Editorials
What Are your Favorite Horror TV Shows?
Over the past few years, horror has made a huge impact on TV. Shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Ash vs Evil Dead” have delighted fans with their gleeful amounts of gore and violence as well as giving us far more material than a standard length feature film could ever hope to offer. And the quality of these shows has only increased, from the glamour of “American Horror Story” to the grittiness of “The X-Files“.
This phenomenon has been slowly coming, from “The Twilight Zone“, “Dark Shadows“, “The Addams Family“, “The Munsters“, and so on, all giving viewers a taste of horror but in different ways. Some favored the twist while others favored charm. But their horror foundation could never be denied.
Horror has never been stronger in our culture and society as it is today. It has become a powerhouse in nearly every medium it touches and it’s a delight to see so many people embracing it or, at the very least, giving it a shot.
So with all these amazing horror TV shows on now, I thought it’d be interesting to find out some of your favorites and your reasons why. Is it the characters? The writing? The setting? You tell us!
As always, here are a few of my favorites and I look forward to seeing yours!
“Twin Peaks”
Right away I have to go with pretty much my favorite of all time. The characters are absolutely delightful, the locations charming and inviting, the writing snappy and interesting, and the show never feels like it ages. Pretty much the only thing that gives away when it takes place is the very rare sight of a computer or the outfits, which indeed are horribly dated.
I can’t even begin to tell you just how excited I am for the new season to hit Showtime next year. Hell, I might even start drinking coffee again to celebrate!
“Harper’s Island”
Although this show lasted only one season, I really enjoyed its take on Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” (not the original name but I’d rather not get called a racist, thankyouverymuch). The characters were interesting, there were enough twists to keep me guessing, it looked sharp and the island was beautiful, and there was plenty of violence and twisted murders for the gorehound in me to stay rapt. If you haven’t watched this show, I highly recommend picking it up and giving it a shot!
“Tales From the Crypt”
Did you honestly think I would leave this off the list? This is one of the greatest examples of horror on TV. While the Crypt Keeper was already incarnated thanks to the EC Comics, the show made him a cultural icon, one whose laugh was enough to send shivers up and down the spines of those who heard it.
Furthermore, some of the best minds in Hollywood were a part of the series. Robert Zemeckis, Kyle MacLachlan, Joel Silver, Benicio del Toro, Bill Paxton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Pesci, Malcolm McDowell, Kirk Douglas, Tim Curry, Daniel Craig, Timothy Dalton, and so many more were involved in some way, shape, or form. Without “Tales From the Crypt”, who knows where horror television would be today?
“Hannibal”
God, I will never cease proclaiming my love for this show. It was elegant yet viciously violent. It was intelligently written and expertly pieced together, crafting a tale that was as psychologically terrifying as it was physically revolting, all the while remaining hypnotizing and visually arresting. With gorgeous yet haunting music and a perfect ensemble cast, “Hannibal” set a standard that has yet to be matched and, I feel, won’t be for a very long time.
A new month means a new guide as titles are added (and dropped) from streaming services. Let’s unpack the most exciting titles that are available to watch on Tubi in July 2026.
New to Tubi July Horror Films
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
- Premise: Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
- Why Watch It? Let’s be frank: Director Renny Harlin has made some absolute dogs in the last few years (the less said about The Strangers trilogy the better, though this year’s Deep Water was actually ok). Deep Blue Sea remains one of the Finnish director’s best contemporary efforts, though. Between the great cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Saffron Burrows, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Rapaport, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, and Jane’s sleeveless wetsuit), the ridiculous premise, and that damn/dumb song (“My hat is like a shark’s fin”), you basically can’t go wrong with Deep Blue Sea. It’s one of two great shark films gliding onto Tubi this month, so why not stay out of the water and watch this instead?
- Streaming: July 1
Exorcist II: Heretic (1977)
- Premise: Reagan (Linda Blair), a girl once possessed by a demon, finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) investigates the death of the priest who performed her exorcism.
- Why Watch It? August sees the release of documentary Boorman and the Devil, which is about the troubled production of this sequel. The notoriety surrounding Heretic has undoubtedly kept plenty of horror fans away from the sequel, but this truly is a “seeing is believing” kind of film. Real talk: it’s undeniably a disaster, but the John Boorman film has also become a minor cult film. Don’t you want to see it to make up your own mind?
- Streaming: July 1
Hostel: Part III (2011)
- Premise: Four men attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas fall prey to the Elite Hunting Club, who are hosting a gruesome game show of torture.
- Why Watch It? What does Hostel look like without Eli Roth? Part III kinda answers the question. Technically Roth is still a writer, but he hands over the directorial reins to Scott Spiegel (best known for acting in Evil Dead films). The result is a film with a terrible pedigree; it’s also the first (and last) entry to skip theatres before the franchise was permanently shelved (until that TV show with Paul Giamatti shows up?). For some horror fans, however, there’s something exciting about a bad low-budget sequel. Just bear in mind that the Hostel: Part III‘s biggest star is Kip Pardue…so adjust your expectations accordingly before hitting play.
- Streaming: July 1
Insidious 1-3 (2010/2013/2015)
- Premise: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
- Why Watch It? It’s hard to believe that the sixth (!) Insidious movie is coming out in a month and a half, but James Wan and Leigh Whannell‘s other horror franchise has been steadily chugging along for sixteen years. It’s a shame that Tubi doesn’t have all five films available to watch, but in terms of quality, you can do far worse than the original trio. The first film is iconic, and the second is basically an extended coda (with some admittedly problematic stuff going on). I’ll go to bat for Whannell’s 2015 directorial debut, though: there’s a few banger sequences in that film that people slept on.
- Streaming: July 1
Man Finds Tape (2025)
- Premise: After finding mysterious video clips, siblings investigate the strange recordings and uncover a disturbing secret spreading through their Texas town.
- Why Watch It? Writer/directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall‘s well-received found footage film did an extensive tour of the festival circuit, so now is a great time to check out one of the most contemporary titles debuting on Tubi this month. Surely a title that hails from producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring and The Endless) is worth a free look?
- Streaming: July 2
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
- Premise: A depressed musician Adam (Tom Hiddleston) reunites with his lover Eve (Tilda Swinton). However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska).
- Why Watch It? This beautiful, melancholy vampire film is courtesy of writer/director Jim Jarmusch, who doesn’t often dabble in genre fare. As always, some will quibble if this artsy drama qualifies as horror, but the existential ennui of an eternal life certainly qualifies (bonus: there’s also something inherently sexy about watching Hiddleston and Swinton just lay about). Plus: if Leviticus has you hankering for more Wasikowska, this is an under the radar pick.
- Streaming: July 1
The Shallows (2016)
- Premise:A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.
- Why Watch It? What better time to watch a shark movie than July? The temperatures are soaring and the idea of escaping into the water is so tantalizing. This tight, contained thriller features a great performance by Lively (and that damn seagull!), but it’s the direction from genre fave Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan; the House of Wax remake) that keeps the movie clicking along like clockwork. At 86 minutes, this is a perfect summer flick.
- Streaming: July 1
Vacancy (2007)
- Premise: Stranded in an isolated motel, a couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) become the unsuspecting subjects of a snuff film.
- Why Watch It? I’m not going to pretend that this Nimród Antal-directed home invasion film is high art, but it is a good time. You’ll likely wish there were deeper characterizations for Wilson and Beckinsale’s David and Amy in Mark L. Smith‘s screenplay, but this mid-aughts thriller is tense, exciting, and just the right amount of grimy. Plus: another short runtime, clocking in at an expeditious 85 minutes!
- Streaming: July 1
July Tubi Originals
The One Next Door (2026)
- Premise: When a mysterious stranger moves in next door to Robert and Tabitha, boundaries are tested, loyalty is questioned, and danger comes for all.
- Streaming: July 10
I Know Where You Live (2026)
- Premise: Sarah thinks she’s found “the one” until his flaws emerge. When she pulls away, chilling threats suggest he’s watching her from inside her own home.
- Streaming: July 24
What’s your favorite from the list above? Will you check out the new Original? Sound off in the comments below
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