We all love a dark, gritty TV show to unwind sometimes, right? It gets even better when you pair dark up with fiction. No wonder The Last of Us was such a huge hit, and Dahmer: A Monster Story became the #3 most-watched English-language show on Netflix. These shows cater to our morbid curiosity and allow us to explore the nature of evil, both in others and within ourselves.
However, not all shows wear their darkness on the surface. You might start watching what appears to be a laid-back animated sitcom or a reality show, only to realize after the initial few episodes that this show is going to leave you genuinely traumatized. So, read on as we go through 5 such shows that are way darker than you think.
1. The Rehearsal
Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal is undoubtedly one of modern TV’s most unique and creative shows. At its core, The Rehearsal follows a simple concept — Fielder assists ordinary individuals in rehearsing difficult conversations or significant life events. The process involves meticulously planning every detail, utilizing sets and actors hired to recreate real-life situations. Participants work through extensive alternative paths, preparing for various outcomes until they feel equipped to face the real-world situations that lie ahead. These scenarios range from the seemingly trivial, such as confessing to a small lie about educational history, to more complex and emotionally charged moments, like raising a child.
However, as Fielder’s obsession with the intricacies of the rehearsal process deepens, the show gradually turns from a prank comedy to surrealist horror. It breaks the rules it set out for you in the initial episodes, plunging you into a meta-reality where it is difficult to tell what’s scripted for the show and what’s real. And the final episode delivers an emotional gut punch that is incredibly real, raw, and human; it catches you off guard and stays with you long after you’re done watching.
2. BoJack Horseman
An animated show about a talking horse; how dark can it be, right? But the brilliance of BoJack Horseman lies in its ability to jump right into themes that might be too emotionally challenging if portrayed by live-action characters. It’s far easier to witness a cartoon horse spiraling into a drug-induced bender than it would be to observe a middle-aged man undergoing similar struggles. The animated facade serves as a buffer, making it more accessible for us to engage with the darker aspects of the plot.
What initially presents itself as a lighthearted sitcom about a washed-up actor horse soon transforms into a sophisticated exploration of nihilism, drug abuse, depression, childhood trauma, self-destruction, and failed relationships. BoJack Horseman doesn’t shy away from portraying a kind of heartbreak you rarely see in movies or shows — the kind that feels incredibly personal and nuanced. The kind of heartbreak you don’t share with anyone because you don’t think anyone would be able to understand what it feels like. Yet, BoJack Horseman manages to hit all the right notes, creating a level of relatability with its characters — be they talking horses, cats, or dogs — that surpasses the connection you may have felt with any other fictional characters before.
Watch BoJack Horseman on Netflix
3. Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer is a docuseries based on real events. It starts off on an already grim premise (graphic warning): someone anonymously posts a video online depicting the disturbing act of suffocating kittens in a plastic bag using a vacuum cleaner. A group of internet sleuths band together and try to hunt down the mysterious individual. But the unsettling plot doesn’t stop there.
With each successive episode, the story takes a darker, more sinister turn that feels like something straight out of a David Fincher movie. The story depicted feels unbelievably grim, almost too dark to be true, yet it is. But what could be worse than killing defenseless animals on camera? You’ll just have to watch and find out.
Watch Don’t F**ck with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer on Netflix
4. Arcane
Arcane is an animated series based in the League of Legends universe. But underneath the stunning visuals and adrenaline-pumping action sequences lies a tragic story centered around two sisters. Granted, the show starts off slow with an exposition-heavy first couple of episodes, but it sets the stage for a story that only reveals its true colors by the end of episode 3, gripping you by the throat and leaving you unsettled throughout the entirety of the season.
5. The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House may look like just another horror show involving a family moving into a haunted house. But Mike Flanagan has presented the whole supernatural aspect of it with a multi-layered plot — the anxiety of fractured family get-togethers, the haunting realities of dealing with a mentally ill parent, drug dependency and rehab, and the intricate coping mechanisms our minds create to deal with childhood traumas. The series goes beyond the typical horror paranormal genre and subtly touches aspects of dark human nature — in an unsettling way.
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