A series doesn’t have to be labeled as a horror to be scary.
In fact, some of the creepiest television shows mess with your mind more than they mess with your heart rate.
Related: 21 Times TV Ships Broke Our Hearts
Whether it’s a horror, a psychological thriller, or something as simple as a mystery, anything can have a creep factor if it’s done correctly.
Check out our list below of 17 chilling TV shows you’ll want to watch with the lights on!
The OA
The OA will drive you insane. Literally. After being kidnapped and held hostage in a glass cage for 7 years, a woman recounts the story of her time in captivity. Just wait for your mind to be blown.
YOU
The eeriest thing about YOU is the amount of helplessness you’ll feel watching it. Despite having an insight into Joe’s thoughts and knowledge of his plans, there’s nothing you can do to warn Beck about the constant danger she’s in.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead has lost its scare factor over the years as the show became less about running from zombies and more about running from other humans. But the first couple seasons had quite a few jump scares, and even running into one Walker was a hair-raising experience.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
The fact that “chilling” is in the title is a bit of a tip-off, but Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is nothing like Melissa Joan Hart’s famous sitcom about navigating high school as a teenage witch. It’s dark, demonic, and ready to knock your socks off.
Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies is more mysterious than anything. From the very first episode, you’re left asking two questions. Who was killed and who did the killing? Slowly but surely, the show delivers answers you never could have expected.
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is an obvious choice for anyone looking for a scare. Every season is like an extended horror movie with a twist you never see you coming.
Supernatural
Pick any tall tell, scary story, or legend that you can remember. Odds are, Supernatural did an episode on it. While the series hasn’t been as scary as it was originally, some of the creatures the Winchesters had to face had us shivering under our covers.
The Order
There’s something unnerving about Netflix’s The Order that can’t be explained. Probably because the characters can’t really explain what’s happening either. Beware, you’re bound to be left confused when you mix secret societies with werewolves.
Pretty Little Liars
What started off as a show about a group of teenagers being bullied by an anonymous source quickly escalated. Some people are killed, some come back from the dead, and others are kidnapped and held hostage in a lifesize dollhouse.
Eye Candy
Cyberstalking is terrifying because of how real the threat is to everyday life. Revolving around a tech genius who has caught the eye of a psychotic internet predator, Eye Candy had us jumping every time there was a knock on the door.
Stranger Things
If you’re into the supernatural, Stranger things has got you covered. It’s impossible to explain anything that’s happening in this town, and your mind will be spinning alongside the characters.
Riverdale
Yes, it may be cheesy at times, but Riverdale does have its fair share of chilling moments. The cast of high-schoolers may drag it down scare-wise, but whenever Betty would get a call from the Black Hood, the creep factor tended to triple.
The Haunting of Hill House
Like the title suggests, this Netflix original is haunting. Throw some ghosts in a haunted house and mix it with an all-star cast, and you’re bound to be chilled to the bone.
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale is arguably the most disturbing show on television. In a world where women are repressed and forced to birth babies for higher class families, you’ll be both horrified and outraged.
Scream
Scream isn’t quite as scary as some of the others on the list, mostly due to the fact that it also revolves around teenage drama. But it hits viewers with the element of surprise on more than one occasion, and the potential is there for the series to become absolutely daunting.
Channel Zero
The best way to describe Channel Zero is that it’s the type of show that gives viewers the heebie-jeebies. With a newly terrifying plot each season, Channel Zero manages to stay equally fresh and thrilling.
Black Mirror
A series doesn’t need undead zombies and ghosts to be terrifying. Black Mirror is about the horrors of what human nature is capable of when they have access to advanced technology.
