Top 3 Netflix Horror Series Not Directed by Mike Flanagan

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I’ve created a lot of lists ranking the best horror TV shows, and Mike Flanagan’s shows always dominate the top spots. So, let’s switch things up and focus on the best horror shows on Netflix that weren’t made by him. It’s clear Flanagan has a real talent for creating scary and compelling television.

Mike Flanagan has become a major force in horror on Netflix, with hits like The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher. It’s not that Netflix favors his shows over others, but rather that he consistently creates high-quality horror series.

Netflix has a lot more to offer horror fans than just shows created by Mike Flanagan. These series come from around the globe and each has a unique style. They’re all quite different from each other and from Flanagan’s work, and definitely worth watching after you finish Midnight Mass.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet Of Curiosities (2022)

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is an eight-episode horror series featuring standalone stories. Each episode feels unique, but they all share the dark and atmospheric style that Guillermo del Toro is famous for. Interestingly, despite creating the series, del Toro didn’t direct any of the episodes himself.

Several episodes draw inspiration from the works of authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Henry Kuttner, and E.M. Carroll, though the show also features some completely new stories. Cabinet of Curiosities is filled with terrifying creatures and scenarios – think demons hidden in books, alien parasites, and haunted artwork – and it doesn’t shy away from graphic violence. It’s a very imaginative and often shocking series.

Lovecraftian horror is rare on screen, but Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities successfully captures the author’s unsettling, often brutal, and truly bizarre style. Each episode is unique, yet they all connect to create a compelling anthology series that will keep you hooked.

Marianne (2019)

The French horror series Marianne, which debuted in 2019, follows Emma Larsimon, a successful horror novelist played by Victoire Du Bois. Emma decides to stop writing and even kills off the main character in her books. Soon after, she discovers a troubling connection: the mother of an old friend thinks she is one of the characters from Emma’s stories.

Madame Daugeron, played by Mireille Herbstmeyer, firmly believes she is Marianne – the terrifying witch from the stories. As the show progresses, it becomes increasingly unclear if she’s simply delusional, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. If you want a genuinely frightening horror experience, Marianne is definitely worth watching.

Most horror TV shows don’t build dread quite like Marianne, and even fewer can maintain that intense feeling throughout a whole season. Marianne is relentlessly scary, and even though it was canceled after just one season, the ending still feels complete and satisfying.

Kingdom (2019-2021)

As a total movie and TV buff, I have to say South Korea’s Kingdom really blew me away. It’s an incredible horror series – genuinely scary and thrilling, but what I loved most was how it’s set in a really interesting period of Korean history. It takes place a few years after the Koreans successfully fought off the Japanese invasion, during the Joseon Dynasty. That war left a real power struggle in its wake, and the series does a fantastic job of showing that turbulent time.

Lee Chang, the Crown Prince of Korea, secretly leaves his palace to uncover the cause of a strange sickness spreading across the land. While he’s gone, his ambitious stepmother tries to manipulate events so her own son can become king. But Lee’s investigation reveals a threat far greater than just the kingdom itself.

A zombie outbreak is spreading rapidly from the Korean countryside, quickly overwhelming everyone, regardless of their political beliefs. Kingdom is a thrilling, well-written, visually stunning, and frequently terrifying show. It’s a top-tier horror series on Netflix, comparable to the best work of Mike Flanagan.

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2025-11-22 02:38