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American Horror Stories

American Horror Stories

Descend into disbelief.

2021–2024Ended3 seasons24 episodes~45 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

An anthology series of stand alone episodes delving into horror myths, legends and lore.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch American Horror Stories?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists American Horror Stories streaming on Hulu.

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Highlights

What stands out about American Horror Stories?

American Horror Stories earns 1 badge: Fell off.

Reception

Is American Horror Stories worth watching?

American Horror Stories' Midcredits score is the 33rd percentile of all shows, from 32K ratings across 2 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

33rd percentile

Better received than 33% of shows

27th percentile among Drama37th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)41st
Approval (how many liked it)26th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

69 /100

41st percentile of all shows

38th percentile among Drama45th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

56% liked it

26th percentile of all shows

19th percentile among Drama29th percentile among 2020s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

97th percentile

31K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • return to Murder House with fresh characters
  • self-contained short-story format allows tight, focused horror
  • fun, campy anthology that rewards AHS fans with Easter eggs

Detractors panned

  • teen/young-adult vibe with immature writing and acting
  • predictable plots, lazy writing, and lack of real scares
  • overuse of Murder House and celebrity nepotism casting

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive50

lacks the dread of original series, campy vibe

Pacing50

episodes feel rushed or dragged depending on story

ActingDivisive35

nepotism casting criticized; few veteran actors praised

CharactersDivisive35

unlikeable, one-dimensional, especially in Murder House episodes

Plot and story30

predictable, thin, recycled ideas

TensionDivisive30

no real scares or suspense

Dialogue30

awkward, cheesy, unnatural teen talk

Originality25

derivative of AHS and other horror franchises

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2023 · 9 episodes · 5.4 average across 9 rated episodes

  • S3E1

    Bestie

    Oct 26, 202353 minTMDB rating 7.5Season best
  • S3E2

    Daphne

    Oct 26, 202343 minTMDB rating 5.3
  • S3E3

    Tapeworm

    Oct 26, 202343 minTMDB rating 5.2
  • S3E4

    Organ

    Oct 26, 202339 minTMDB rating 4.6
  • S3E5

    Backrooms

    Oct 15, 202440 minTMDB rating 5.5
  • S3E6

    Clone

    Oct 15, 202447 minTMDB rating 4.9

Watch experience

What is American Horror Stories like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
DreadThrilling
Heaviest: middle
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Melodramatic · 9% of shows: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Anthology episodes · 6% of showsSingle-season story
ToneThe series presents its horror myths with a mostly straight face, though occasional campiness surfaces.
The rideEach episode builds tension and dread, with peaks of thriller-like excitement; the mood is consistently intense but with moderate swings between quiet horror and action.
StructureSeries consists of self-contained episodes, each with its own narrative structure; no overarching storytelling device.
Episode formatEach episode tells a completely self-contained horror story with a new setting, characters, and premise; no ongoing narrative beyond the anthology format.
Season formatThe series concluded after three seasons, and the plot synopsis indicates no overarching arc across seasons—each season is a collection of independent episodes.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
UnsettlingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe mixed quality of episodes leaves an overall sense of unease tempered by disappointment.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeAs an anthology series, each episode follows its own narrative shape; no single archetype dominates.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Survival

Survival · 12% of showsViolence · 2% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe anthology's core is characters confronting deadly threats—monsters, killers, or supernatural forces—where physical survival and managing fear are central.
StanceThe series observes characters struggling to survive without strongly judging them, focusing on their personal plights rather than broader societal commentary.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticHorror supernatural
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score
SettingModern American settings—suburban homes, creepy institutions, and nightmarish locales.

Content guide

Is American Horror Stories okay for kids?

TV-MA

American Horror Stories is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (85/100), sexual content at intense (60/100), language at intense (79/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (59/100) and frightening material at severe (80/100). Overall it is heavier than 82% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 16 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany18
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Austria16
  • Israel18+
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland18
  • Portugal18
  • PRTV-MA
  • RO18
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 91% of all showsHeavier than 82% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 79%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 64%
Profanity
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 72%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 60%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 81%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, language, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does American Horror Stories have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in American Horror Stories?

Cast

Sierra McCormick
as Scarlett Winslow
Paris Jackson
as Maya
Merrin Dungey
as Dr. Andi Grant
Selena Sloan
as Erin
Ashley Carter
as Rowena
Valerie Loo
as Nicole
Jessica Barden
as Bestie
Devyn LaBella
as Crawling Feral
Troy Castaneda
as Rubberman
Cody Fern
as Stan Vogel

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What are shows like American Horror Stories?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like American Horror Stories include Masters of Horror (2005), Fear Itself (2008) and The Hunger (1997).

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