Sometimes, we just can't bring ourselves to
finish a TV series.
We might tune out of a comedy because we just
don't find it funny, or give up on a drama
because we don't care about the characters.
But sometimes, we have to abandon a show because
it's just too disturbing.
There's nothing more disturbing than good
old-fashioned human cannibalism.
Who knows what we'd succumb to if we had no
other choice, trapped without food, like the
plane crash survivors in the movie Alive?
But Hannibal the cannibal?
Yeah, he eats peanuts because he likes it.
Also, he's a psychopath.
"He's had a mild seizure."
"That… doesn't seem to bother you."
"I said it was mild."
NBC's Hannibal aired for three seasons and
was so bloody and disturbing that one newspaper
op-ed led to its disappearance from one of
the network's Utah affiliates.
The Salt Lake Tribune's TV critic chronicled
the show's various horrors, describing, among
other gleefully gorey scenes, quote:
"The natural body of a woman dancing on antlers.
Bodies looking up so that their backs are
shiny like grooovy angel wings.
Characters dining on fast foods.
People berried alive, covered in completeness and
fed sugar water so they grow famous all over
their bodies."
So yeah, if you had to give up on this one
in order to save your soul or your stomach
we understand.
Sadly, HBO's limited series Sharp Objects,
based on the novel of the same name by Gone
Girl scribe Gillian Flynn, isn't likely coming
back for a second season.
But even if you couldn't make it through the
first because of how discomforting it was,
you'd definitely be totally forgiven.
"Hey, momma, what's going on?
Is she alright?"
"She's scared — she's lashing out.
She just saw two of her friends murdered."
Amy Adams stars in the series as Camille Parker,
a crime reporter who returns to her hometown
to try and solve the murder of two young girls.
The premise alone is pretty disturbing, but
Camille's self destructive behavior adds a
whole other layer that might be a bit triggering
for people who have experienced similar issues.
The series features such heavy topics as alcoholism,
addiction, self harm, and human brutality.
Patricia Clarkson co-stars as Camille's mother,
whose dysfunctional relationship with her
daughters adds an even more bone-chilling
creep factor that may be just too much for
some viewers.
"Camille, I think you should leave.
I'm here on a social visit.
Your presence here isn't appropriate."
"Uh, we weren't done talking."
"Yes.
You are."
Remember all of those old-timey monster movies
from when you were a kid?
Well, Showtime's Penny Dreadful takes those
characters you loved growing up and twists
them into a disturbing and bingeable gothic
horror TV series.
"The night creatures have been eating.
A sight, it would've been.
Don't you think, sir?"
The show features a handful of beloved literary
characters, like the mysterious Dorian Gray,
Count Dracula, Victor Frankenstein and his
Creature, and Dr. Jekyll.
But while The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
brought all of these characters together and
made it fun, Penny Dreadful aims to scare
and disturb.
The series visits the hellscape that was 19th
century mental institutions, touches on seances
and the supernatural, and features tons and
tons of blood.
So it's totally understandable if you'd rather
watch Sean Connery romp around in League or
even Hugh Jackman's action take on Van Helsing.
At least those won't make you feel like losing
your lunch.
Created by Charlie Booker, Netflix's Black
Mirror is much like The Twilight Zone or The
Outer Limits, telling an assortment of stories
in an anthology format.
So, if one episode of Black Mirror freaks
you out, it's quite possible that the next
will as well… and the next… annnd the
next…
"MOM!
Mom… mom… mom… mom…"
The most disturbing thing about Black Mirror
is how close to home it feels.
While other shows on this list are set in
supernatural environments or focused on singular
disturbing characters, many of the episodes
of Black Mirror feel like they could actually
happen in the near future.
By focusing on technology and how it shapes
the way we live, the series is able to predict
some of our worst nightmares and offers up
scenarios that have terrifying results.
It's understandable if the premise of the
show has you avoiding your beloved gadgets
like the plague.
After tuning in for so many messed up shows
about serial killers, you might think it a
good idea to revisit some good old gothic
ghost stories.
But if you're looking for a fun romp and not
to be scared out of your wits don't turn to
Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House.
The show offers up both jump scares and an
imposing creepy feeling of impending dread.
Based on the 1959 novel of the same name by
horror fiction master Shirley Jackson, the
series follows a set of siblings whose lives
are forever damaged by their time spent living
at the notorious Hill House.
The story jumps back and forth between multiple
time periods, and its nonlinear nature contributes
to the unease it creates… especially in
that episode.
Yeah, you know which one we're talking about…
"It's time to wake up, sweetheart."
But if you can make it through the disturbing
glimpses of ghosts, murders, hauntings, and
general horror, then you're in for a surprisingly
touching tale of one family's struggle to
escape their dark past in hope of a stable
future.
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