Horror television has become even more popular in the age of streaming services, with the modern age seeing an explosion of horror TV shows, both good and bad. Most of these are created in countries like the US, the UK, and Canada, and catered primarily to English-speaking audiences (though thanks to dubs, can be safely enjoyed by anyone).
Though, if there’s one thing that’s universal, it’s quality entertainment. Good TV is good TV, no matter where in the world you are. As it happens, many non-English networks from around the world have also tried their hand at creating horror TV shows, to varying degrees of success. Every so often though, they totally nail it.These are the best international horror TV shows of all time.
10’Detention' (2020)
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Detentionis a Taiwanese horror series that’sbased on a horror video gameof the same name. It’s not the first adaptation of the video game, as a movie was made a few years earlier, but this TV series is perhaps better known that the film, albeit of around the same quality. Like the video game,Detentionfollows a group of Taiwanese high schoolers who are trapped in their school after hours. This ordinarily wouldn’t be a big deal, except for the fact that their school is plagued with ghosts.
While not high art by any means,Detentiongained above-average to generally positive reviews, albeit nothing remarkable.If you’re looking for a solid ghost story or are just a fan of the original video game,Detentionis absolutely something you should check out,as it’s a fairly faithful adaptation of its source material, perfectly embodying the sense of isolation and fear behind the hauntings.
9’Sweet Home' (2020–2024)
Country of Origin: South Korea
South Korea has been absolutely killing it in the horror department in recent years, producing numerous fantastic entries into the genre. One of said entries isSweet Home.It isn’t the best South Korean horror TV show by a mile, but it’s very entertaining, all the same. Spanning three seasons,Sweet Homefollows a young man bereaved of his entire family, who moves into a run-down apartment complex called Green Home. As if the death of his whole family wasn’t enough, supernatural events begin occurring in Green Home, causing the man and his fellow tenants to band together to survive.
WhileSweet Homewas loved by critics more than audiences, general viewers still seemed to enjoy it overall. There are lot of plot and subplots occurring in this series, providing a complex, weaving narrative that never fails to keep fans guessing. One of the most successful horror shows in recent years,Sweet Homeis a testament to the expertise of the South Korean television industry, especially in the realm of horror.
Sweet Home
8’Ares' (2020)
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Areshas the honor of being Netflix’s very first Dutch original series. The city is set in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, where a university student is invited to join Ares, a local club on her university campus. Upon joining, however, she discovers that Ares is more akin to a secret society, with its followers exhibiting a lot of cult-like behavior. Paranormal things begin to happen, and before long, the full intentions of Ares are revealed.
The eight-part miniseries earned generally positive reviews, although nothing groundbreaking or incredible. That said, if you’re a fan of stories about cults or unraveled conspiracies,Aresis probably right up your alley. Of course, there’s also a lot of drama and plenty of supernatural events to keep things interesting. Suffering from a relatively generic premise, yet benefitting from most other aspects being well-done,Aresis an underrated foray into the world of the occult that definitely deserves a chance.
All of Us Are Deadhas been a pretty popular topic of conversation among TV lovers in recent years. The South Korean horror series is set in the fictional city of Hyosan, where a high school teacher conducts an experiment involving a virus. After the experiment goes terribly wrong, the virus is unleashed, causing a zombie outbreak within the high school, which, of course, gradually expands to engulf the whole city.
Based on a webtoon of the same name,All of Us Are Deadisn’t just any ordinary zombie show–since many of its main characters are teenagers, a lot of the series revolves around the themes of adolescence and the awkwardness of growing up, making it a great coming-of-age story as well as a drama. With how generic and similar zombie shows can be sometimes, it’s important to add something unique to each show in order to differentiate it from the others, andAll of Us Are Deadcertainly does this.
All Of Us Are Dead
6’Ju-On: Origins' (2020)
Country of Origin: Japan
Most people have heard of the J-horror movieJu-On: The Grudgeby now. The story is about a lingering curse caused by excessive trauma and turbulent family life, which affects a particular house and anyone who dares to move into it. The movie has received a couple of Hollywood remakes, though none are particularly good, or at least not as good as the original. The iconic ghosts from the film have become a staple of 21st-century horror and definitely warrant an origin story.
EnterJu-On: Origins, a story that, like the original film, is made by a Japanese studio. The Netflix original miniseries, as implied by the name, serves as a prequel to the J-horror film, examining the series of events that led to the Grudge being placed on the household. Make no mistake, this miniseries is just as scary as its film counterpart is known for being.It’s not quite as well-executed, but all things considered, it’s still pretty good, and soars high above the low bar the Hollywood films set.
Ju-On: Origins
5’Black Spot' (2017–2019)
Country of Origin: Belgium
Black Spotis set in the fictional town of Villefranche, a remote village high up in the mountains, surrounded by 50,000 acres of deciduous forest. It’s a relatively quiet place where little happens, which is why the local police are forced to kick it into overdrive when the homicide rate climbs alarmingly high. People begin vanishing or turning up dead in the expansive forests surrounding the town, and the police struggle to find out who is responsible and why.
The show is both a crime drama and a horror, as it’s intentionally more unsettling than a standard thriller would be. This isn’t a show meant just to cause anxiety, but to properly freak people out with its chilling string of murders, with no apparent cause behind them. Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of it is the sense of isolation, a common trope used in various subgenres of horror. It’s totally underrated and is ideal for fans ofgripping crime-horror films.
Black Spot
4’Diablero' (2018–2020)
Country of Origin: Mexico
Fans ofSupernaturalandBuffy the Vampire Slayer, this one’s for you.Diablerois primarily a horror, but also includes a fair bit of action, romance, and drama, much like some of the more well-known Hollywood horror TV shows. The series opens up with a local priest in a beleaguered town that is being actively bombarded with demonic possession. At a loss, the priest seeks the help of Diablero (Horacio Garcia Rojas), a local demon hunter.
Diablero, combined with the expertise of his sister, the priest, and a woman possessed by a demon, makes an unlikely team of misfits determined to eradicate their town of the demons besieging it. It’s not super well-known, but it really should be, because there are a lot of similarities to some super popular American TV shows.It was a hit with audiences, receiving great reviews and two seasons, which means if you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time to give it a go.
3'30 Coins' (2020–2023)
Country of Origin: Spain
30 Coinswas fortunate enough to last for two seasons before coming to a close, which speaks to its success, since not every horror show gets the opportunity to make it past one season, no matter how good they are. The story is set in the small town of Pedraza, which is suddenly cast under a demonic shadow as paranormal events begin to occur all around the village. The local priest and mayor deduce that the hauntings may be linked to a coin owned by the priest, which is revealed to be one of the very same coins that was paid toJudas Iscariotfor betrayingJesus of Nazareth.
30 Coinsis easily one of thegreatest horror shows ever made. This is due to a combination of factors, namely due to its interesting and creative premise, sense of mystery, and its chilling visuals. Critics loved it for how it seamlessly blends horror and adventure in a story of a treasure hunt from Hell.If you’re a fan of treasure-hunting films and horror, this is the perfect show to watch, as it offers a little bit of both.
2’Marianne' (2019)
Country of Origin: France
Mariannewas released on Netflix to a very positive reception, yet it was inexplicably cancelled after just one season, much to the annoyance of horror fans. The eight-part series is about Emma (Victoire du Bois), who witnesses the death of her childhood friend. These traumatic events cause her to leave her hometown for years, only returning when she has had sufficient time to heal. When she comes home, seeking answers for her friend’s death, she discovers that witchcraft may be responsible for her friend’s death.
A fantasticshow dabbling in themes of the occultand black magic,Mariannehas exceptionally high scores on critical sites and was a resounding success for Netflix, making its abrupt cancellation even more puzzling.It’s genuinely freaky, with some highly disturbing visuals, and an intriguing premise involving mystery and a conspiracyin the middle of the countryside that no horror fan is going to want to miss.
1’Kingdom' (2019–2021)
Another South Korean series,Kingdom, takes place at the end of the Middle Ages, in the land of Joseon, which once encompassed the Korean Peninsula. This fictional story centers on the tyrannical Haewon Cho Clan, whose daughter has just married the King and gotten pregnant. Before the heir can be born, the King dies of smallpox, which raises concerns for the Haewon Cho, because the King has a living adult child from a previous marriage who is in line for the throne. In an effort to keep the King alive until his heir is born, the Haewon Cho seek out a mythical resurrection plant, accidentally unleashing a zombie horde in the process.
If you’re a fan of fantasy-horror shows, historical dramas, and political thrillers with a side of zombies, you may’t get any better thanKingdom.Kingdom’s weaving narrative is chock-full of lovable charactersand is consistently exciting throughout its 13 episodes. The zombies are really unique and behave completely differently from typical zombies.This Netflix original series is a modern masterpiece and a true underground phenomenon, which is why it’s undoubtedly the single best international horror show, hands down.
