Warning: Not for the Fainthearted
Boo! Halloween is around the corner. This year, with the ongoing pandemic, I will be celebrating safely at my house. For those of you planning to do the same, here’s a list of spooky recommendations for you to consume (with your candies) at your home!
Podcasts
Podcasts are great because they give you the freedom to multitask when you are busy while simultaneously allowing you to take a break.
Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie is a podcast that takes on a casual format, where the hosts engage in conversations about crime cases. My favorite aspect of this show is how organic and natural the conversations feel. The topics include murder cases, mysterious deaths, missing persons, conspiracies, infamous serial killers, and even special episodes in collaboration with the FBI. A typical episode lasts from 40 minutes to an hour. The show can get pretty gruesome and spooky, especially when you realize that everything mentioned has actually happened in real life. That always gives me chills!
Listen here.
Cover from Apple Podcasts
Dateline
Cover from Apple Podcasts
Dateline is similar to Crime Junkie in terms of topics. The main difference is that Dateline takes on a more formal format; there is only one host and the way information is presented feels more unidirectional. Compared to Crime Junkie, Dateline offers more information in each episode, as each lasts for about 90 minutes.
Listen here.
Webtoons
Since this semester started, I have had less time to read books. However, I still want to enjoy good stories from time to time, so I started reading Webtoons (online comics).
Bastard
Bastard is a high-stakes suspense about a teenager, Jin Seon, who struggles with a secret: he is an unwilling accomplice to his serial killer father. Jin Seon is faced with a choice: expose this secret and risk jail time, or keep it to himself and watch his father kill more innocent people. I can’t give you more details without spoiling the many twists and turns! All I can say is go read it!
Read here.
Screenshot from webtoons.com
Sweet Home
Screenshot from webtoons.com
If you enjoy shows like The Walking Dead, this webtoon is for you. By the same creators of Bastard, Sweet Home is another thriller about a teenager, Cha Hyun-Soo. After tragically losing his family, he moves to a new home to start over. However, just when life seems like it couldn’t get worse, people start turning into monsters and killing each other. Will Cha Hyun-Soo survive this apocalypse? Read to find out.
Read here.
Rebirth
Rebirth is a time-travel fantasy about Noah, a father, going back in time to try to save his family from a zombie apocalypse. Though the series revolves around a zombie apocalypse, its true spookiness doesn’t lie in jump scares or blood and gore. Rather, it spooks readers through uncovering family secrets as each person reveals their true colors. This series is great for those who want a taste of spookiness, but are not ready for more intense horror.
Read here.
Screenshot from webtoons.com
Anime
Anime offers a special kind of freedom that the live-action genre lacks: it’s not bound by limitations on creativity/visual effects. This is why I prefer anime for escapism. Both of these series are on Netflix.
Erased
Screenshot from Netflix
If you are looking for a binge-worthy show, Erased is for you. I watched it all in one night! The story follows a man named Satoru Fujinuma with a unique yet seemingly uncontrollable ability called “Revival.” This ability triggers on its own to send him back in time to prevent fatal incidents. When Satoru’s mother gets murdered, he is sent back two decades into the past, to a time just before a string of murders killed three of his childhood friends. Satoru must connect the dots between his friends' murders to his mother’s in an attempt to prevent them all from happening again. The dread and pacing of the story will keep you up all night.
The Promised Neverland
The Promised Neverland is a sinister story about a group of kids living at Grace Field House orphanage. Everything about their lives seems perfect: the kids are well-dressed, well-fed, and happy. In fact, for most of the kids' lives, because of how comfortable they are, they don’t see the need to ask for more or question their circumstances. They never question the rule of not being allowed to leave the orphanage without permission, until one of them stumbles onto the dark, twisted reason they are kept at the orphanage in the first place. With this new information, they plan their escape, but will they succeed? Watch to find out.
Screenshot from Netflix
That’s all! I hope you enjoy my spooky recommendations!
