Since the dawn of storytelling, horror has been othered and compared to more refined genres. Luckily, in the last 20 years, the spooky stories have finally earned a little love at the Emmys, even if it’s in fits and spurts. Sometimes, it will become the darling of the season, which leads to “The Last of Us” receiving a wave of hype and scores of nominations. Other times, showrunner extraordinaires like Ryan Murphy will hit a nerve with projects like “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” or certain buzzy, diva-rich seasons of “American Horror Story.”
But all too often it seems a medical drama, humanist comedy or some other populist obstacle will stand in the way. This season, voters should challenge themselves to get familiar with the horror shows below and make them worthy of their consideration. From a blockbuster prequel to a buzzy comedy mashup to two deeper cuts that could use more of an audience, here are four horror shows Emmy voters should screen this season.
Widow’s Bay
Katie Dippold’s charming comedy-horror series walks a perfect line between laughs and scares, which it achieves thanks to a twisty script about a New England town teeming with supernatural activity. Matthew Rhys achieves sublime comedic moments in a tricky role, working in a gear far different from his legendary run on “The Americans” or his other buzzy role this year in “The Beast in Me.” The series’ look is stylish, thanks to a roster of inventive directors who know both surrealism and horror, including “Atlanta” alum Hiro Murai, Tim Robinson collaborator Andrew DeYoung and “Pearl” helmer Ti West. As frothy and fun as things get in the titular town, it’s a testament to all of the players, including breakout Kate O’Flynn. Both O’Flynn and Rhys have had spotlight episodes so far this season, but will Emmys voters see the pathos and creativity behind the laughs and frights?
From
It’s a crime that Harold Perrineau hasn’t yet been recognized for his work as Boyd Stevens throughout the four-season run of the sci-fi horror series. Perhaps not enough people know where to catch the MGM+ original, because the satisfying puzzle box series, developed by John Griffin, has remained steady and exciting during its run, consistent when other mysterious shows might have run out of gas or jumped the shark. Instead, a strong, supportive hand from Griffin, whose writing is in each episode, underscores how to gradually build a story without feeling like an unearned twist is around the corner. Plus, below-the-line creatives in departments like costumes, hair design and casting have created a tactical reality for the trapped townspeople to live in. Take the science fiction out of the equation, and “From” is a parable about a crumbled society trying to get by and survive, and the complexity of the world and storytelling is certainly worth the attention.
The Creep Tapes
This extension of the two “Creep” films builds on the horrific and endless lore of Mark Duplass’ titular serial killer, who snares victims one by one and records the killings that he later obsessively categorizes. The film and series’ singular vision comes from the close partnership of Duplass with creator and co-writer Patrick Brice, who also directs each episode. Duplass’ interactions with a random victim fuel each episode, and the second season swings between gallows humor and challenging horror, as the Creep tangles with a copycat of his own work (David Dastmalchian), a kidnapped man too dumb to solve “Saw”-esque games (Robert Longstreet) and a dark take on Joe Exotic (Taylor Garron). The two-handers lead to surprising consequences, and Duplass’ steady hand as the serpent-tongued killer, who is (almost) always in control, is as winning as it is sadistic. Similarly, the supporting roles are so central to the structure of the show that they’d be shoo-ins for awards love if more voters saw this Shudder original. Also worth mentioning: Brice’s use of handheld cameras in a way that keeps things interesting is worth celebrating, as is the pair’s ultra-twisty scripts.
It: Welcome to Derry
Sure, it’s another iteration of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, but Bill Skarsgård is doing some career-best work as this monster shaking things up in the town of Derry. Yet this is no flabby Stephen King retread: Fans were excited to visit the world beyond the cosmic monster, and the 1962-set show is a visual wonder. Any justice in the community would praise this murderer’s row of craftspeople working on the production design for the period town setting; makeup, especially Pennywise’s horrible face; sound design, for helping to keep the audio terrors churning along; and the costume work. Although much of “It” is fantastical, it’s a world that feels warm, nostalgic and lived-in beneath the terror, making it more than worthy of industry kudos.