No matter how long the coronavirus-induced quarantine regulations will last, we’ll never run out of things to watch. Should you have already completed your personal watch list though, fear not, as internationally acclaimed horror and thriller writer Stephen King has you covered. And the best part is, all his picks are available on Netflix.
Mostly, King’s collection includes some predictably gory and suspenseful entries. His first, for instance, is the 2019 zombie apocalypse web drama Black Summer. Set in the same universe as the ambitious Syfy show Z Nation, it follows a team of ordinary people as they embark on a quest to transport the single survivor of a zombie virus plague from New York to California. King had some very lofty things to mention about the show in his recent tweet, and watching it during an actual pandemic might amp up the scare factor, too.
BLACK SUMMER (Netflix): Just when you think there's no more scare left in zombies, THIS comes along. Existential hell in the suburbs, stripped to the bone.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 15, 2019
Unsurprisingly, King is also a fan of the critically acclaimed Netflix original crime drama Mindhunter. Created by David Fincher, the program is set in the 70s and follows a group of FBI agents who interview detained serial killers in the hope of coming to understand their psychological motivations and stop future crimes. Real life monsters like Ed Kemper and Charles Manson make regular appearances, and their dialogue is based on actual interview recordings. Add to that a charmingly retro aesthetic, absolutely stellar performances, and lots and lots of cigarette smoke, and we’ve got to agree with King that this is a winner.
MINDHUNTER, on Netflix: Strongly recommended. Other than a jaw-dropping moment in the first episode, very little gore.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 17, 2017
The list also includes some refreshing foreign items that fall safely within King’s MO. Among them, the writer has selected a number of little known foreign dramas, including Hotel Beau Sejour, a Belgian supernatural title about a young girl who awakes one morning to find a body – her own – murdered in the bathtub of a hotel. Enlisting the help of five people who are able to see her, she goes on a mission to find her murderer, only to uncover that much more is at stake than she had dared to believe.
HOTEL BEAU SEJOUR, on Netflix: Eccentric, brilliant, and strangely touching. Supernatural fare for those who don't ordinarily like it.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 13, 2017
King’s other recommendations include Calibre, Cam, Dracula, Fauda, Le Mante, Money Heist, The Stranger and Pine Gap. Should you not be in the mood to binge a show, though, you can also find the writer’s top 22 favorite films here.