While horror fans have had some slim TV pickings the past few months — especially since The Last of Us was the last tried-and-true horror show that truly turned people’s heads — one of the most compelling genre series in recent years has been quietly creeping into audiences’ living rooms after premiering on Epix (now known as MGM+) in 2022. The show is called From, a nightmarish vision of a strange, remote town whose unwilling occupants are besieged by unstoppable terror.
With the second season finale coming to a close on Sunday, the 25, I’ve decided to drum up 18 reasons why you should watch the best horror TV show you haven’t seen (yet).
1.
First, the show has a petrifying premise. Immersing the audience in an atmosphere of unease, From follows numerous, unrelated strangers who all encounter a tree on the road, but their ride back takes them to a seemingly abandoned town with rattled citizens who are preparing for something hastily. Little do they know, though, the town is invaded on a nightly basis by violent human-like monsters that hope to manipulate and psychologically torture the townsfolk into opening their doors.
2.
Aside from the premise, the horror of From jumps between disturbing, suspenseful, and creepy with the greatest of ease. Between scenes of their “nightly visitors” taking on their “true” form; their smiling, vacant dispositions; and freaky hallucination sequences, there are plenty of scenes in From that will be certainly hard to shake, even for the most ardent horror fan (who may find this brand of fright to be refreshingly unique).
3.
Outside of the monstrous chills and thrills of the series, From does a magnificent job of spinning a web of mystery that captures the characters and viewers alike. In addition to an immersive production design that you’ll examine thoroughly, the show’s puzzle box-esque story is so satisfying to try to unravel — which makes the big reveals and even weirder developments all the more surprising.
4.
One of From‘s most welcomed elements is the show’s various twists and turns, which have only become more intense and dramatically rich in the second season. From Season 1’s stage-setting cliffhanger in the finale to bringing in characters with complicated connections to the people and town itself in Season 2, From sets a wild tone for the audience to never get too comfortable as they always got something sordid up their sleeve.
5.
Lost and Oz actor, Harold Perrineau, has been a small-screen stalwart performer for decades now, and his stellar performance extends to his new show From as well. Playing the town’s de facto sheriff and leader, Boyd Stevens, Perrineau sets the bar for the show with his committed and emotionally heavy performance as a grief-ridden man who knows he can’t save everyone in an increasingly dangerous situation.
6.
From prides itself on its shock factor. From grisly reveals to shocking bursts of violence to deaths you won’t see coming and story developments that are far beyond anything you could have imagined. The shock factor has been upped exponentially in Season 2, especially when characters are stumbling through strange dungeons or searching for answers during make-shift autopsies.
7.
Academy Award-nominated performer Catalina Sandino Moreno has elevated multiple television properties over the years, including The Bridge and The Affair. Cast as a distraught mother who must protect her family while dealing with unnerving waking nightmares, Sandino Moreno delivers a powerful role that grounds the interpersonal drama of From while moving the story deeper into darkness.
8.
In my opinion, Eion Bailey has always been one of the most underrated actors working today. However, his outstanding talent is worth its weight in gold, and he brings all of it to his relatable role as a devoted father who is dead set on finding a way out of the town after arriving in the enigmatic hellscape.
9.
If there’s any performance from the show From that has the possibility of launching a potential star, one doesn’t need to look further than Ricky He, who plays Perrineau’s perpetually unlucky deputy whose emotional evolution becomes one of the most must-watch elements of the entire show. While Perrineau anchors the show, His character is given the meatier and more compelling storylines, from his heartbreaking family dynamic in Season 1 to a gut-punching love triangle that develops curiously throughout Season 2.
10.
Elizabeth Saunders has been a dependable character actor for more than 35 years, but despite her diverse and media-spanning credits, there’s a good chance her legacy might be cemented with this fan-favorite character, Donna. Playing the badass, no-B.S. matriarch of the town who has no problem doing whatever it takes to keep her community in line, Saunders is consistently the highlight of the series and provides a ton of entertainment (and empathy) with her all-too-human performance.
11.
From‘s ensembled cast does a great job at not only rising to the material and the acting of the core leads but also showcasing the strengths of the up-and-coming performers and underrated supporting actors. David Alpay, Shaun Majumder, Corteon Moore, Hannah Cheramy and Pegah Ghafoori all stand out in their episodes, and even recurring performers in smaller roles go above and beyond to prove they all have so much to offer within this show (as well as potential future projects).
12.
I’m a sucker for a show with excellent mythology and a sense of the world, whether it be Penny Dreadful, Lost, Game of Thrones, or Twin Peaks. From is no different — and the way the mythology of the show continues to build in Season 2 makes it all the more possible for the series to become your next obsession. Fingers crossed the series is renewed for Season 3 so fans can get more answers about the weird and wicked world of From.
13.
From has a metric ton of talent in front of the camera, but the series also has terrific talent behind the camera as well. Produced under Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO production banner, the creatives behind the show include writers who wrote for Alias and Fringe. Plus, the show’s primary director, Jack Bender is a television directing legend with credits on The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, and Lost.
14.
For many people, the opening credits of a series is one of the most skippable elements of a program, especially during an all-day watch. This, however, is not the case for From, as the show ushers in each episode with the Pixies’ haunting cover of “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be),” which is set to a ghoulish gallery of images that will keep you glued to the screen.
15.
One might assume that From likely doesn’t have a comparable budget to the likes of horror series such as The Walking Dead or The Last of Us, but this scary show still manages to impress with its visceral visual effects, from jaw-dropping digitally aided transformations to impressive make-up prosthetic effects. There are plenty of memorable special effects-driven moments that will drive home the show’s most spine-tingling scenes.
16.
From could have absolutely been a middle-of-the-road horror show if it followed a more generic narrative path, but the writers create multiple ways to throw a wrench in an already scary dynamic, which makes for a more valuable viewing experience. One doesn’t need to look further than the first few episodes of Season 2, which includes strange portals, an ancient chamber, and a collapsed house where injured survivors are trying to get away from blood-thirsty monsters outside the wreckage.
17.
From benefits from the lack of content restriction that would normally limit the story had it been featured on broadcast television. From brutal injuries that certainly wouldn’t fly on regular television to expletive language that helps the more emotional moments play as realistically as possible, From refuses to pull its punches thanks to the freedom afforded to it on MGM+.
18.
Let’s face it: sometimes, the best shows on television greatly benefit from the fact that they are different than anything else on the air. I certainly appreciate any show that’s willing to take a big swing, as it’s far more spellbinding than the myriad cookie-cutter shows that are flooding the streaming and television landscape in recent years. From‘s dedication to doing something drastically different and distressing within the horror genre makes it an absolute recommendation to anyone looking for their next watch.
From is currently streaming on MGM+.
