The Twilight Zone is a classic anthology TV series famous for blending horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. Rod Serling created it, and it ran for five seasons between 1959 and 1964. Each episode is a standalone story, often with a twist ending, exploring various themes such as the human condition, technology, and societal norms.
This series has become a cultural icon, with The Writers Guild of America West ranking it the third best-written TV show ever. So, let’s look at the 13 scariest episodes you should never watch alone.
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet (Season 5, Episode 3)
A man recovering from a mental breakdown spots a gremlin on the wing of his airplane, but it hides whenever anyone else looks out the window. Of course, no one believes that the gremlin is there. William Shatner stars in this tense episode as he struggles to convince the crew of the danger while facing the possibility of disaster at 20,000 feet.
Is Anyone Scared of Flying?
This episode explores our fear of isolation and helplessness (and probably won’t help anyone’s fear of flying, either). Is William Shatner experiencing a genuine threat or descending into madness?
The Hitch-Hiker (Season 1, Episode 16)
Nan Adams repeatedly encounters the same hitchhiker as she drives cross-country despite her efforts to outrun him. As she questions the impossible nature of the hitchhiker’s appearance (and her sanity), the tension builds, and we are left biting our nails.
You Can’t Escape Your Fate
The hitchhiker appearing repeatedly on a deserted highway doesn’t just play into the more obvious fear of a woman alone being stalked by a strange man. It also taps into our primal fears of the unknown and how we cannot escape our fate.
Living Doll (Season 5, Episode 6)
No, not the Cliff Richard song (although that, too, is scary). Living dolls have become a staple of horror. Before M3gan, there was Anabelle; before Chucky, there was that doll Chinga from The X-Files that made people claw out their eyes. And before that, there was Talky Tina.
The Subversion of Innocence
In this episode of The Twilight Zone, Erich Streator finds himself at the mercy of his stepdaughter’s menacing doll, Talky Tina. The doll’s threats and actions become increasingly sinister, and Streator struggles to escape its grip. This leads to a chilling showdown with the living doll. The horror in this episode comes from the subversion of innocence: a little girl’s innocent-looking dolly turns into a thing of evil.
It’s A Good Life (Season 3, Episode 8)
Young Anthony Fremont is a child with terrifying powers. He wields them with malice over his small town, punishing anyone who displeases him. The townsfolk walk on eggshells around Anthony, fearing his wrath and god-like abilities. The juxtaposition of evil with child-like innocence adds to the fear and suspense.
The Howling Man (Season 2, Episode 5)
Seeking refuge in a mysterious monastery, David Ellington discovers a prisoner who claims that the “mad” monks have unjustly imprisoned and beat him. The monks, however, argue that the prisoner is the Devil incarnate. Ellington decides whether to free the prisoner or leave him trapped at the monks’ mercy.
When Kindness is a Weakness
The horror in this episode arises from the idea of releasing evil into the world through an act of misguided compassion. You might want to do the right thing, but what happens when you don’t know what the ‘right thing’ actually is?
The Masks (Season 5, Episode 25)
Jason Foster’s heirs are forced to wear masks reflecting their inner ugliness. This reveals their true selves in a ghoulish mockery. As the night unfolds, the family’s darkest secrets are revealed, and we discover the true nature of their greed and vanity.
Inner Ugliness Laid Bare
This episode is a cautionary tale about the consequences of greed and vanity. The characters’ grotesque transformations and how their masks reflect their deepest imperfections and sins force us to consider our own flaws.
The Dummy (Season 3, Episode 33)
If you thought the dummies in Toy Story 4 were creepy enough (I did), perhaps you should avoid this one. Ventriloquist Jerry Etherson begins to believe that his dummy is alive and evil, too. As Jerry battles his sanity, the episode culminates with the inevitable and terrifying confrontation with his dummy.
Inanimation
Like the previously mentioned Living Doll episode, the horror comes from an inanimate object becoming alive and evil. What else might come alive and try to kill you? Your spoon? Your hairbrush? Your sofa?
Mirror Image (Season 1, Episode 22)
When Millicent Barnes spots and confronts her doppelganger at a bus station, she spirals into a world of uncertainty and paranoia. As she struggles with her sanity and the sinister forces at play, she starts questioning reality. This is an unsettling and eerie episode about identity, duality, and selfhood.
After Hours (Season 1, Episode 34)
Marsha White’s visit to a department store after hours takes a surreal turn as a series of strange things start happening to her. Marsha uncovers the truth about her existence and the nature of the world around her and must fight to break free from this strange, twisted reality. We can feel Marsha’s disorientation and claustrophobia, trapped in a surreal and seemingly infinite department store after hours.
The Eye of the Beholder (Season 2, Episode 6)
Janet Tyler undergoes a series of surgeries to conform to society’s standards of beauty, only to face rejection everywhere she turns. As Janet grapples with her identity, she is confronted by the true nature of beauty and ugliness and how oppressive it feels to conform.
Impossible
This episode reminds us of the dangers of conforming to the modern world’s impossible beauty standards. It asks what is beauty and what is normal and offers a chilling commentary on the arbitrary nature of societal norms.
Twenty Two (Season 2, Episode 17)
Liz Powell is in hospital suffering from exhaustion, where she has nightmares about being taken down to the morgue. Things take a terrifying turn when she discovers they might not be just dreams. The blurring of dreams and reality makes this episode uncomfortable to watch as Liz battles with the possibility that her nightmares may be a premonition of her death.
The Invaders (Season 2, Episode 15)
Agnes Grep’s isolated life is shattered when tiny alien creatures invade her home. The horror in this episode arises from the protagonist’s vulnerability and isolation as she faces off against an unknown and seemingly unstoppable threat. The aliens’ relentlessness and the revelation of their true nature give us a visceral, primal level of fear.
Midnight Sun (Season 3, Episode 10)
The world is approaching the sun, and people struggle to deal with the extreme heat. Two women, alone in their apartment block, struggle to survive as society collapses.
The Fear of the Possible
The terrifying aspect of this episode stems from the real-world possibility of catastrophic events. Although it was aired more than 60 years ago, the major threat of climate breakdown today resonates with contemporary audiences.
