These horror TV shows have some particularly strong performances that are just as fascinating and unforgettable as their eerie settings and shocking premises. While these other elements matter (Netflix’s Wednesday wouldn’t be as fun without its vibrant Nevermore Academy location, for instance), the cast members have to draw you in with their work as villains and sympathetic characters.

From comedies that take on slasher or zombie tropes to some of the most popular Netflix miniseries, these horror shows have amazing performances from the entire cast. Although some actors stand out because of their particularly stellar work, you can reach the end of each show and feel satisfied with each star.

Scream Queens (2015-2016)

Ryan Murphy’s two-season slasher comedy is campy, fun, and full of dynamic performances. Emma Roberts stands out as Chanel Oberlin, the fast-talking and quick-thinking leader of a group of snobby sorority girls. Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd are hilarious as nameless followers, the Chanels.

Since we’ve seen the mean girl trope so many times before, it’s not easy to add more weight to these types of characters, but the cast of the darkly funny Scream Queens makes you like them. Niecy Nash and Kirstie Alley are great as a security guard and a nurse who get caught up in a murder mystery.

Glen Powell and Jamie Lee Curtis are also fantastic as a ditzy frat boy and the power-hungry dean. However, since the tone of the show is silly and melodramatic, sometimes the acting is a little over-the-top, which makes it a little less impressive than some other horror show performances.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)

Like Scream Queens, Santa Clarita Diet is a hilarious story full of horror tropes. The cast does a great job selling you on the offbeat situation they find themselves in. Drew Barrymore manages to be sweet and likable despite her character Sheila Hammond turning into a human flesh-eating zombie, and Timothy Olyphant makes her husband Joel understandably stressed and scared.

While sometimes side character performances fade into the background, that’s not the case here. Skyler Gisondo and Liv Hewson make their amateur teenage detectives, Eric and Abby, charming. Since the show is goofy, the performances aren’t quite as memorable as actors playing characters in scarier situations, but the cast is still excellent.

True Blood (2008-2014)

When you tune into a long-running series about vampires, you need actors who can make the story feel somewhat grounded in reality, and that’s why Anna Paquin deserves so much praise as Sookie Stackhouse in True Blood.

Paquin’s work as a woman swept up in a love story with Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), who happens to be a vampire, is one of the best roles of her career. It takes a special star to play Sookie, since she’s often vulnerable and in danger but also needs to feel physically and mentally strong.

Other cast members, such as Ryan Kwanten and Alexander Skarsgård, are equally fantastic. Kwanten’s character would be a boring sexist jerk in most instances, but the actor plays him so well that you want him to grow and change. Skarsgård’s villainous vampire could have been a tired trope, but he’s so dynamic, you love watching him.

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

It takes a special cast to play unlikable, harsh, and greedy characters who still need to be somewhat sympathetic, and that’s why the actors shine on this Netflix horror series, which modernizes Edgar Allen Poe’s work.

As you learn how all six Usher kids died, you don’t want to like them because you know the family made money by hurting others through their pharmaceutical company. But because of strong acting by stars like Rahul Kohli, who plays troubled Leo, you understand their motives and emotions.

Carla Gugino is incredible in the role of Verna, whose piercing stare suggests danger, and who is “The Raven” from Poe’s stories. Although The Fall of the House of Usher didn’t garner quite as much praise as some of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix horror shows, the cast still deserves accolades. However, sometimes their work gets overshadowed by the intense, shocking death scenes.

The Outsider (2020)

Cynthia Erivo is definitely the main reason to watch The Outsider, the 2020 Stephen King HBO miniseries. She plays Holly Gibney, who stands out among a long list of TV detectives thanks to her super-sharp mind.

Erivo is so impressive here because, while you’re interested in the show’s big twist and want to know what happens, you’re captivated by her and can’t wait for Holly to solve the case. Others, from Mare Winningham in the role of a social worker to Ben Mendelsohn as hardened, vulnerable detective Ralph Anderson, are also impressive.

You’ll also love watching Jason Bateman since he’s the supposed villain of the story, which is quite a departure for him. Although the whole cast is good, it’s hard not to focus on Erivo’s performance, which is one of her best, the most, making this a slightly less strong ensemble cast than some other horror shows.

Them (2021-2024)

The casts of Them seasons 1 and 2 are both praiseworthy, and Deborah Ayorinde gives an equally excellent performance as two different characters. Whether she’s playing a mother named Lucky Emory in the first season, Covenant, or detective Dawn Reeve in the second season, The Scare, Ayorinde makes you feel the range of emotions her characters are experiencing.

As much about family and race as it is about the supernatural, this Prime Video series also has stand-out performances from Shahadi Wright Joseph, Melody Hurd, and Ashley Thomas as other members of the Emory family, who are terrified of what they’re facing.

Marianne (2019)

The atmospheric setting of the creepy small town of Elden and the haunting nightmare of a witch named Marianne would be enough to make the Netflix horror show Marianne chilling and unforgettable. But it’s Mireille Herbstmeyer’s performance as Mrs. Daugeron, who believes she has been taken over by Marianne, that makes the show so terrifying.

With one chilling stare, Herbstmeyer solidifies her character as a villain who gets under your skin, and between her eerie grin and strange outbursts, you can tell she’s not in control of her body or mind. She ensures you’re never sure what she’ll say or do next, which is key for this character.

The rest of the cast is also incredible, and they react to Marianne differently, showing their acting talents. Lucie Boujenah plays Camille with wide-eyed innocence, and since Victoire Du Bois plays Emma as so tough, it’s even more effective when she’s scared of the witch from her nightmares. Pierre Aussedat and Corinne Valancogne are also great as Emma’s possessed parents.

Midnight Mass (2021)

The cast of Midnight Mass excels at making you feel their emotional experience as the residents of Crockett Island each respond differently to the danger they face now that Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater) has moved to town.

Samantha Sloyan gives a particularly standout performance as Bev Keane, a religious woman who wants power. Linklater keeps you guessing and makes his potential villain character likable, layered, and fascinating. Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, and Zach Gilford are also excellent as they’re equally scared, hopeful, and confused about this strange situation.

Annarah Cymone deserves a shout-out as the vulnerable Leeza Scarborough, whose emotional trauma from an injury is a major plot point. While another Flanagan show has slightly better performances, and that series has left a more lasting impression on fans several years after its release, the work on Midnight Mass is still solid.

Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

The talented cast took Twin Peaks from a perplexing but creative series to a cult classic, and since you can trust that what you’re seeing on David Lynch’s series is real, the show needed particularly strong performances to keep you interested.

Kyle MacLachlan’s work as Special Agent Dale Cooper grounds the series, especially thanks to his excitement over coffee and pie. Sherilyn Fenn and Sheryl Lee are amazing as strong, vulnerable Audrey Horne and the tricky role of murder victim Laura Palmer. Lee plays Laura as likable, sympathetic, and someone you can’t fully get to know.

Ray Wise also makes you feel Leland’s grief over Laura’s death, and Frank Silva is incredible as the horrifying figure Bob. Since the actors have to play characters in both realistic and dreamlike sequences, that elevates the show among others in the genre.

The Haunting Of Hill House (2018)

What is arguably Mike Flanagan’s most popular Netflix series also has the greatest TV horror cast. Two actors play a young and older version of each character, and they each do a wonderful job of sharing why each member of the Crain family carries so much trauma from living in Hill House as kids.

While Victoria Pedretti no doubt stands out as Nell Crain, who is the focal point of a fascinating, devastating, and awesome plot twist, the others are just as good in the horror show. The child actors infuse their characters with anxiety and fear, and the older stars make you feel the intense sadness and dread that the Crains have always had.