17 Horror Movies & TV Shows Inspired By Twin Peaks

Summary

• Twin Peaks
  reshaped TV with its surreal horror and soap opera elements, influencing many shows like
  True Detective
  and
  Dark
  .
• Twin Peaks
  ‘ atmospheric menace in a small-town setting and the central question of who killed Laura Palmer are uniquely haunting.
• Led by Kyle MacLachlan,
  Twin Peaks
  spawned imitations and homages, making it an incredibly important cult classic.

It’s impossible to name every single horror movie or TV show inspired by Twin Peaks. Without a doubt, David Lynch and Mark Frost’s mystery drama reshaped television — and visual storytelling — when the series premiered in 1990. Packed with surreal, horror, and soap opera elements, Twin Peaks has an incredibly distinct feel. The atmospheric menace that permeates the show’s small-town setting is uniquely haunting, as is the cosmic nature of Twin Peaks‘ central question: Who killed Laura Palmer? Led by Kyle MacLachlan’s Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks is a singular series, but it also spawned many imitations and homages.

Despite being considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Twin Peaks ran for two seasons before it was revived for an 18-part limited series in 2017. It also spawned a psychological horror prequel film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Of course, Twin Peaks inspired more than just horror TV shows and movies. From dark teen dramas like The CW’s Riverdale to soapy shows like Desperate Housewives to series, like Atlanta, that rely on surreal set-pieces, Twin Peaks‘ influence reaches far and wide. Still, offshoot horror projects often resonate the most with Twin Peaks fans.

17 Wayward Pines

2 Seasons (2015–16)

A sci-fi mystery series, Wayward Pines is an M. Night Shyamalan-produced show based on the series of novels by Blake Crouch. In the first season, Agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) is tasked with investigating the disappearance of his fellow agents near the small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. As is the case with Twin Peaks‘ titular town, Wayward Pines hides dark secrets beneath its wholesome, Americana veneer. Although the two-season series jumps the shark pretty quickly, the initial mystery is compelling enough to make it worth watching.

16 The X-Files

11 Seasons (1993–2002; 2016–18)

Premiering on the heels of Twin Peaks, The X-Files seems to share a universe with Lynch and Frost’s show. However, instead of telling an overarching narrative, the series popularized the monster-of-the-week format, with Special Agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) investigating marginalized and unsolved cases that, allegedly, involve paranormal phenomena. Of course, Scully is the science-driven skeptic, while Mulder wants to believe in the strange and otherworldly. Although quite different from Dale Cooper, The X-Files‘ characters are more than able to fill the Special Agent void.

15 Gravity Falls

2 Seasons (2012–16)

Created by Alex Hirsch, the mystery-comedy has been fondly referred to as Twin Peaks for kids — and it’s hard to argue with that comparison. Unlike other Twin Peaks-inspired series, Gravity Falls embraces the offbeat humor aspect just as much as the horror, mystery, lore elements. The show centers on preteen twins Dipper and Mabel Pines, who are spending the summer with their great-uncle, Grunkle Stan, in Gravity Falls, Oregon — a small town that’s full of paranormal happenings. Plus, Gravity Falls features several Twin Peaks Easter eggs as well as a cameo by Kyle MacLachlan.

14 I Saw The TV Glow

Jane Schoenbrun (2024)

Filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow boasts many Twin Peaks Easter eggs, but it also echoes the show’s mystery narrative and surreal tone. Like Twin Peaks, the small town in I Saw the TV Glow holds dark secrets — ones that teenagers Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) navigate while growing up as queer outsiders who find refuge in a soon-to-be canceled cult classic TV show, The Pink Opaque. Between its meta-commentary on the dangers of nostalgia and the way The Pink Opaque‘s sudden cancelation mirrors Twin Peaks‘, A24’s horror is perfect for Twin Peaks fans.

13 True Detective

4 Seasons (2014–Present)

Like Twin Peaks, HBO’s anthology crime drama True Detective centers on some of the darkest, most disturbing elements of the human psyche. The hard-to-solve crimes that unfold certainly share some similarities, but it’s the way that True Detective‘s four seasons flirt with the surreal (or otherworldly) that makes it perfect for Twin Peaks fans. In the mundane, True Detective finds its chilling moments of horror. And, much like Lynch’s body of work, True Detective‘s seasons boast connections that have fans churning out incredible theories.

12 Carnivàle

2 Seasons (2003–05)

Created by Daniel Knauf, Carnivàle is an underrated HBO supernatural series that deserves more seasons. Much like the original Twin Peaks, Carnivàle lasted just two seasons before being unceremoniously canceled — a move that turned the show into a cult classic. Set during the Dust Bowl, Carnivàle centers on the various members of a traveling carnival, including their most recent addition, Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl), a man with healing powers. Elsewhere, Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown) amasses a much darker power. Between its bleak atmosphere, surreal moments, and depiction of cosmic good versus evil, Carnivàle has a lot in common with Twin Peaks.

11 The OA

2 Seasons (2016–19)

One of the Netflix cancelations that hurt most was the sudden axing of The OA, a sci-fi mystery series created and executive-produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij (A Murder at the End of the World). Marling stars as Prairie, a blind woman who goes missing for several years. Upon returning, she calls herself “The OA” and calls upon a disparate group of misfits in her hometown to help her open a portal to another dimension — supposedly. Full of twists and turns, The OA captures the same atmospheric menace as Twin Peaks and isn’t afraid to explore a truly bizarre plot point, image, or character.

10 From

3 Seasons (2022–Present)

A sci-fi horror series, From has a lot in common with Silent Hill — at least on paper. The series centers on a small town that traps all who enter, forcing its residents to scour the woods for a way out, all while terrifying evils stalk them. Although From is slow to reveal much about its mysteries, the show has remained pretty gripping, especially when it provides glimpses into the town’s lore. Plus, Harold Perrineau (Lost) stars as Boyd Stevens, the town’s self-appointed sheriff, and he gives quite a memorable performance.

9 Legion

3 Seasons (2017–19)

The forgotten X-Men show with the highest Rotten Tomatoes score ever is Legion, a psychological horror series that was made for FX by Noah Hawley (Fargo). Set in the same universe as Fox’s X-Men film series, Legion centers on David Haller/Legion (Dan Stevens), a mutant who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a kid. A truly unique take on the superhero genre, Legion is full of stylistic flourishes and surreal horror elements that put it in a similar camp to Twin Peaks.

8 Fringe

5 Seasons (2008–13)

Created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, Fringe might be more sci-fi than horror, but it certainly toes the line. The series centers on three members of the newly formed FBI Fringe Division — an offshoot of the bureau that focuses on unexplained occurrences that are related to a parallel universe. Starring Anna Torv, John Noble, and Joshua Jackson, Fringe shares a lot of DNA with The X-Files and The Twilight Zone, though its overarching mythology definitely recalls Twin Peaks.

7 American Gothic

1 Season (1995–96)

Arriving just a few years after Twin Peaks was canceled, American Gothic seems like it would have been the perfect follow-up to Lynch and Frost’s series. However, American Gothic lasted just one season before it was axed. Set in Trinity, South Carolina, the series revolves around orphan Caleb Temple (Lucas Black), who’s able to communicate with the ghost of his sister (Sarah Paulson), and the town’s corrupt sheriff, Lucas Buck (Gary Cole) — a seemingly charming person who actually commits heinous acts of violence.

6 Dark

3 Seasons (2017–20)

Before watching the German-language Netflix series, it’s best not to know anything about Dark. Co-created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, Dark is a sci-fi thriller series with horror elements that’s set in a small town. Although a missing child kicks off Dark‘s plot, things become much more complicated when it’s revealed that four estranged families are connected by a sinister time-travel conspiracy that spans several time periods. One of the greatest TV shows of the last decade, Dark is full of mind-bending twists.

5 Under The Skin

Jonathan Glazer (2013)

Before Jonathan Glazer won an Oscar for the harrowing Zone of Interest, the filmmaker directed and co-wrote the sci-fi thriller Under the Skin. In the film, Scarlett Johansson stars as an otherworldly woman who preys on men. Very pared back, Under the Skin relies on atmosphere more than special effects, and, aside from Johansson, many of the cast members are first-time actors, bringing a kind of haunting quality to the performances. Deeply unsettling and packed with unforgettable images, Under the Skin will keep viewers thinking long after the credits roll — not unlike Twin Peaks: The Return.

4 Skinamarink

Kyle Edward Ball (2022)

An experimental supernatural horror film, Skinamarink centers on a brother and sister who wake up in the middle of the night, searching for their father. Caught between dreaming and waking, the siblings realize that the objects, doors, and windows of their home are slowly disappearing. Skinamarink‘s deeply unnerving, psychological horror and ability to transform the most mundane items into elements of terror definitely make it feel akin to some of Twin Peaks‘ more horror-driven moments.

3 Beyond The Black Rainbow

Panos Cosmatos (2010)

A psychedelic science fiction horror film, Beyond the Black Rainbow is the debut feature film of director Panos Cosmatos, who went on to make the Nicolas Cage-starring Mandy. In the film’s opening scenes, a New Age spiritual leader, Mercurio Arboria (Scott Hylands), founds a research facility dedicated to reconciling science and spirituality. Not unlike some of the more surreal elements of Twin Peaks, the film suggests a connection between the world of reason and the world of faith and myth. With an aesthetic influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey and Suspira, Beyond the Black Rainbow​​​​​​​ is a hidden gem.

2 I Trapped The Devil

Josh Lobo (2019)

A supernatural horror film, I Trapped the Devil sees a couple, Matt and Karen, visiting a troubled family, Steve, during Christmas. When Matt and Karen arrive, they realize that Steve is holding someone hostage — someone Steve claims is the devil. In true Lynchian fashion, Steve believes that he sees messages in the TV static, and it’s hard to know whether to believe him or not. That kind of balancing act is hard to pull off, but I Trapped the Devil definitely manages it, all while providing some chilling scares.

1 Brand New Cherry Flavor

1 Season (2021)

Based on the novel of the same name by Todd Grimson, Brand New Cherry Flavor is a one-season horror drama that really leans into the charmingly surreal and the outright bizarre. Aspiring director Lisa N. Nova (Rosa Salazar) arrives in Los Angeles determined to make her first feature. However, that dream becomes a nightmare after she trusts the wrong person (Catherine Keener). Brand New Cherry Flavor might be a little more Mulholland Drive than Twin Peaks, but it proudly wears its David Lynch inspiration on its sleeve.

As of August 2024, Twin Peaks is streaming on Paramount+.