Why Horror Anthology Series Work So Well

The anthology is a powerful form of storytelling. They happen quite often in books, but there is still a healthy dose of the format in film and in television. That said, there is definitely one genre utilizing anthologies more than others: horror. There’s something about it that just works. Anthology films were very popular in the 1980s and early ’90s. There were also anthology shows like Tales from the Crypt. Even today, horror programs such as Two Sentence Horror Stories, Bite-Size Halloween, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and Slasher treat each new season as a separate, standalone story.

Some genres shy away from anthologies altogether. It’s tough to find one that focuses on romance stories, political stories, and even action. The only other genre that seems to play around with the format is science fiction. The animated series Love, Death + Robots as well as classics like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits come to mind. But even these shows have elements of horror to them; Love, Death + Robots less so than the others as it tries to have some episodes deal with other tones like comedy and philosophy. Still, the highlights of the series are its scary episodes.

So the question remains, why does horror work so well in short doses compared to the other genres? It might be because the others need more setup in terms of delivering on its promise. With romance, audiences need to be absorbed into the characters’ lives to care if they find love. With action, having an unnamed hero killing bad guys doesn’t satisfy as much if the audience doesn’t know the hero’s goals. Horror typically has a very simple mission. Its purpose is to scare. That’s it. Monsters, serial killers, ghosts, and other creatures can all accomplish this with little-to-no setup. All it requires is a quick shot of terror, which is why fans are fine absorbing these stories in small doses.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Slasher, and Love, Death + Robots are all streaming on Netflix.