If you love Stranger Things and From, you are clearly into small towns with big secrets, creepy forests, and monsters that might be more than just creatures. You want that mix of mystery, character drama, and “what on earth is going on here?” vibes. The good news is that there are several TV shows that scratch exactly that itch – from nostalgic 80s horror to bleak sci‑fi mysteries and psychological thrillers that play with your head.
Below are some of the best TV shows like Stranger Things and From you should add to your watchlist next.
1. Dark
If Stranger Things is your favorite because of kids on bikes, government secrets, and alternate dimensions, Dark is the darker, more complex cousin. This German sci‑fi thriller starts with a missing child in a small town, but quickly grows into a multi‑generational time‑travel puzzle.
The show leans heavily into atmosphere: rainy forests, eerie caves, and a sense that time itself is broken. Like From, Dark demands your full attention – every character, date, and timeline matters. If you enjoy theories, timelines, and Reddit charts, this one will keep you busy long after the final credits.
2. The Outsider
Based on the Stephen King novel, The Outsider combines crime investigation with supernatural horror. It starts as a grounded murder case, then slowly reveals something much more disturbing hiding in the shadows.
Fans of From will appreciate the slow‑burn tension, creepy atmosphere, and the feeling that the monster isn’t just a creature but a manifestation of something older and more evil. The show also explores grief, guilt, and how communities react when reality stops making sense – themes that fit perfectly if you already love the emotional side of Stranger Things.
3. Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets isn’t about an isolated town, but an isolated group – a girls’ soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness. The story jumps between their terrifying fight for survival in the past and the psychological fallout decades later.
If you like From for its “people trapped in a deadly place with mysterious forces around them” angle, Yellowjackets gives a similar mix of paranoia, horror, and group dynamics. There are hints of the supernatural, cult‑like elements, and a constant question: what really happened out there, and how much are they hiding?
4. Wayward Pines
In Wayward Pines, a Secret Service agent wakes up in a small town where nothing feels right – and nobody seems able to leave. There are strict rules, weird surveillance, and a sense that the residents are being watched by something, or someone, just out of frame.
This series sits right between Stranger Things and From: a mysterious town cut off from the outside world, strange creatures beyond the perimeter, and a twist that redefines everything you thought you knew. If you enjoy the “trapped in a system you don’t understand” feeling from From, this one is a natural next step.
5. Castle Rock
Castle Rock is an anthology set in the shared universe of Stephen King’s stories, centered around a haunted small town in Maine. Every season blends psychological horror, slow‑burn mystery, and familiar King themes like cursed places, buried secrets, and generational trauma.
The show rarely explains everything directly, which will feel very familiar if you’ve just finished From and are still trying to decode what the forest really is. It’s less about jump scares and more about the creeping realization that the town itself might be alive.
6. Fringe
If you love the government‑lab and portal aspects of Stranger Things, Fringe gives you a full buffet of weird science. The series follows an FBI division that investigates bizarre phenomena – from strange diseases to alternate universes and fractured timelines.
While Fringe is more procedural at first, it gradually builds a rich mythology about parallel worlds and the consequences of crossing between them. Think of it as what would happen if Hawkins Lab had an official task force instead of operating in the shadows.
7. Channel Zero
Channel Zero is a horror anthology where each season adapts a different “creepypasta” (internet horror story). One season focuses on a disturbing kids’ TV show that seems to influence reality, another on a strange house that changes depending on who enters.
If you enjoy the unsettling, dream‑logic horror of From – where rules exist but are never fully explained – Channel Zero delivers that feeling in concentrated form. The seasons are short, visually striking, and perfect for viewers who like their mysteries weird and disturbing.
8. Black Spot (Zone Blanche)
This French‑Belgian series takes place in a remote town surrounded by a dense forest with a frightening reputation. Crime rates are high, animals behave strangely, and there are hints of something ancient and supernatural in the woods.
For fans of From, the parallels are obvious: an isolated community, a dangerous forest that almost feels sentient, and characters who are as haunted by their past as they are by whatever lurks in the trees. It’s slower and moodier than Stranger Things, but the atmosphere is fantastic.
9. Twin Peaks
Almost every weird‑town show owes something to Twin Peaks. It begins with the murder of Laura Palmer, then spirals into dream sequences, alternate spaces, and pure Lynchian madness.
If you enjoy the idea that there might be other dimensions bleeding into our world – like the Upside Down in Stranger Things or the strange realm hinted at in From – Twin Peaks is essential watching. It’s not straightforward, but it’s a key influence on almost everything else on this list.
10. From – and where to go next
Of course, if you landed here because of From itself, you might still be trying to understand what the show is actually doing with its forest, monsters, and looping roads. Before diving into all these similar series, it’s worth unpacking that ending properly.
On StrangerThingsPortal we already have a full breakdown that digs into the forest, the creatures, and what the finale really implies about the world of the show. You can read it here:
From ending explained: What happens in the forest?
