Hidden Gem Shows Like The Boroughs: Netflix’s The Boroughs was an extremely enjoyable and tense sci-fi series that brought forth not only a memorable creature feature but also a deeper exploration of growing old and overcoming grief, and the hopelessness of waiting for death to come to your door.
Blending similar themes, including strange disappearances and an emotional undertone & paranoia, the following hidden gem thrillers capture the same unsettling atmosphere that leaves you gasping till the end.
Hidden Gem Shows Like The Boroughs
Black Spot
In this French thriller, an ominous dark forest surrounds a small village where the death rate is 6 times the national average. Prosecutor Franck Siriani arrives at the village to investigate the town’s sordid secrets while also investigating the mysterious Police-Major, Laurène Weiss. The bizarre crimes are just the starting point to something more ancient and cursed haunting Villefranche.
Black Spot‘s biggest win is its location, which does most of the heavy lifting of the show. It’s almost like a living character that is ready to engulf the characters at any moment. The foggy woods and the lingering sense of decay constantly point to something much darker instead of giving you answers. The series successfully mixes procedural storytelling with folklore horror, creating an atmosphere of discomfort and hopelessness that gets under your skin before you know it.
Katla
This Icelandic TV series is set in a town near a volcano where people who were dead suddenly start to come alive. Unchanged and seemingly without any memory of anything, they leave the residents haunted and traumatised as they try to get answers.
The show is quiet, unsettling and emotionally devastating and has a melancholic vibe to it that is reminiscent of The Boroughs. Also focusing on memory, guilt and identity, the show delves deep into existential questions along with creating suspense that makes it relatable and impactful. It’s the mystery and the heartbreak that stay with you long after the 8 episodes are over.
Hellbound
This series explores a world where horrifying creatures exist who condemn random people to hell out of the blue. Seemingly without rules or reason, the events push society into chaos as public morality slowly starts to get weaponised by those who are waiting to take advantage.
Hellbound, although quite dramatic, focuses less on spectacle and more on the psychological panic and emotional turmoil that the common people go through once the hell demons descend on them from nowhere. Asking disturbing questions surrounding belief, justice and mob mentality, this one asks some very disturbing questions while keeping a tight grip on the relentless tension. There’s a lot to admire here – concepts that will definitely leave you stumped.
The Returned
This 2013 French mystery is one of the most memorable supernatural dramas that still manages to leave viewers on edge. Like Katla, this one also features people coming back from the dead with no memory of anything. Of course, this brings forth panic among those who are still alive, as the show slowly evolves into a tense and emotional exploration of grief, trauma and unresolved emotional wounds.
The best thing about this show is its quiet pacing and haunting soundtrack that makes an already tense thriller all the more enjoyable. Like every fantastic show out there, there are no unnecessary jump scares, and the fear crops up from emotional uncertainty and silence. As a result, when the tension grips you, it refuses to let go. It’s an atmospheric supernatural thriller that remains one of the most memorable in the genre.
Invisible City
This Brazilian series roots its mystery in local mythology as an environmental police officer uncovers the existence of mythical creatures in modern times while searching for a connection between his wife’s death and a dead pink river dolphin.
This fantasy thriller adds a fresh angle to a crime investigation, and the result is both intriguing and extremely enjoyable. The series grounds itself in realism despite its fantastical elements and creates something unique, leaving us intrigued as well as terrified by what’s to come. It’s a visually rich and surprisingly emotional fantasy thriller that takes you on a terrifying adventure!
Which of these shows are you excited to watch next? Let us know in the comments below!
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