Come along with your sleuthing friends and dive into mysteries and mind-blowing quests with these supernatural mystery series.
Updated July 22, 2026
I love a good mystery, a problem to be solved, adventures lying ahead, questions that when answered create even bigger questions. Likable characters mostly a group of kids or young adults combined with a lot of supernatural things, ghosts, curses, time travel and much more.
Besides these sleuthing series there are also other kind of mystery series that do not focus on solving one, but the whole story is a mystery itself. Inexplicable things that are happening, strange things have happened that can’t be explained. This can be supernatural, fantasy or science fiction with adult characters that find themselves in a weird situation.
All of these elements results in very entertaining series that keep you guessing and on your toes.
Here are some great supernatural mystery series you don’t want to miss out on.
I have put together a list of Supernatural Mystery TV Series that I have watched and personally recommend. It’s not a list with all the supernatural mystery tv series out there or the best ones, but this is a selection of tv series that I enjoyed watching.
The list is set up by decade and by year. Starting with the most recent tv series. Each time I have found a new tv series within this genre that I highly recommend it will be added to the list.
So save this post for more recommendations.
The list consists of 23 tv series at the moment.
The Boroughs (2026) 1 season, cancelled
Stars: Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters, Geena Davis, Carlos Miranda. Created by Jeffery Addiss, Will Matthews. (8 episodes, 40-55 min)
Genres: mystery, science fiction, horror, aliens, folk horror
Think: Stranger Things with old people, elderly sleuthing, otherworldly secrets, aging, monsters, elderly friendship
Plot
Sam Cooper is a recently widowed engineer and still grieving. He reluctantly moves into a new house in The Boroughs, a gated community for the elderly in the middle of the desert with every convenience. His neighbor Jack welcomes him and throws a barbecue in his honor, inviting Renee, Wally, Art and his wife Judy.
That night however Sam hears a strange noise coming from Jack’s house and takes a look. He discovers something horrifying. A creature is feeding from Jack, killing him. The Boroughs’ employees dismiss it, but his new friends make some amazing discoveries of their own. Together they go on a mission to find out what happened to Jack and what weird things are going on in their community. They stumble upon a big secret of otherworldly proportions.
Short Review
This is a great and exciting adventure with elderly people which creates a fresh take on the genre. They are all independent characters who are interesting with their own past, while they struggle getting older and being redundant. Sam feels treated as an incapable delusional old man. That’s also a big theme of the story, getting older, being useless, dying, sickness, loss and grief, and it’s highly connected with the big story arc.
But it’s also a lot of fun, with great special effects, creating an original alien tale that is even emotionally charged and has some cosmic horror elements. The science fiction mystery has some creepy moments, and even has some folk horror vibes, but ultimately it’s about getting old with dignity and dying with dignity.
Dead Boy Detectives (2024) 1 season, cancelled
Stars: George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Kassius Neslon, Yuyu Kitamura. Created by Steve Yockey. (8 episodes, 52-56 min)
Genres: mystery, supernatural, fantasy, comedy, horror, ghosts, monsters & creatures, witchcraft
Think: solving cases, ghosts, witches, afterlife and all sorts of magical beings with quirky characters and colorful settings
Plot
Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne are ghosts who died in 1989 and 1916 respectively. They both escaped Death and now roam the earthy plane in London and help other ghosts solve mysteries and their unfinished business and help them cross over. But that means they have to hide for those who hunt them to take them back to hell.
When a case brings them to Port Townsend in Washington they stumble upon an ancient witch, a Cat King, and make new friends with Crystal and Niko. They have to take it up with their new friends against an ancient evil witch who steals children. This is the start of a supernatural adventure full of magical beings, ghosts, dangers and much more.
Short Review
Although it has only one season and was cancelled after that, this one season has already built a very rich universe with lore and folklore and magical mythical beings. All the characters are very quirky, fun, interesting and original. We learn more about each character and uncover their stories, that can be heartbreaking and sad, but also full of hope.
The setting is very colorful and creative and the storylines are little wonders and magical mysteries waiting to be unraveled. It’s quick, it’s quirky, it’s original, imaginative and fun and the world that was created with its amazing and fantastical creatures and beings just asked to be more explored.
School Spirits (2023-) 3 seasons, running
Stars: Peyton List, Kristian Ventura, Kiara Pichardo. Created by Megan Trinrud, Nate Trinrud. (24 episodes, 44-56 min)
Genres: supernatural, fantasy, mystery, ghosts
Think: The Breakfast Club with murder, mysteries and ghosts and life after death
Plot
Maddie goes to Split River High School with her boyfriend Xavier, her best friend Simon and her other best friend Nicole. But suddenly she finds herself in the basement and she is dead. All the other ghosts who had died in the school during different decades are there to help her adjust.
Maddie can’t remember what happened and how she ended up dead. The biggest mystery is that her body isn’t found. So the whole town is looking for her, dead or alive. With the help of Simon who amazingly can see her, her new ghost friends and her other living friends Xavier, Nicole and Claire, she tries to figure out what happened to her.
Short Review
This series starts with the mystery surrounding Maddie ending up dead, but it evolves into something much greater. It’s also about the ghosts who still linger at the school, why they can’t cross over or even leave the school premises. It takes it even further in the third season all the way back to the founding of the town, limbo and much more mysteries are revealed that have to be solved.
It’s interesting and keeps the narrative original and fresh. It combines coming-of-age themes with likable characters who all have their own quirks and problems. It’s an entertaining mystery with a gloomy atmosphere that has a new and original perspective on the afterlife, ghosts and creates a new mythology.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Crawling Spider Eye is made with pen and a pointillism technique. You can buy this design on a Unisex Ringer T-Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Threadless.
Archive 81 (2022) 1 season, cancelled
Stars: Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Matt McGorry. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshine. (8 episodes, (45-59 min)
Genres: occult, mystery, found footage, cults, horror
Think: Found footage that creates a mend bending occult mystery
Plot
Dan Turner gets hired to restore tapes that were damaged in a fire at the apartment building The Visser. The tapes are made by Melody Kendra who moved into the Visser to document the building and its residents in search of her biological mother, in 1994.
While Dan discovers that his dad is also on the tapes, Melody discovers a cult in the basement. Dan gets slowly invested in Melody while she gets more involved in the cult. Both are determined to find out what happened. This connects them in a very strange reality bending way.
Short Review
It’s a slow but intriguing series that evolves around found footage and a cult that wants to open a portal to another dimension to let a godlike entity into this world. The footage is the thread that weaves the story of the past and present together as Dan and Melody connect through time. With interesting and likable characters Dan and Melody get involved in the mystery surrounding the Visser with its strange and unlikable residents.
It has some true creepy moments and the cult is manipulative, but the focus is on the mystery of the cult and the demon Kaelego and the other dimension the Otherworld, that brings past and present together. It’s a reality bending series that is sometimes weird and hard to grasp, but the ending will explain everything but leaves you with a cliffhanger. Sadly this series was cancelled. Fortunately it’s based on a podcast that was finished so you can enjoy the mystery further. You can Read my Full Review.
From (2022-) 4 seasons, running
Stars: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Harold Perrimeau, David Alpay, Eion Bailey, Ricky He, Elizabeth Saunders. Created by John Griffin. (37 episodes, 46-60 min)
Genres: horror, mystery, supernatural, monsters & creatures
Think: “Lost” but trapped in a town with deadly night creatures and a mysterious history responsible for a supernatural mythology
Plot
Jim and Tabitha Matthews and their kids Julie and Ethan find themselves trapped in a strange little town just like a bunch of other people who arrived before them, some even years. Each road leads back to the town and there’s no escape.
Now they try to make it work. But aside from missing their families and friends there’s something else. Something sinister and dangerous. At night strange people, vampire-like humanoid creatures show up and when you are outside or inside a building that is unprotected by a charm they take you and kill you in the most brutal way. Together with other stranded people they want to find out what is going on here and how they can escape.
Short Review
The first season is all about setting the basis for this mystery horror. Getting to know what’s going on, getting to know the people and how they live, survive here. It has a bleak atmosphere but is also contains hope. There are more mysteries hidden and the Matthew family discovers more of its history. Each season they learn more. It gets darker, people die, the deadly creatures get more ferocious, but what they learn brings the people closer to the answer of the mystery what actually happened in this town and why and maybe also a way to get out of here.
The story is focused on the mystery, history and mythology but also on the characters. They are all very fleshed out and interesting, which gets you more involved in the story. It’s dark, it’s hopeful, it’s gruesome and tragic, but little specks of light sometimes shine through.
The Resort (2022) Mini Series
Stars: Cristin Milioti, William Jackson Harper, Syler Gisondo, Nina Bloomgarden. Created by Andy Siara. (8 episodes, 31-39 min)
Genres: mystery, science fiction, time travel, comedy
Think: Tropical resort, where past and present collide in a dark comedy mystery
Plot
Noah and Emma are on vacation in the Mayan Riviera when she finds an old phone in the jungle. She’s immediately intrigued. She discovers it belonged to Sam who was there in 2007 and who went missing during a storm. That sets a mystery in motion, as she convinces Noah to investigate with her. It reignites their relationship and Emma’s lust for life.
While we follow Emma and Noah on their sleuthing trip, we also follow Sam and his family and Violet who also stays there with her father. The series has two story arcs that take place in 2007 and in 2022 and the storyline jumps between them. Together with Emma and Noah we get closer to the truth of what happened to Sam and Violet.
Short Review
The series has a structure of two timelines that eventually come together in a mind-bending adventure. While we follow Emma and Noah on their sleuthing trip, we also follow Sam and Violet. The series has two story arcs that take place in 2007 and in 2022 and the storyline jumps between them. Together with Emma and Noah we get closer to the truth of what happened to Sam and Violet. It’s a series about young blooming love and old love that has to be rekindled again. All they needed to do was a go on a quest to find each other.
The less you know the better. It’s a ride full of amateur sleuthing and funny moments. But it hides a real mystery and an ancient secret that has consequences for all of them. The ending is phenomenal and epic and you would probably have not expected it.
Wednesday (2022-) 2 seasons, running
Stars: Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday. Created by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar. (16 episodes, 48-69 min)
Genres: supernatural, fantasy, mystery, comedy, monsters & creatures
Think: A morbid sleuth who does the right thing, with sometimes questionable means
Plot
Wednesday Adams goes to Nevermore Academy. It’s a school for supernatural beings and outcasts. There she discovers she has psychic abilities.
Her new roommate Enid is a werewolf and the opposite of her. Enid is fun, positive, uplifting, quirky and very girlish, and likes Wednesday immediately, while Wednesday is cold, emotionless and defiant. Those qualities make her an excellent sleuth when a murder takes place on campus. Wednesday witnesses that murder done by a monster but nobody believes her. Together with Enid and Thing she starts her own investigation. While he has to survive school and struggles with relationships, both romantic and friendships.
Short Review
This is a very fun and original take on the Adams family. It combines mystery with dark whimsical humor, quirky characters and original supernatural beings. The mystery keeps you guessing while Wednesday’s normal life at school with her new friends also plays a big role. When the storyline of the first season is resolved, new adventures are on the horizon and the mystery that Wednesday has to solve in the second season is much more personal while she also unravels mysteries surrounding herself and her family. Wednesday is a wonderful character, who only trusts her own instincts and listens to nobody, and when she gets into trouble she can rescue herself most of the time.
The cinematography, the art decoration, set design and costumes are outstanding and create a whole new world of the supernatural and the weird. It offers a fantastical mystery adventure that is entertaining and fun.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This painting “The Sentinel” is made with soft pastels. You can buy this fine art print on museum-quality paper in my shop at Printify. Take a look at my other art prints as well.
Secrets of Sulphur Springs (2021-2023) 3 seasons, finished
Stars: Kyleigh Curran, Preston Oliver, Elle Graham. Created by Tracey Thomson. (28 episodes, 21-29 min)
Genres: kids, mystery, time travel, fantasy
Think: Time travel for the young adventurers
Plot
12-year-old Griffin Campbell moves with his family to Sulpher Springs where his father bought a dilapidated old hotel called the Tremont Hotel. It is supposedly haunted by a girl named Savannah who disappeared 30 years ago while at camp.
Griffin befriends Harper a girl from school and together they discover a gateway that takes them 30 years back in time just before Savannah vanished. They try to unravel the mystery of her disappearance in order to save her, but stumble upon more secrets surrounding the hotel and both Griffin’s as Harper’s families.
Short Review
It’s a great series for kids, that takes kids seriously. The story isn’t too scary but exciting and thrilling at times and they find themselves in danger while solving the mysteries of the hotel and its history. There’s also comic relief coming from siblings and it’s purely focused on the kids without adult interference.
The more the story evolves the more mysteries come to light and the further back we go into the history of the hotel. That means themes like racism and equality are addressed but are woven with great care into the story. Ultimately it’s about friendship and discovering the world together. Each season the kids unravel more secrets that tie up nicely all together into one great story and the series has a proper ending that feels just right.
The Hardy Boys (2020-2023) 3 seasons, finished
Stars: Rohan Campbell, Alexander Elliot, Keana Lyn Bastidas. Created by Jason Stone, Chris Pozzebon, Steve Cochrane. (31 episodes, 40-47 min)
Genres: mystery, science fiction, eighties vibe, fantasy
Think: Sleuthing, group of friends, the eighties, science fiction, powerful objects, secret organizations.
Plot
After their mother Laura dies in a car crash Frank and Joe Hardy and their father Fenton go back to their hometown Bridgeport to live with Fenton’s sister Trudy. It’s also the town where Laura’s mother a very wealthy woman with a lot of secrets lives. Frank and Joe stumble upon a conspiracy that has to do with magical powerful objects, their family and the death of their mother. Together with their new friends, Callie, Chet, Phil, Biff and professional thief JB they are determined to solve the mysteries that are hidden deep within family secrets and secret organizations, but not without danger.
Short Review
The whole series has one big story arc. Each season revolves around a magical powerful object. These objects together can create the ultimate weapon, knowledge or power. Each season they uncover more, but that also raises more questions. Luckily this series has a real ending and an epic ending at that. It’s inventive and creative, all the more that it’s set in the eighties and they didn’t have internet or cell phones to rely on to help them solve mysteries and to communicate. That creates a retro vibe and makes things more difficult and complicated, but also more exciting and fun.
The dynamics between the group of friends are very fun to watch. The characters are all likable. It’s powerful, and moving and in the end, although they love sleuthing, they love it even more doing it together. This series revolves around friendship, love and family, secrets and secret organizations. It proves that friendship and family is the most powerful tool in the world.
Nancy Drew (2019-2023) 4 seasons, finished
Stars: Kennedy McMann, Leah Lewis, Maddison Jaizani. Created by Noga Landau, Stephanie Savage, Josh Schwartz.(62 episodes, 40-44 min)
Genres: mystery, supernatural, fantasy, soapy
Think: Sleuthing, urban legends, curses, ghosts, a strong group of friends and a lot more.
Plot
Nancy Drew just turned eighteen and is taking a leap year before going to college. She works in her hometown Horseshoe Bay at The Claw as a waitress, together with Bess, Ace and manager George and she has a fling with mechanic Nick.
When at the parking lot the body of Tiffany Hudson is found, wife of Ryan Hudson son of the wealthiest family in Horseshoe Bay, Nancy gathers her new crew from the restaurant to solve this murder. But the more she discovers, the more personal it gets. Not only the wealthiest family in Horseshoe Bay is keeping secrets, also the town itself.
Short Review
Nancy is a go-getter, a strong female character that knows what she wants and knows how to solve mysteries even when it comes rather close to home. Her friends are a motley crew of young people who have secrets, struggle with life and themselves. They have to deal with ghosts, curses, the dark history of Horseshoe Bay that still affects the present and much more.
The farther the series goes, the more supernatural it gets and the bigger every story arc becomes and more intense. Every episode has its own mystery to solve, while the big story arc continues and also the individual problems and lives of the main characters keep going forward. It combines the monster-of-the-week set-up with a soapy feel by making each season a continuous story, and all seasons together in their turn form a big continuous story arc.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Red Bug-Eyed Alien is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex T-Shirt and other apparel and on other various products in my shop at Redbubble.
Typewriter (2019) 1 season, cancelled
Stars Palomi Ghosh, Aarnaa Sharma, Purab Kohli, Palash Kamble, Mikhail Gandhi, Aaryansh Malviya, Sara Gesawat Created by Sujoy Ghosh. (5 episodes, 42-54 min)
Genres: ghost story, mystery, supernatural, YA
Think: A group sleuthing kids wants to find out the story of a ghost
Plot
The story starts with writer Madhav Mathews who wrote The Ghost of Sultanpore and his granddaughter Jenny who live in the Bardez mansion in Goa. However the house is haunted and kills him. Years later Jenny returns to the mansion with her own family. Her kids Nick and Anya don’t like it very much but they befriend a group of kids who are interested in the house and its ghost stories. They form a Ghost Club that wants to find out everything about the ghost of Sultanpore. Meanwhile strange and scary things start to happen.
Short Review
This Indian story jumps from 1982, 1950 and the present revealing the story of the ghost. We follow the kid’s adventures and the discoveries made by the adults. This adds a lot of variety, different perspectives and different tones and atmospheres. All the storylines are about solving the mystery of this ghost story. Although a big part is covered by the storyline of the kids, it’s not necessarily a children’s spooky story. Some scenes are frightening and maybe too unsettling. You can Read my Full Review.
Altered Carbon (2018-2020) 2 seasons, cancelled
Stars Joel Kinnaman, Martha Higareda, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Ato Essandoh, James Purefoy, Cliff Chamberlain, Chris Conner, Hayley Law. Created by Laeta Kalogridis. (18 episodes, 46-66 min)
Genres: dystopia, detective noir, cyberpunk, mystery, science fiction, murder mystery
Think: A detective noir in a dystopian future in body sleeves and AI people
Plot
After 250 years on ice, Takeshi Kovac’s consciousness is put in a sleeve/body and hired by tycoon Laurens Bancroft to solve his murder. This leads Tak to a much bigger game that is at play. Together with AI Poe, Vernon Elliot, former military, Ava Elliot, a hacker and police officer Kristin Ortega he dives deep into this mystery. You can Read Unmask the Killer.
Short Review
While the story contains a lot of new things and information, it’s a very clever plot that goes beyond the mystery of the murder. The cinematography is stunning, the story intriguing and the characters colorful and fleshed-out. The series contains quite a bit of nudity and sex but also discusses important themes like social, religious, philosophical, and moral issues. It’s also full of great choreographed fights, full of violence, cynicism, dark and dry humor. The decor is amazing and the art design is fantastic and the word building is well made. It’s inclusive and thought provoking. It’s an epic futuristic take that makes you feel every emotion.
While the first season concludes the solving of the murder, the second season is all about Tak’s past and the rebellion, making it a whole different series with a very different tone and atmosphere. Maybe that has something to do with sadly being cancelled. You can Read my Full Reviews of Season 1 and Season 2.
Dark (2017-2020) 3 seasons, finished
Stars Louis Hofmann, Andreas Pietschmann. Created by Baron bo Odar and Jantje Friese. (26 episodes, 45-73 min)
Genres: science fiction, mystery, time travel
Think: Generational trauma through time with a science fiction mystery involving time travel and alternate timelines
Plot
When Jonas’ father commits suicide it sets a complex web of mysteries surrounding a couple of families in the little town of Winden in motion. For generations, a couple of families are woven together in this mystery. When a body of a young boy is found in the woods, a Stranger comes to town and all kinds of weird things happen and secrets that the power plant hides, Jonas gets involved taking him deeper into the past of Winden and its residents.
Short Review
This German series is about four different families, whose lives are intertwined, set in three different decades. We follow the generations of these families in 2019, 1986 and 1953. The second season even adds the future in 2052 when Jonas time travels to the future. It also goes further back in time to 1921, making the story even bigger, with more characters, but we learn more as well. The third season makes it even more complex by adding alternate timelines. You can Read Everything That Happened in Season1, Season 2, and Season 3.
Slowly we uncover the secret mystery that lies beneath the strange events. Therefore it has a lot of characters, a lot is going on and you’ll have to pay attention to keep track of things. It’s complicated but with a clever story involving time travel and paradoxes. Both the story as the cinematography are gloomy and dark and set a grim atmosphere. The three seasons built towards an epic conclusion with a well rounded story that is both complex and intriguing. You can Read my Full Reviews of Season 1, Season 2, Season 3.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Crawling Spider Eye is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Rib Racer Tank Top and other apparel in my shop at Printify.
A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019) 3 seasons, finished
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes. Created by: Daniel Handler. (25 episodes, 36-64 min)
Genres: mystery, kids, YA, comedy, fantasy, dark comedy
Think: Three very smart children looking for their parents in the most incredible and dangerous places.
Plot
When Violet, Klaus and baby Sunny get orphaned when their house burns down with their parents in it, they are appointed to a guardian. When he is murdered they find out that Count Olaf wants to be their guardian himself, to get their money they inherited.
They set on their own adventure to find out what happened to their parents and why and which secrets they were hiding. It brings them to the strangest places and meet the most wonderful characters, while Olaf who’s on their tail, disguising himself to capture them.
Short Review
The three kids are amazing. Violet is an inventor, Klaus is very book smart and Sunny has the most shape teeth you have ever seen. Together they solve the mystery surrounding their parents, setting them on dangerous adventures and situations which they get out of due to their smart and quick thinking.
Although the whole atmosphere is gloomy and dark and grim and no episode ends well, this way of telling the story is very original and creative and the tone is unusual but very appealing and feels like a satire of adventurous children’s tales. The humor is surreal and absurd and witty. The cinematography is gorgeous and the art decoration, the costumes are absolutely amazing. Together they create a whole new authentic vibe. It’s a great series for smart kids and evenly amazing and fun for adults too, that fortunately ends well.
Zone Blanche (2017-2019) 2 seasons, cancelled
Stars: Suliane Brahim, Hubert Delattre, Laurent Capelluto, Samuel Jouy. Created by Mathieu Missoffe. (16 episodes, 50-61 min).
Genres: crime, mystery, supernatural, folk horror
Think: Crime series with a folk horror supernatural element where nature is at the center.
Plot
Laurène Weiss is the sheriff of Villefranche a small town near a vast ancient forest. She has to solve some gruesome and very strange deaths. Secrets are unearthed when attorney Frank Siriani comes to town to look at the investigations.
There’s also an environmental group active and a supernatural creature lives in the forest. On top of that Laurène still struggles with a traumatic event that happened years ago in the forest. During a rite of passage ritual she was kidnapped but managed to escape. She is still looking for the person responsible.
Short review
It’s a great mix between a crime detective series and the supernatural. It has a strong folk horror vibe due to the ancient creature, a deity that will be more explored in the second season. There’s also a lot of drama, relationships stuff, hidden secrets, romances, like a soap opera, but with strange crimes that all have to do with nature in some way.
The whole forest, the animals are characters of their own, like a sentient ecosystem. The shots of nature are beautiful. It’s a very original crime series, full of mystery ad weird happenings, odd characters and a strong supernatural element and a mystical atmosphere.
The second season will dive much deeper into this creature called Cernunnos and what it has to do with Laurène and her history. Although a piece of the puzzle is solved, not everything becomes clear, because the series got cancelled which is a shame. You can Read my Full Reviews of Season 1, and Season 2. Or you can Read an Explanation.
Au-delà des murs/ Beyond the Walls (2016) Mini Series
Stars Veerle Baetens, François Deblock. Created by Marc Herpoux and Hervé Hadmar. (3 episodes 142 min total)
Genres: mystery, surrealism, psychological horror liminal horror
Think: Haunted house combined with liminal horror and getting lost in a labyrinth with monsters and past traumas
Plot
Lisa is a speech therapist and lives alone in a Spartan apartment and leads a lonely life due to a traumatic past. When a man across the street dies in his apartment he leaves her the house, a picture of a red door and a bible text.
Curious she goes to the house and finds a hole in the wall, that leads to other hallways and a whole network of corridors and rooms. She gets lost in the labyrinth and encounters a man Julian who’s also lost. Together they try to figure it out, while Lisa also deals with her traumatic past as does Julian.
Short Review
This French language France-Belgian mini series is a visually stunning story. Dream-like imagery and nightmares take turns creating a beautiful haunting story. With surreal imagery, it feels like Alice fallen through the rabbit hole. It’s claustrophobic, nihilistic, with a foreboding and creepy atmosphere.
Lisa finds herself trapped in a psychological weird fairytale where monsters lurk. It’s a very intriguing tale with an original concept executed in a beautiful way. You can Read my Full Review.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Vintage Colored Deer Skull is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Baseball Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Threadless.
The Living and the Dead (2016) Mini Series (or cancelled)
Stars: Colin Morgan, Charlotte Spencer. Created by: Ashley Pharoah, Matthew Graham. (6 episodes, 60 min)
Genres: gothic, period drama, mystery, ghost stories, monster-of-the-week
Think: Superstition in a small village on the onset of the Industrial Revolution aggravated by ghost stories and strange occurrences
Plot
After being away for a while Nathan Appleby returns to his farm with his second wife Charlotte, when his mother is dying. Charlotte is determined to modernize the farm, helping all the workers. But strange things seem to happen in Shepzoy Summerset.
While Nathan still has a trauma of the death of his young son, as a psychologist he wants to help the people of the village who suffer from strange things. But these things hinge towards the supernatural and Nathan doesn’t know what to make of it. Until he sees an apparition of his own.
Short Review
This gothic period drama with ghosts is set in 1894. Every episode is a little ghost story, full of mystery, drama, tragic events and horror that happened to a character of the village. The cinematography is very atmospheric, a bit gloomy and the feel of harvest and autumn is very palpable. It highly connects with Nathan’s grief. Set at the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the village and its people have to deal with change, seeking their refuge in spiritism and superstition.
But there’s more hidden underneath this gothic tale. Past and present and even the future are connected with each other in a very mysterious way, which results in a big twist in the final episode. This is a great spooky gothic mystery drama with beautiful cinematography, a compelling story and interesting characters. You can Read my Full Review.
The OA (2016-2019) 2 seasons, cancelled
Stars: Britt Marling, Emory Cohen, Phyllis Smith, Patrick Gibson, Brendan Meyer, Brandon Perea, Ian Alexander. Created by Britt Marling and Zal Batmanglij. (16 episodes, 31-71 min)
Genres: supernatural, fantasy, surrealism, mystery, existentialism, other dimensions
Think: A mystery that transcends our world in search of other dimensions and true love
Plot
Prairie Johnson has been missing for 7 years when she suddenly appears. We learn what happened to her when she was missing, but also more about her history in Russia as a child. Her story is an incredible story that feels like a fairytale. It’s the story she tells to a small group of 4 high school teenagers, and their teacher, all of them misfits. But through Prairie who calls herself OA, the Original Angel, they find each other, eventually resulting in an epic incident.
Short Review
It’s an exceptional story that is imaginative, creative and original. It’s visually stunning and the story itself is very emotional and can sometimes be gut wrenching, and poetic and heartwarming and full of hope and joy, and sometimes all at the same time. The characters of OA’s little group are amazing. They are misfits, but special and form a very tight bond, which is wonderful to see. OA herself is a very special woman who sometimes feels like she transcends humanity, but stays humble.
It evolves into an existential story about dimensions, love and friendship. The second season not only brings another new world but a new surreal atmosphere and vibe that feels like a game, while OA’s story continuous.
This is one of the most incredible original series out there that brings a rollercoaster of emotions, a lot of depth in the story arc and infinite possibilities. It’s a shame this series was cancelled. It was thought provoking, smart and made with care. It feels like these two seasons only grasped what it eventually had to say. You can Read my Full Review of Season 1, and Season 2.
Haven (2010-2015) 5 seasons, finished
Stars: Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant, Eric Balfour. Created by Jim Dunn, Sam Ernst. (26 episodes, 41-43 min)
Genres: supernatural, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, soapy, monster-of-the week
Think: A town with strange afflictions and occurrences and a big mythology that expands every season while being unraveled
Plot
When FBI agent Audrey Parker is sent to the little town of Haven she finds out that strange things happen in Haven, caused by the residents. They call it The Troubles. Audrey appears to be extremely good at solving these cases, but she also seems to be immune. So she’s the only one who can help these people who suffer from The Troubles.
When she sees her own spitting image in a newspaper dated 27 years ago, she gets intrigued and stays to find out if this could be her birth mother. Together with officer Nathan Wuornos and bad boy Duke Crocker she not only helps the people of Haven but tries to find out more about her own history.
Short Review
The first season focuses on the mysterious woman on the photo and each episode has another person with a Trouble Audrey has to help. Each season adds new storylines, new characters, while the big story arc about Haven and its mythology evolves and piece by piece the veil is being lifted.
With a monster-of-the-week format each season has its own bigger story arc and an over arching storyline throughout the whole series which turns into something epic that has to do with Audrey herself. It has a supernatural fantasy soapy feel with romance, relationships and personal struggles. The series works towards an epic ending that satisfyingly concludes things. It’s an entertaining series with likable characters and a great mystery with its own original mythology.
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This painting “The Hare of Small Shadows” is made with soft pastels. You can buy this fine art print on museum-quality paper in my shop at Printify. Take a look at my other art prints as well.
Fringe (2008-2013) 5 seasons, finished
Stars: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole, Lance Reddick. Created byJ.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci. (100 episodes, 43-81 min)
Genres: science fiction, mystery, other dimensions, monster-of-the-week
Think: Parallel universes, alternate timelines, alternate characters and inexplicable occurrences
Plot
FBI agent Olivia Dunham is assigned to the Fringe Division, with the eccentric Dr. Walter Bishop and his son Peter Bishop who is also incredibly smart. They are supported by Philip Broyles, the director and Astrid Farnsworth an FBI agent who assists Walter in his lab.
They have to deal with strange cases that involve fringe science and inexplicable things. Aside from single cases, there’s the big story arc concerning other dimensions, parallel universes and beings controlling these universes and people with paranormal abilities. It also contains alternate timelines, alternate characters, creating an authentic mythology.
Short Review
While the science fiction is at the core of the story, there’s also room for humor, darker storylines, tragic events, family trauma, and choices. There’s also much more to it that Olivia came to work at the Fringe Division and with Walter Bishop. Their involvement in the whole scheme of things has everything to do with the parallel universes and choices that people made.
Both Olivia and Peter find out more about their past, while there’s also a blooming love story between them. Though each season something new is introduced, the series has one big story arc, that gets bigger as you find out more. It’s an entertaining series with a lot of intriguing science fiction, interesting and likable characters and an original story.
Lost (2004-2010) 6 seasons, finished
Stars: Matthew Fox, Josh Holloway, Evangeline Lilly, Naveen Andrews, Emilie de Ravin, Terry O’Quinn. (121 episodes, 38-53 min)
Genres: survival, mystery, psychological, supernatural, soapy, time travel
Think: Stranded on an uninhabited island that hides secrets, just like the survivors
Plot
The story revolves around the survivors of a plane crash that crashed on an uninhabited island. We follow a group of characters who are not only trying to survive until they get help, but they also make some strange discoveries about the island.
Short Review
With a simple premise this story will be extremely expanded with an original mythology of the island and the characterization of the survivors. It’s a series that gets you invested very quickly, bonding with the characters who feel like real people, all carrying something special. Each episode deals with one of the survivors, telling their story. This results in very fleshed out characters, but it also causes the story to feel incredibly long. It’s a very slow burn due to the characterizations and their background stories are shown through flashbacks.
This causes the mystery that surrounds the island, the secrets it hides, both human and supernatural being very slowly revealed. Every season we learn more about all the characters and even more characters are added each season, which keeps it interesting and all relationships will be tightened. We also learn more about the island, and even go back to the past, with time twists and a supernatural force roaming the island.
The further the story goes the more strange and supernatural it gets. This series, although a very slow burn, keeps things interesting and intriguing with original ideas that will surprise you.
The X-Files (2003-2018) 11 seasons, finished
Stars: Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny. Created by Chris Carter. (218 episodes, 42-46 min)
Genres: science fiction, crime, mystery, supernatural, monster-of-the-week
Think: The iconic science fiction crime series that was one of the founders of the monster-of-the-week format
Plot
FBI agent Dana Scully is assigned to a special division The X-Files where only one person is working, FBI agent Fox Mulder. While Scully is a scientist and doesn’t believe in the paranormal or UFO’s, Mulder is adamant to prove they exist. The main reason because his sister was abducted under suspicious circumstances when they were kids. The more cases they get, the more Scully has to admit that there is something out there.
Short Review
This is the most iconic science fiction series that made the monster-of-the-week episode format popular. Each episode they have a new case that deals with the paranormal, whether that be monsters, aliens and all kinds of strange occurrences. Meanwhile each season has a big story arc, that creates its own mythology of the series, that expands each season.
Of course while they are very different, there’s also a romance between them. Together with their personal lives and background, it builds another story arc that evolves over time. In comparison with tv series nowadays, this can feel a bit slow. They take their time to investigate, and while they solve cases, there’s isn’t always a good explanation for what happened. The paranormal is treated like it’s all very real, and therefore cannot be explained, yet. That makes it interesting and entertaining to watch. It’s often scary and thrilling and they find themselves often in perilous situations.
It’s a classic that will never grow old. The original series ran from 1993 until 2003 and got a reboot in 2016 which delivered some very fine modern and very fun crazy and scary episodes.
Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017) 3 seasons, finished
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan. Created by David Lynch, Mark Frost. (48 episodes, 45-60 min)
Genres: crime, murder mystery, mystery, soapy, surrealism
Think: An eerie uncanny crime with surreal supernatural elements with absurd humor and odd characters
Plot
FBI agent Dale Cooper is send to Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of Laura Palmer. There he meets some odd people, as the mystery thickens and leads him to surreal occurrences and secrets.
Short Review
Although the premise of the plot might be simple, it is anything but. It is strange, weird, uncanny, scary with lots of weird people, like the Log Lady. But even weirder are the dreams he has, the Red Room, the Black Lodge and characters like MIKE, scary BOB, the dwarf who speaks in a very creepy way. It all feels very surreal and uncanny and therefore really scary.
Meanwhile the story of the odd townspeople feels like a soap opera with romance, secrets, shady business and much more. It’s a unique blend of genres that is hard to explain. You just have to experience it. The whole vibe of the series feels off, absurd one time and really creepy the next. It’s an ironic classic series that you’ll have to watch. There isn’t anything like it. There are even made two films and a third season much later, that expanded the mythology.
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