8 Best Shows like Fall of the House of Usher

The Fall of the House of Usher, Mike Flanagan’s eerie gothic drama series inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic short story, has enthralled horror fans with its heavy, haunting atmosphere since hitting Netflix.

Set in the crumbling Usher mansion, the show follows the mansion’s twisted secrets and the doom that befalls the fractured Usher family. Captivated viewers longing for more literary-based suspense after the credits roll can find their next thrilling binge in these 8 television shows that explore similar dark, foreboding themes.

Much like The Fall of the House of Usher, these chilling series tap into the iconic haunted house trope with mystery-shrouded mansions, estates, and hotels harboring tragic secrets, restless spirits, and unstable inhabitants prone to madness.

Period dramas like Penny Dreadful and The Terror capture the lurking dread and fading grandeur of the 19th century Gothic genre. Modern haunts like Hill House and Bly Manor put a fresh spin on classic ghost stories with emotional depth and psychological anguish. Several shows traverse family legacies tainted by darkness across generations.

Supernatural horrors manifest in various forms, from vengeful ghosts to bloodthirsty vampires to unexplainable events twisting reality.

Elements of drama, romance, and even campy shock value intermix with spine-tingling thrills. But at their core, these engrossing television shows emit the same gothic DNA that makes The Fall of the House of Usher so impactfully grim yet irresistibly addicting.

Best Shows like Fall of the House of Usher

Here are the 8 best tv series similar to Fall of the House of Usher, that you should watch after watching this.

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

• Cast: Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser
• Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
• IMDB Rating: 8.6
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunting_of_Hill_House_(TV_series)

This modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s novel follows the Crain family as they confront ghosts from their past quite literally. When the siblings reunite at their childhood home, Hill House, flashbacks reveal the tragic events that led the family to flee the mansion years ago. The supernatural horror explores complex family dynamics and traumas.

Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)

• Cast: Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton
• Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
• IMDB Rating: 8.2
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Dreadful_(TV_series)

This Gothic horror drama weaves together classic literary monsters and myths in Victorian London. Vanessa Ives, an enigmatic medium, aligns with explorer Sir Malcolm as they combat supernatural threats like Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, Dorian Gray, and Count Dracula. The series blends drama, romance, and high stakes action.

American Horror Story (2011-)

• Cast: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Jessica Lange
• Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
• IMDB Rating: 8.0
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Horror_Story

Each self-contained season of this horror anthology tackles different eras, stories, and frights. Common themes include overcoming trauma, questioning reality, twisted romance, and things lurking below the surface. With visceral scares and campy shock value, AHS pushes boundaries while paying homage to horror tropes.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

• Cast: Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas
• Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
• IMDB Rating: 7.6
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunting_of_Bly_Manor

Serving as a follow-up to Hill House, this season adapts parts of Henry James’ ghost stories. A young au pair arrives at the Bly estate to care for two orphaned children, only to encounter restless spirits that still haunt the premises. Dark secrets of the manor are uncovered over time.

Bates Motel (2013-2017)

• Cast: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot
• Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
• IMDB Rating: 8.2
• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2188671/

This Psycho prequel series depicts Norman Bates’ life with his mother Norma before the events of the famous Hitchcock film. Their strained relationship and Norman’s mental descent into his murderous alter ego are highlighted in this eerie drama. Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore give powerhouse performances.

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020)

• Cast: Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto, Kerry Bishé
• Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
• IMDB Rating: 6.7
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Dreadful:_City_of_Angels

A spinoff to Penny Dreadful, this noir horror takes place in 1930s Los Angeles. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega and his partner Lewis investigate macabre clues and an escalating battle between powerful forces like the Third Reich and Mexican folklore.

The Terror (2018)

• Cast: Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciarán Hinds
• Genre: Adventure, Drama, Horror
• IMDB Rating: 8.0
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terror_(TV_series)

Based on a true story, this chilling drama follows Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition to the Arctic in 1848. Trapped in the ice for years, the crews’ sanity unravels as they face starvation, hypothermia, a mysterious monster, and paranoia. The desolate setting adds haunting atmosphere.

From (2022-)

• Cast: Harold Perrineau, Eion Bailey, Catalina Sandino Moreno
• Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
• IMDB Rating: 6.7
• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9813792/

This sci-fi horror centers on a mysterious town that traps people within its borders. The unwilling residents must uncover the origins of their new hellish home, which contains creatures and paranormal activity that threaten their survival and sanity. The premise explores captivity and the darkness within human nature.

FAQs

How is House Taken Over similar to The Fall of the House of Usher?

Both stories are examples of gothic literature that feature a house as a symbol of the family’s decay and isolation. In both stories, the house is gradually invaded by an unknown force that forces the protagonists to abandon it. The protagonists are siblings who have an incestuous relationship or implication. In both stories, the house collapses or is destroyed at the end, implying the end of the family line.

What is a possible theme for The Fall of the House of Usher?

One possible theme for The Fall of the House of Usher is the effect of hereditary madness and disease on the human mind and body. The story suggests that the Usher family suffers from a genetic curse that causes them to deteriorate physically and mentally over generations. The narrator observes that Roderick and Madeline have a ghastly appearance and a morbid sensibility. Roderick believes that his house and his sister are alive and share his fate. Madeline suffers from a mysterious illness that makes her appear dead and then resurrects her. The story implies that their condition is the result of inbreeding and isolation.

What are three themes from The Fall of the House of Usher?

Three themes from The Fall of the House of Usher are:

• The connection between art and madness: The story explores how art can be a source of inspiration and escape, but also a manifestation and catalyst of madness. Roderick is a talented painter, musician, and poet, but his art reflects his distorted perception of reality and his obsession with death. He creates a painting of his sister’s tomb, plays a song about the end of the world, and reads a poem about a palace haunted by evil spirits. His art foreshadows and influences the events that occur in the story.
• Power of fear and superstition: The story shows how fear and superstition can affect the human mind and behavior. The narrator admits that he feels an inexplicable dread and horror when he sees the house and its surroundings. He also confesses that he is influenced by Roderick’s fantasies and beliefs, such as the idea that the house has a sentience and a will. He also succumbs to the terror that Roderick feels when he hears Madeline’s return from the grave. The story suggests that fear and superstition can create a self-fulfilling prophecy and a psychological trap.
• The contrast between reason and imagination: The story contrasts the rational and analytical perspective of the narrator with the imaginative and emotional perspective of Roderick. The narrator tries to explain the phenomena he witnesses with logical arguments and scientific facts, such as the effect of fungi on the atmosphere or the premature burial of Madeline. However, he fails to account for the supernatural elements that defy his reason, such as the resemblance between the house and Roderick, or the coincidence between the book he reads and the noises he hears.

What movie is based on The Fall of the House of Usher?

There have been several movie adaptations of The Fall of the House of Usher, but one of the most famous ones is The Fall of the House of Usher, a 2023 Netflix miniseries created by Mike Flanagan. It is loosely based on the short story and other works by Edgar Allan Poe, and it stars Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, Samantha Sloyan, T’Nia Miller, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Michael Trucco, Katie Parker, Matt Biedel, Crystal Balint, Ruth Codd, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill. It follows the story of a corrupt pharmaceutical company run by two ruthless siblings who face their questionable past when their children start dying in mysterious and brutal ways.

Conclusion

With its ominous atmosphere and descent into madness, The Fall of the House of Usher weaves an intoxicating Gothic horror tale aligned with Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic brooding aesthetic. For viewers transfixed by the simmering dread of the Usher mansion and eager to find their next binge-worthy dose of literary horror, these 8 spellbinding shows offer more haunted worlds to get lost in.

From the bone-chilling isolation of The Terror’s Arctic nightmare to the romantic gloom of Penny Dreadful’s Victorian London to the tortured generations of specter-plagued families in Hill House and Bly Manor, fans of The Fall of the House of Usher are bound to find their next thrilling, binge-worthy watch among these chilling shows.

These series harness complex characters, slow-burning suspense, and horrors both psychological and supernatural, leaving audiences hooked on their intoxicating sense of foreboding. For those who crave more ofgothic drama’s signature ominous tone after the Usher mansion crumbles, these haunting shows are sure to satisfy your cravings and keep you wide awake late into the night.