Saagar Kote
Created by Haley Z. Boston, Netflix’s ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ is a psychological horror series that unfolds over the week leading up to Rachel (Camila Morrone) and Nicky’s (Adam DiMarco) marriage ceremony. The two of them drive to the wedding location, which is Nicky’s isolated vacation home, just five days before their wedding. At first, Rachel is captivated by the beauty of the place, which is surrounded by snow. As she meets Nicky’s family members and observes the surroundings more closely, she begins to feel that something is not right.
Rachel gives in to paranoia and superstition, which feeds her unshakable conviction that disaster is imminent. As strange things occur and her seemingly happy marriage plans turn upside down, Rachel must come to terms with her reality before something bad happens. In this list, you will find shows similar to ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ that are terrifying, engaging, and layered.
12. Channel Zero (2016-2018)
‘Channel Zero,’ a horror anthology series created by Nick Antosca, adapts popular creepypasta stories. The first season is based on Kris Straub’s story ‘Candle Cove’ and centers on child psychologist Mike Painter (Paul Schneider) as he returns to his hometown to investigate if his brother’s disappearance is connected to strange events. The second season follows a young woman and her friends as they visit a haunted place that seems to hide something dangerous. In the third season, a young woman and her sister, who has schizophrenia, relocate to a city plagued by a series of disappearances. The fourth season focuses on the recently married Jillian and Tom, both keeping secrets from each other. Akin to ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,’ the show delves into the psychological aspects of horror while dealing with the mysterious intentions of twisted characters.
11. Yellowjackets (2021-2026)
Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, ‘Yellowjackets‘ chronicles the aftermath of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness in 1996, involving the Yellowjackets, a high school girls’ soccer team from New Jersey. The crash happens when the team members are traveling to the national championships in Seattle. The survivors, including Jackie Taylor (Ella Purnell), must fight for survival in the harsh environment and make choices that test their morality. Over two decades later, the remaining survivors struggle with the trauma and face public scrutiny. Partly inspired by real events, the Showtime thriller-drama series complements ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ through its atmospherics, the unfolding of disturbing incidents, and the characters’ sense of isolation.
10. The Watcher (2022-)
Netflix’s ‘The Watcher’ features the lives of a couple, Dean Brannock (Bobby Cannavale) and Nora Brannock (Naomi Watts). They buy a house in Westfield, assuming it will be safe and healthy. However, they soon find the neighbors are hostile as an eccentric older neighbor and her brother unlawfully enter the Brannock residence to hide in the dumbwaiter. Karen Calhoun (Jennifer Coolidge), the real estate agent, makes the couple feel unwelcome, alongside other neighbors who disregard property boundaries. The situation soon descends into a nightmare when menacing letters begin arriving from an anonymous sender known only as “The Watcher.”
These letters push the Brannocks to their breaking point as the dark secrets lurk in the shadows. Loosely based on the article ‘The Haunting of a Dream House’ by Reeves Wiedeman, the mystery horror show from creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan is a wild ride of deception. Through its narrative techniques, the characters’ ordeals, and its focus on psychological dread, it is connected to ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.’
9. Behind Her Eyes (2021)
‘Behind Her Eyes,’ a Netflix series created by Steve Lightfoot, focuses on a perilous and deepening mystery involving three people. Louise Barnsley (Simona Brown), a secretary, starts an affair with her married boss, David Ferguson (Tom Bateman), a psychiatrist. The chaotic situation escalates as Louise also develops a friendship with David’s wife, Adele Ferguson (Eve Hewson). The three adults involved in this dangerous game begin using tactics to manipulate each other’s decisions, leading to unexpected consequences. Adapted from Sarah Pinborough’s eponymous novel, the British psychological thriller show is similar to ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ in that it explores marital issues, secrets, and psychological dread in a world of uncertainty.
8. Archive 81 (2022)
Based on the eponymous podcast by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger, Netflix’s ‘Archive 81’ centers on the trials and tribulations of Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie). He is an archivist tasked with restoring a set of damaged videotapes from 1994, related to documentary filmmaker Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi). Dan is drawn into Melody’s investigation of a cult and grows increasingly obsessed with finding out what happened to her. As the past and present unfold, Dan establishes a strange link with her and believes he can rescue her from a horrifying fate. As he delves deeper into the mystery, the stakes get higher. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshine, the horror series, like ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,’ captures the characters’ sense of dread and obsession as secrets unravel, with a similar visual aesthetic.
7. The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ is loosely adapted from the titular short story and other works by Edgar Allan Poe. The series utilizes two distinct timelines, with one set in 2023 and the other ranging between 1953 and 1980. Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), the CEO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals, faces a unique and dreadful scenario in 2023, as his six children die in a couple of weeks. In the aftermath of this tragic series of events, Roderick recounts his family’s history and reveals its darkest secrets to Charles Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly), a man who has dedicated his legal career to exposing Fortunato’s corruption.
In the past, we see the early lives of Roderick and his twin sister Madeline, and the way in which they gained significant power and influence. Created by Mike Flanagan, the elements of familial mystery and horrifying secrets, along with psychological complexities, connect the Netflix horror series to ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.’
6. Marianne (2019)
Netflix’s ‘Marianne’ centers on the ups and downs in the life of novelist Emma Larsimon (Victoire Du Bois), who discovers that her horror characters are manifesting in reality. Following the suicide of her childhood friend, Emma is compelled to return to her hometown in search of explanations, only to encounter the malevolent spirit, Marianne, the very witch she conceived as a writer, and who has been haunting her dreams. Although Emma had previously ceased writing due to the disturbing nature of her creations, she must now face her fears again as the chaos becomes more pronounced.
With events that seemingly reveal the existence of witchcraft, Emma’s fate remains uncertain. Created by Samuel Bodin, the French horror series, akin to ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,’ is a deep dive into fear, chaos, and the psychological depths of a woman who deals with danger in claustrophobic spaces.
5. Midnight Mass (2021)
Created by Mike Flanagan, Netflix’s ‘Midnight Mass’ revolves around the experiences of a young man named Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), who returns to his secluded and small hometown of Crockett Island following a prison sentence for manslaughter in a drunk-driving crash. He crosses paths with Erin Greene (Kate Siegel), whom he used to like in the past. As Riley tries to reconnect with the place, his life turns upside down with the arrival of Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), who begins serving at St. Patrick’s Church. Paul, who exudes a sense of mystery, is a deeply religious man who wishes to strengthen the faith of Crockett Island’s residents. As Riley struggles to connect with religion and God, he also tests Paul with deep questions on life, death, and religious morality.
When seemingly supernatural events unfold, Paul and Riley face unforeseen challenges that could shake the island’s moral foundations. The horror series captures the flavor of ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ through its harrowing take on fear, the cost of secrets, and the struggles of characters confronting inexplicable events.
4. Servant (2019-2023)
‘Servant,’ an Apple TV psychological horror series from creator Tony Basgallop, centers on the lives of an affluent Philadelphia couple, Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean Turner (Toby Kebbell). They mourn the death of her infant son, Jericho, and face complications in their marital life in the aftermath of the tragedy. To heal themselves, they utilize a hyper-realistic reborn doll to remind them of Jericho. However, Dorothy genuinely starts believing that the doll is her son and experiences a severe psychotic break. Dorothy and Sean then welcome a young live-in nanny, Leanne Grayson, to care for the reborn doll.
What starts as a coping mechanism and a journey of reconciliation soon descends into chaos as the house sees bizarre occurrences and Sean grows increasingly distrustful of Leanne. The show shares similarities with ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ in that it features a familial mystery, a new person becoming part of a family’s daily life, fear, and strange happenings.
3. The Third Day (2020)
Created by Felix Barrett and Dennis Kelly, HBO’s ‘The Third Day’ is structured into three interconnected segments and charts the separate arrivals of a man and a woman on a mysterious island at distinct points in time. The first segment focuses on Sam (Jude Law), a man drawn to a remote English island where he encounters locals fiercely committed to upholding their traditions. The middle segment is an immersive theatrical broadcast from the island, allowing viewers to experience the narrative unfold live. The final segment chronicles the trials and tribulations of Helen (Naomie Harris), a strong-willed outsider who journeys to the island in search of answers, sparking conflict. The thriller-drama series, with its themes of mystery, the strangeness of a new place, and the perspectives of outsiders, complements the world of ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.’
2. The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Netflix’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ is the elaborate story of the mysteries surrounding the enigmatic Crain family and its connection to a grand mansion known as Hill House. The Crain family includes the husband, Hugh (Timothy Hutton), the wife, Olivia (Carla Gugino), and the five children, Steven, Shirley, Theodora, Luke, and Eleanor. The family members relocate to Hill House to renovate and sell it. During this time, they see increasingly intense paranormal occurrences, culminating in a tragedy and their abrupt departure. More than two decades later, another tragedy compels the estranged adult siblings and their father to reunite, forcing them to finally confront the psychological trauma of Hill House.
As the past and present converge, the family grapples with supernatural elements, psychological stress, and changing relationship dynamics. Created by Mike Flanagan, the horror-drama series is based on the novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson. Like ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,’ it involves a family, suspense lurking in the shadows, disturbing happenings, the secrets of a single location, and harrowing visual flavors.
1. Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021)
Based on Todd Grimson’s eponymous novel, Netflix’s ‘Brand New Cherry Flavor’ centers on the struggles of Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar), an aspiring film director in 1990s LA. She has great ambitions and believes that she has the skills required to build a great future for herself. During this time, she attempts to impress a producer named Lou Barke (Eric Lange) to get a directing job. After she refuses his sexual advances, the predatory Lou removes her from the project, and Lisa is treated harshly, despite being a talented individual. As she feels hurt and vengeful in the aftermath, Lisa seeks vengeance to ruin Lou’s life forever. Lisa enlists the aid of Boro (Catherine Keener), an enigmatic witch, to achieve her revenge mission.
As she faces existential questions, she must consider the cost of her vengeance. Created by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion, the horror drama series is an engrossing tale. It shares a spiritual, thematic, and visual connection to ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.’ Both shows focus on the actions of a female protagonist who goes through psychological stress while facing terrifying ordeals and secrets.
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