Television series
Tidelands
An ex-con returns to her coastal hometown and uncovers a dark conspiracy involving supernatural creatures, murder, and corruption. It's a pulpy, violent blend of crime thriller and fantasy, heavy on atmosphere and body horror. For viewers craving supernatural noir with morally murky characters and no guardrails about who lives or dies.
If you liked this
True Detective2014
A brooding detective returns to his hometown to solve an old crime, unraveling institutional corruption and personal demons. Season one's Louisiana gothic atmosphere matches Tidelands' dark regional claustrophobia perfectly.
But Matthew McConaughey's monologues can feel overwrought, and the pacing drags considerably in the middle stretch.

The OA2016
Mysterious, supernatural, visually inventive, and utterly committed to its weird logic. It trusts you to sit with strangeness rather than explain it away. Same commitment to oddness as Tidelands.
But The show was cancelled on a cliffhanger and never resolved. Its ambitious scope can feel muddled, especially midway through.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina2018
Teen characters in a supernatural-noir small town where magic and horror collide. Dark, violent, and genuinely unsettling despite its YA roots. Shares Tidelands' willingness to be genuinely gross and uncanny.
But Tonal whiplash between gothic horror and teenage melodrama. Some supernatural mythology gets confused across seasons.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Tidelands
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Shape of Water2017
Both ground their supernatural mythology in visceral bodily transformation and erotic unease rather than jump scares—the strangeness is intimate and physical.
A mute woman falls in love with an amphibious creature in a Cold War facility. Guillermo del Toro's fairy tale blends body horror, transformation, and the uncanny in gorgeous colour. Same commitment to making the supernatural sensual and unsettling.
But If you're squeamish about bodies or expect traditional romance, this will repel you. The fantasy elements take precedence over plot logic.

More like this (7)
Penny Dreadful2014
Literary monsters and gothic horror wrapped in Victorian atmosphere and excellent acting. Genuinely beautiful cinematography paired with absolutely brutal violence and moral decay.
But Very slow-burn storytelling. Stylistic flourishes sometimes eclipse plot momentum, and it can feel pretentious.

The Fall2013
Taut psychological thriller where a brilliant detective hunts a killer in a grey, rain-soaked Irish town. Stella Gibson is exceptional, and the cat-and-mouse dynamic is genuinely gripping.
But The sexual violence is explicit and unrelenting. Some viewers find the pacing uneven in season three.

Ozark2017
Criminals and morally compromised characters trapped in a claustrophobic setting where every alliance is temporary. Taut plotting and a tangible sense of escalating danger.
But The show leans heavily into prestige-drama exhaustion—everyone is tired and morally hollow, which can feel repetitive.

Godless2017
A western town run entirely by women becomes the battleground for a criminal gang's revenge. Visually stunning, violent, and committed to genuine strangeness in its premise.
But Only one season, which feels abbreviated. Some supporting characters lack depth.

The Sinner2017
A woman kills someone for no apparent reason, and a detective unravels a town's darkest secrets. Each season restarts with new characters and mysteries, always grounded and psychologically credible.
But The procedural structure can feel predictable. Later seasons lose momentum compared to the first.

Wolf Creek2016
Australian outback horror where tourists encounter something genuinely dangerous. Lean, brutal, and utterly unforgiving about who survives and why.
But Extremely grim with minimal character development. The premise is simple, and some find the repetition tedious across its limited episodes.

The Girlfriend Experience2016
Both explore how people survive by performing false versions of themselves in corrupt systems; both make you complicit in watching characters compromise their principles for survival.
Soderbergh's miniseries about a law student who becomes a high-end escort. Experimental narrative structure, fragmented chronology, and a clinical examination of power, deception, and emotional labour disguised as romance.
But The non-linear storytelling requires active attention. It's minimalist and intellectual rather than plot-driven, which frustrates viewers wanting traditional narrative momentum.

People
Cast
Writing
- Stephen M. IrwinCreator