American Horror Stories

This one sits alongside American Horror Story rather than inside it, a set of stand-alone nightmares instead of one long season-length story. Most episodes hand you a fresh cast and a fresh horror to worry about, so you never quite know what you're walking into when the title card comes up.

The frights swing about a fair bit episode to episode, but there's a nasty, unsettled feeling running under most of them, the sense that ordinary rooms and ordinary people are about to tip into something much worse. Nothing lingers long enough to get comfortable with.

Perfect for a night when you fancy horror in small, sharp doses rather than one big commitment, something you can dip into between episodes of other things without losing the thread. Have a lamp on and something to hold.

Fifteen episodes across three seasons on Hulu, so there's plenty to work through once you're hooked.