10 Dark TV Shows That Play With Your Head

There have been so many engrossing dark TV series that took viewers on mind-bending journeys and truly played with their heads. While modern television has embraced much darker and more sinister stories in recent decades, it takes a truly great show to bury underneath the surface of a series’ narrative and deliver philosophically rich stories that strike a chord for their deep, probing themes that leave a mark on viewers consciousness well after the credits have rolled. A thought-provoking series that can play with viewers’ expectations often marks the difference between a simply good show and a truly great one.




Many of the best TV shows of all time were dark in nature and did not underestimate viewers’ intelligence with deeply complex and intricate narratives. Highly influential series like Twin Peaks laid the groundwork for television to embrace more challenging and experimental stories. At the same time, creators worldwide, such as the Japanese showrunners of Alice in Borderland, have left viewers dumbfounded due to the power of their twist-filled narratives. Across many genres, there have been countless dark TV shows that have played with viewers’ heads.


10 Alice In Borderland (2020 – Present)

2 Seasons


One great and gory show that will make viewers look away was Alice in Borderland, a dark dystopian Japanese series where the residents of mysteriously abandoned Tokyo must compete in deathly games to ensure their survival. Based on a manga by Haro Aso, this Netflix thriller played with viewers’ heads as contestants risked their lives in heart-racing games that saw the losers obliterated by laser beams. With an intricate narrative and complex puzzles to be solved, Alice in Borderland kept viewers on the edge of their seats with consistent twists and turns throughout.

Alice in Borderland brought up questions about the true nature of the games its characters were forced to play, the intentions of whoever masterminded its dystopian landscape, and the enigmatic playing cards that represented the types of games they played. Set in an unforgiving world where every player was out for themselves, Alice in Borderland was an exciting head-scratcher that once audiences felt they figured out the true meaning of, another curve ball would be thrown their way.


9 Hannibal (2013 – 2015)

3 Seasons

The NBC psychological horror series Hannibal recaptured the creepy magic of the Thomas Harris novels they were based on to give audiences a new reimagining of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who became infamous through Anthony Hopkins’ performance in The Silence of the Lambs. In this deeply dark and stylish series, Dr. Lecter was played by Mads Mikkelsen, with Hugh Dancy portraying the forensic psychiatrist destined to become his enemy. As a deeply compelling series, Hannibal drew viewers in with complex character relationships and the deeply unnerving juxtaposition of mouth-watering food with Hannibal’s cannibalistic tendencies.


Hannibal was a clever crime series that rose above the often cliche-ridden genre to produce a cult show that was prematurely canceled after just three seasons. With haunting characterizations and purposeful violence, Hannibal continually messed with viewers’ heads as it showcased the calculated and gruesome world of a mindful serial killer. Having received critical acclaim throughout its run, Hannibal was one of the best horror TV shows of all time.

8 Black Mirror (2011 – Present)

6 Seasons


There have been two major consistent themes throughout the anthology series Black Mirror. The first was a probing exploration of the dark side of technology and society’s relationship with it. The second was deeply upsetting narratives that forced audiences to reckon with the most abysmal sides of human experience, leaving them feeling hollow and painfully aware of the existential nature of life itself. By carrying these philosophies through almost every episode, Black Mirror became one of the most richly rewarding and deeply unsettling satires ever to grace television screens.

As a series created by British satirist Charlie Brooker, the most effective episodes of Black Mirror were a dark reflection of societal woes set in an imagined future that felt terrifyingly close to becoming a reality. From the grim punishment continually forced upon an unknowing amnesia-suffering criminal in “White Bear” to the eternal torture of the virtual experience seen in “USS Callister,” Black Mirror has consistently messed with viewers’ heads and has made for often shocking and uncomfortable viewing.


7 Dark (2017 – 2020)

3 Seasons

The mind-bending German-language time travel Netflix series Dark took viewers on a complex story through multiple timelines that required an audience member’s full and unwavering attention. What started as a mystery drama about a young boy’s disappearance grew into a sprawling, intergenerational story that will have viewers jaws on the floor with the intricate plotting and thought-out story structure of its narrative. As a show unlike anything else on Netflix, Dark carefully laid a breadcrumb of clues before its web of mysteries all came together in a satisfying conclusion after three seasons.


With an engrossing slow-burn pace, deep philosophical and ethical themes, and richly developed characters and motivations, Dark was truly one of the greatest TV shows of modern times. As a highly ambitious show that was not afraid to take chances and never underestimated the audience’s intelligence, Dark was a creepy blend of sci-fi, horror, noir, and coming-of-age stories. With an exhilarating plot that grew more intriguing with each season, Dark had to be seen to be believed.

6 Mindhunter (2017 – 2019)

2 Seasons


Netflix’s psychological crime series Mindhunter was a fascinating look behind the development of the FBI’s use of criminal profiling and the founding of their Behavioral Science Unit. Through a blend of fact and fiction, Mindhunter followed agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they interviewed real serial killers like Ed Kemper and David Berkowitz to gain insight into the psychology of murderers to help solve ongoing investigations. This unique series played with viewers’ heads as it forced them to confront the darkest sides of human nature and killers’ sinister impulses.

With a pilot episode directed by David Fincher, Mindhunter maintained a cinematic quality throughout its woefully short two-season run and stood as one of the smartest and most thought-provoking series Netflix ever made. Sadly, Mindhunter went on hiatus, and it was eventually confirmed to be canceled (via Collider), with Fincher stating it was because it was too expensive to produce. While this was a crying shame that left some plot points in Mindhunter unresolved, its two seasons were one of the streamer’s crowning achievements.


5 The Twilight Zone (1959 – 1964)

5 Seasons

When it comes to dark TV shows that played with viewers’ heads, The Twilight Zone was truly the grandfather of them all. As an anthology series that blended sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and drama in deeply thought-provoking episodes, The Twilight Zone laid the groundwork for everything from Black Mirror to the body horror of David Cronenberg. With iconic intros and conclusions from the series showrunner and writer Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone has become such a touchstone of popular culture that even the name itself has become shorthand for weird and unusual happenings.


The reason The Twilight Zone has endured so well in the six decades the original series has been off the air was because it made viewers think in a way that much TV from that era did not. The greatest episodes of The Twilight Zone were packed with philosophical intrigue and insightful wisdom on human life and experiences. From its iconic twist endings to legendary performances from future stars like William Shatner, the paranormal and Kafkaesque consequences of The Twilight Zone include some of television’s greatest moments.

4 Russian Doll (2019 – 2022)

2 Seasons


The Netflix comedy-drama Russian Doll took the well-worn premise of time loops seen in classics like Groundhog Day and gave it a dark spin as a young woman continually relived her 36th birthday. With Natasha Lyonne as Nadia Vulvokov, this thoughtful series explored themes of life, death, meaning, and purpose in a unique and highly entertaining story that shifted tones from laugh-out-loud hilarious to woefully sad. With a highly bingeable first season, Russian Doll blended mystery, horror, and drama with a compelling narrative of great depth.

Things got even more intense in Russian Doll season two as Nadia discovered a wormhole to 1982, where she traveled to the past while stuck in the body of her own mother, who was simultaneously pregnant with her. This mind-bending concept explored the unsettling consequences of generational trauma and was a deeply insightful and often horrifying examination of psychological themes. With great depth, strong writing, and incredible performances, Russian Doll certainly played with viewers’ heads.


3 Severance (2022 – Present)

1 Season

While it’s often said that people have a work self and personal self as employees compartmentalize the different factions of their lives, this has never been more thoroughly explored than in the comedy-drama Severance. This series, starring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, told the story of a man splitting his consciousness in two, with one part of himself going to work each day and the other leaving the office with no memory of his working life. The juxtaposition and potential horror of this situation were the driving forces of Severance’s narrative.


While this idea of forgetting one’s workday may sound aspirational, in truth, this would leave an employee who was essentially a slave to their job, who never got to experience life off the clock, not even to sleep. The philosophical and ethical questions that Severance conjured were truly fascinating as they opened the door to exploring the moral dilemma of exploiting oneself. With ample ground for more content, it will be exciting to see how much further Severance digs into the human condition and soulless nature of working life in Season 2.


2 The Leftovers (2014 – 2017)

3 Seasons

Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof teamed up with the author Tom Perrotta for an adaptation of the latter’s fascinating novel, The Leftovers. This unique HBO series explored life three years after a mysterious event called the ‘Sudden Departure’ that meant 2% of the world’s population had inexplicably vanished, leaving the rest of the world to deal with the consequences and find their own main as to its causes. This dark and fascinating show brought up themes of religion, belief, grief, and mankind’s innate desire to apply meaning to unfathomable and impenetrable events.


While the first season of The Leftovers was a faithful adaptation of Perrotta’s novel, this mystery series dug even deeper into its complex themes in later seasons. Through the at-times spiritual story of Justin Theroux as Kevin Garvey, a local police chief whose estranged wife has joined a cult named the Guilty Remnant, The Leftovers told a thought-provoking and deep philosophically rich narrative. While The Leftovers may not be as accessible as other must-watch TV series, it was extraordinarily rewarding for viewers who connected with its heartfelt and dense themes.

1 Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991, 2017)

3 Seasons


Twin Peaks was one of the most influential TV series ever made, whose serialized mystery signaled the dawning of a new television era where viewers were expected to follow an ongoing storyline rather than episodic stories they could jump in on at any time. Created by the surrealist auteur film director David Lynch and television writer Mark Frost, Twin Peaks was a dark show that mixed comedy with melodramatic soap opera stylings and complex dreamlike logic to unravel the mystery of Laura Palmer, a deceased local teenage girl whose body was discovered in the pilot episode.

This fascinating story truly messed with viewers as it blended offbeat humor with complex characterizations as the eccentric FBI Agent Dale Cooper became increasingly embroiled in the strange happenings of the tightknit community of Twin Peaks. As a cult favorite that built up a loyal following, Twin Peaks returned for a third season in 2017, which picked up where the show left off 25 years later. While this was a welcome return to the strange world of Twin Peaks, this inscrutable dark TV series conjured up more questions than it answered.


Source: Collider

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