Praying For More Choices
Midnight Mass is a real slow burn psychological thriller. There’s a lot of religious symbology, very few scares but a suitably unnerving atmosphere. If you’ve finished watching this and are looking for alternate shows, fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle of having to try and find something similar with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing. To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have. Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with. So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming Midnight Mass.
The Third Day
Similarities – Religion & Mystery
The Third Day is a fascinating drama that has a lot of symbolism dotted throughout its 6 episode run. While a little short, the mystery is compelling enough to really lean into the creepy atmosphere. This is really where the show is at its best. The story revolves around a man and a woman making separate journeys to a mysterious island off the British coast. To give much more away would be a disservice to this show but it certainly grows and evolves over time into something really special. The ending may be a little subjective for some but the ride to get there is suitably eerie and full of questions. In fact, the tone throughout is fantastic and the uneasy dread is ultimately what makes this show so endearing. You can read our thoughts on The Third Day in our full season review here!
Lost
Similarities – Mystery Box On An Island
Back in 2004, a tiny show called Lost went way over-budget with its pilot episode. The consequences of that saw several people fired. Little did they know this mishap would help grow Lost into a worldwide phenomenon that completely changed the way people watched TV. This highly engrossing, mystery series revolves around a group of plane-crash survivors washing up on shore and fighting for survival on a very weird island holding many, many secrets. Across 7 seasons the show does lose its way a little late on but my gosh what an engrossing and unmissable journey it is. If you haven’t seen it already, Lost is a must-watch show.
The Exorcist
Similarities – Horror
The TV adaptation of The Exorcist has absolutely no right to be as good as it is. It’s also one cancellation that remains a bitter pill to swallow to this day for many fans. The series adaptation of the critically acclaimed film follows pretty much the same story but dives a lot deeper into the various characters and lore. At its core, The Exorcist revolves around three priests (Father Tomas Ortega, Father Marcus Keane and Father Bennett) dealing with a particularly nasty case of demonic possession targeting a family and a foster home. There’s some really creepy scenes here too, including one infamous Jenga game during season 1. With two seasons to get through, The Exorcist delivers enough bang for your buck to make it worth watching. You can read our thoughts on The Exorcist in our full season review here!
The Outsider
Similarities – Mystery & Possessions
Stephen King TV adaptations are usually very good or very bad. While The Outsider is far from perfect, the story is absolutely gripping and you’ll undoubtedly be hooked until the very end. The Outsider works much better as a straight forward binge rather than a show drip-fed across several weeks. The basic premise revolves around a group of investigators completely baffled by an unspeakable crime that’s been committed. We won’t go into spoiler territory, but where this one really shines is with its characters, who are beautifully written throughout. If you’re in the mood for a good thriller, this one has all the right ingredients to hook you in and keep you glued until the end. You can read our thoughts on The Outsider in our full season review here!
The Haunting Of Hill House
Similarities – Horror & Mike Flanagan
Technically sound and featuring a lot of well-worked scares, The Haunting Of Hill House is a stunningly well executed show, one that weaves a group of perfectly written characters with a story that never feels like careering off track. In its simplest form, Haunting Of Hill House is a typical haunted house series with flashes between the past and present making up the bulk of this show. The poor family at the center of this conflict are haunted by memories of their old home and the terrifying events that befell them there. Word of mouth helped this show grow a lot when it released back in 2018 and it deserves recognition for managing to keep up suspense and tension over 10 hours – which is certainly no easy feat. Haunting Of Hill House is quite simply a benchmark for all TV horror to aspire toward. You can read our thoughts on The Haunting Of Hill House in our full season review here!
30 Coins
Similarities – Mystery Box
From its stunning opening scene to the suitably bombastic climax, 30 Coins delivers a creepy, suspenseful and atmospheric show that’s sure to please horror aficionados. The story here blends elements of alt-history akin to that seen in Dan Brown novels with a creepy underbelly of supernatural phenomena. The opening scene to 30 Coins is arguably one of the best in recent memory. Within this, a mysterious figure walks into a bank and steals a coin from a safety deposit box. Shrugging off bullets from incredulous guards and hitting them with a barrage of his own, he steps inside a black car and hands over the coin to a shadowy priest. From here, the story only grows weirder and more frantic as the episodes progress. To give much more away would be a disservice to this story but suffice to say, 30 Coins is well worth your time. You can read our thoughts on 30 Coins in our full season review here!
Servant
Similarities – Mystery Box & Slow Burn
Apple TV+’s very own mystery box is an M Night Shyamalan chill-fest. Servant is a show designed to be binged so Apple’s decision to drip-feed this out once a week is a bit of a puzzling one. However, given the third season is on the horizon and the first two are already up on the platform in their entirety, Servant is a great show to binge through. It’s chilling, confusing and utterly bizarre – not unlike Midnight Mass. The story revolves around a Philadelphian couple who mourn the death of their child, causing a huge rift in their marriage. That rift is only made more bizarre by Dorothy’s need to channel her grief into a doll which she pretends is real. Of course, this creepy set-up paves way for a malevolent spirit to entire the house, seemingly in the form of a young girl called Leanne. This is classic M. Night Shyamalan territory, with a great blend of horror and mystery to keep you hooked until the end. You can read our thoughts on Servant in our full season review here!
Castle Rock
Similarities – Characters & Tone
Unlike the second season’s more action-driven plot, the first is a suitably moody, mysterious story that perfectly combines all the hallmarks of what makes a good mystery show. Based on the stories of Stephen King, the series intertwines characters and themes from the fictional town of Castle Rock. The central character for season 1 is Henry Deaver, who returns to his hometown after receiving a strange call. Only, when a stranger arrives in town called The Kid, things take a turn for the weird. The first season is absolutely suffocating in tension and while the second season adopts a more action-driven slant, the first matches Midnight Mass’s atmosphere blow for blow. You can read our thoughts on Castle Rock in our full season reviews here!
Constantine
Similarities – Supernatural Elements
True to the original comic books, Constantine does a great job capturing the essence of what made that visual novel of the same name so appealing. At the heart of this lies a man named John Constantine struggling with his faith and haunted by the sins of his past. While wrestling with his own demons, Constantine is suddenly thrust into the role of defending humanity from the gathering forces of darkness. Although it only ran for 1 season before being cancelled, the character work here is strong and there’s an undeniable energy that makes the 13 episode run a joy to watch.
The Leftovers
Similarities – Mystery, Tone & Themes
If thematic depth is your jam, The Leftovers is definitely worth checking out. Running for three seasons, the story picks up just after a global event called the “Sudden Departure”. This inexplicable event sees the disappearance of 140 million people – or 2% of the world’s population to be precise. Following that, mainstream religions decline which paves way for a number of cults to emerge. The most notable among them is the Guilty Remnant. The story picks up from here and only grows more intriguing and interesting over time. To give much more away would be a disservice to the series but if you haven’t already, The Leftovers is a must-watch. So there we have it, our 10 TV show picks to check out when you’re finished with Midnight Mass. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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