcaster who is investigating the case of three people who went missing during a Samhain celebration three decades ago. It’s certainly a satire of the genre, but there’s still a very compelling mystery at the center of the show. Stream tracer<\/em><\/u> on netflix<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Both a complex crime procedural and a brilliant satire of the genre, this Australian import follows Dulcie Collins (Kate Box), the flamboyant Senior Sergeant of the police force in the fictional town of Deadloch. When a body washes up on the beach, Dulcie is joined by Madeleine Sami’s Eddie Radcliffe, a typically obnoxious detective brought in to help solve the case. Unraveling the web of secrets in a small Tasmanian town is addictive, and as a bonus, its police thriller tropes are ruthlessly mocked. Stream deadlock <\/em><\/u>on prime video<\/u><\/strong>.<\/p>\n taking inspiration from evil dead<\/em>, stan against evil<\/em> John C. McGinley plays the foul-mouthed, despicable former sheriff of the small New Hampshire town of Willards Mill, which is filled with vengeful spirits. Janet Varney comes to town as their replacement, and the two soon realize that the monsters will not remain silent much longer. The quirky chemistry between the leads is a big selling point, as are the old-school practical monster effects. Stream stan against evil<\/em> on AMC+<\/strong> And shiver.<\/strong><\/p>\n like the residents of Widow’s Bay<\/em>characters in From<\/em> In fact, we are trapped. But at least that Apple Show area gets a name; From<\/em>Its setting is named after the town itself, and, once you set foot there, you may never leave. Oh, and did I mention that the creatures come from the woods and kill anyone found outside after dark? It doesn’t seem as bad as the town I grew up in, but still: worrying. Stream From<\/em> on mgm+<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n If this isn’t the best of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix work, it’s certainly his most emotionally devastating. Riley Flynn (Jack Gilford) returns to the small, isolated community of Crockett Island, his arrival coinciding with that of Catholic priest Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater). Riley grapples with his justified guilt over a drunk-driving death for which he was responsible, while a charismatic priest revives the town’s religious fervor, raising local tensions. The conflict that blossoms while exploring the boundaries of both faith and crime is fascinating, and the unabashedly gruesome elements are terrifying. Stream midnight Mass<\/em><\/u> on netflix<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n The set-up will seem familiar, but only because this harsh, brutal miniseries harkens back to the Agatha Christie source material that gives it its name: eight strangers arrive on the fictional, completely isolated Soldier Island, off the Devon coast. They are brought together under various pretexts, and, over a tense dinner, are presented with a gramophone recording explaining that each of them is responsible for a death, and that each will face justice in turn. Stream And then there were none <\/em>on acorn tv<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nshining valley<\/em> (2022 \u2013 2023)<\/h2>\n
‘burbs<\/em> (2026- )<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-4.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778018164.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\non the third day<\/em> (2020)<\/h2>\n
![\"Day](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-15.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778081316.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nobituary<\/em> (2023- )<\/h2>\n
![\"Obituary](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-9.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778078129.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nHeaven<\/em> (2010 \u2013 2015)<\/h2>\n
![\"Heaven](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-3.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778018164.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\ntwin Peaks<\/em> (1990 \u2013 1991, 2017)<\/h2>\n
This: Welcome to Derry<\/em> (2025- )<\/h2>\n
True Detective: Night Country<\/em> (2024)<\/h2>\n
gravity Falls<\/em> (2012 \u2013 2016)<\/h2>\n
\n
\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\ntracer<\/em> (2024)<\/h2>\n
![\"Bodkin](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-8.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778077041.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\ndeadlock<\/em> (2023- )<\/h2>\n
![\"Deadlock](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-10.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778078812.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nstan against evil<\/em> (2016 \u2013 2018)<\/h2>\n
From<\/em> (2022- )<\/h2>\n
![\"From](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-12.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778079167.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nmidnight Mass<\/em> (2021)<\/h2>\n
![\"Midnight](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KQWC0N7ZW7VCFJ1BSSVT8YQK\/images-13.fill.size_autoxauto.v1778079339.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nAnd then there were none<\/em> (2015)<\/h2>\n