10 Great Horror Anthologies You Need To Watch

Based on the '50s comic book of the same name, each episode of Tales from the Crypt opens with a ghoul called The Crypt Keeper speaking directly to the audience, displaying his passion for macabre puns. Though the show could function without this bit, the gallows humour sets the tone and builds anticipation for the upcoming story.

Although each episode is suitably petrifying or gross, they're also deeply satisfying. Most of the stories are rooted in poetic justice, with wrongdoers meeting their comeuppance in ironic ways, leaving viewers content by the time the credits roll.

Another reason why Tales from the Crypt stood out is its ability to mesh laughs with scares. The horror-comedy finds the perfect balance between the two, often having a light-hearted moment followed with an unsettling visual, catching viewers off-guard.

The series also boasts an incredible ensemble of guest-stars, including Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Tom Hanks, John Lithgow, Whoopi Goldberg, Joe Pesci, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (who directed the episode, The Switch).

The quality dwindled in its final years, but the first few seasons have some of the funniest, creepiest, and most imaginative stories the genre has to offer.