Paranormal Binging

Sometimes we just want to add a bit more of the unusual to our lives. Some of us might be junkies for it, always looking for our next fix of bizarre and creepy media.

The genre has become inundated with new content, but it's difficult to navigate through all of it and find a new show or movie that suits your tastes. If you're like me, that can be difficult. I'm willing to give most shows a chance, but not all of them have the feeling that I look for in a paranormal or horror show or movie. A lot of times, they end up being too predictable without qualities that redeem it.

Anyway, here are my suggestions based on some of the shows and movies I enjoy, based on other shows and movies.

If you like The Haunting of Hill House, check out...

1. The Haunting of Bly Manor, of course.

Bly Manor features some of the same cast members and has an overall similar feel, although we get to be in the moment of the action happening rather than learning about it through flashbacks (which there are some of still). Yet being in the moment doesn't steal away from the elements of mystery surrounding the manor, or answer what happened to some of the characters who can't seem to stop lingering around the property after death.

I went into this one a little skeptical of it. The first episode didn't hook me immediately, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. The show sucked me in as I learned more about the characters and the manor itself, and it was difficult not to stay up much later than I should and binge the whole season in one night.

2. I am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House

Another Netflix original, but this one is a movie instead of a show. I never see much mentioned about this movie, but I watched it when it first appeared on Netflix, a couple more times after that. It's another instance of someone taking a job that leads to them living in the home of the person they're assisting in some way, like in Bly Manor.

In this house, Lily finds that it's rather strange. She finds out more about the woman she cares for there--an author named Iris Blum. There's an issue with spots on the wall that Lily wants fixed, but that isn't the full extent of problems in the house.

The whole movie has a dream-like feeling to it, and at the end I still feel like there are secrets I haven't found yet within that house. So I watch it again and try to find what I missed. It's a slow paced movie, but there's something that I found weirdly enchanting about it and I'd say to get it a shot at least.

If you're looking for a weird and supernatural anime...

Another might be for you.

One person in a specific classroom has returned from the dead, but they have no memories of it, and the memories of everyone else who knows/knew of their death are altered. This happens every year, and every year it's a different person.

In order to keep the balance of the classroom, one student is decided upon to treat as if they don't exist. No one will acknowledge them in any way for the full year.

And then, of course, a student happens to be transferred into that specific class without knowledge of this tradition and kind of messes it all up.

I don't give it justice with my summary, but it's a very strange anime that I found pleasantly entertaining. It doesn't drag on with filler content or drag on so long that you lose interest. It's a short show that tells its full story within a reasonable amount of time.

In the end...

There are so many great pieces of horror and supernatural media that any fan can find one that they love. Especially with the subgenres that are available, and the surge of shows and movies with creepy vibes coming into popularity like Stranger Things. And considering that ghost hunting shows have existed for such a long time, it was inevitable for more spooks to be added to our streaming lists.

I'm enjoying the influx of Netflix Originals that have to do with the supernatural and horror genres, and I certainly hope that they keep showing up, on Netflix or any other streaming platform.

I can't reasonably list every great piece of horror in one piece, but I hope that someone, somewhere, will be able to find a new favorite from this.