Halloween is around the corner, which means it's time to get spooky. And there's nothing quite like a late-night binge of Are You Afraid of the Dark to get those delicious All Hallow's Eve shivers.
It's been 26 years since the Midnight Society first sat down to present us with the horrible tales we've grown to love. And let's face it, the Canadian classic can seem a little dated — if the '90s clothes don't tip you off, Ryan Gosling's hair sure will. But huddle up in bed with a bowl of popcorn, your comfiest pajamas, and enough candy to make your mom angry, because you'll find that the stories are just as scary as you remember them to be.
Ghosts, witches, jilted prom queens, abandoned apartments, the quest for eternal youth — this show's got it all.
Whether you're carving a pumpkin or getting ready for a costume party, these episodes are sure to get you in the Halloween mood.
"The Tale of Many Faces" (Season 7, Episode 12)
Emma is a struggling model whose big break comes when the head of the Madame Visage theater company offers her the lead in her new production. Sounds great, until she finds out that she'll literally have to surrender her face for fame.
Why it's scary: As women, we're often made to believe that our faces are our only asset. This just reinforces that trope.
Youtube."The Tale of The Lonely Ghost" (Season 1, Episode 3)
While they go on an archeological dig, Amanda Cameron's parents send her to stay with her aunt Dottie and cousin Beth. Being that mean cousin we all have, Beth tells Amanda that she'll only hang out with her if she spends a night in the haunted house next door. Things take a creepy turn when Beth gets stuck in a mirror (serves her right).
Why it's scary: Mean relatives are bad enough when they're not begging for your help to get out of home decor items.
Daily Motion."The Tale Of Laughing In The Dark" (Season 1, Episode 2)
The second episode in the show's long history is also one of its most terrifying. The story takes us back to the Great Depression, when Zeebo the Clown steals money from the carnival he works at. After running off, he hides in the funhouse, which he burns to the ground with cigar ash. (The dangers of smoking, kids!) Legend has it, he died in the fire. Except, of course, he didn't. Decades later, Josh visits the rebuilt carnival and defaces the memorial erected in Zeebo's memory. Bad idea, Josh.
Why it's scary: CLOWNS.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Secret Admirer" Part 1 (Season 6, Episode 12)
High school reject Meggie is thrilled when she gets a note from a secret admirer. She is less enthused when she realizes that he might have once dated her mother — and may be dead.
Why it's scary: Incest! Ghosts! Incesty ghosts!
Youtube."The Tale of The Secret Admirer" Part 2 (Season 6, Episode 12)
Everyone's worst relationship nightmare continues.
Youtube."The Tale of The Dead Man's Float" (Season 5, Episode 3)
When chemistry whiz Zeke befriends Clorice, she promises to teach him to swim in the school pool. Innocent fun, right? Wrong. Turns out, the pool was built on top of a cemetery and is haunted by a gross wet ghost.
Why it's scary: Come on, have you never looked down to see what's lurking at the bottom of the pool?
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Super Specs" (Season 1, Episode 6)
Never trust a boy who buys you crazy glasses for April Fool's. When Marybeth gets them as a gift from her boyfriend, Weeds, she gains the power to see people from another dimension. It's great — until she sees them everywhere.
Why it's scary: The boy is named Weeds and he loves April Fool's. That should have been the first warning.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Ghastly Grinner" (Season 4, Episode 9)
Failed comic book artist Ethan is desperate for a break. One day, he buys a copy of an exclusive comic, The Ghastly Grinner, about a clown who overpowers people by staring them in the eyes and turning them into total morons. Things get extra-weird when he mistakenly brings the character to life.
Why it's scary: What is it with this show and evil clowns?
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Doll Maker" (Season 3, Episode 5)
When Melissa goes to visit her aunt and uncle in the countryside, she's ecstatic at the thought of being reunited with her best friend. Turns out, she' s missing and the only sign that she ever existed is a dollhouse in the attic — could it hold the key to her disappearance?
Why it's scary: I am not one of those children who wanted to live in Barbie's dream house.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Midnight Madness" (Season 2, Episode 2)
A local movie theater that's about to close gets one last hurrah when Dr. Vink offers to have them screen his rare copy of Nosferatu, the iconic 1922 horror classic. There's only one catch: they must show his other films at least one night a week. When the manager refuses, well, bad things happen.
Why it's scary: Nosferatu may be almost 100 years old, but it's still TERRIFYING.
Daily Motion"The Tale Of The Watcher’s Woods" (Season 3, Episode 2)
When two campers get lost in Watcher's Woods, the camp legend about how the forest got its name suddenly seems a lot more real.
Why it's scary: Who hasn't had the feeling that the trees have eyes?
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Captured Souls" (Season 1, Episode 7)
Danny and her family rent a house owned by Peter, a quiet man who avoids mirrors and having his picture taken. Eventually, Danny learns why: Peter has been stealing all his guests' youth.
Why it's scary: All those Portrait of Dorian Gray vibes.
Youtube."The Tale of The Vacant Lot" (Season 5, Episode 10)
Catherine is in peak awkward teenager phase. She's no good at gymnastics, lacks confidence in her looks, and generally feels average. When she comes across a new store in an empty lot owned by the mysterious Marie, who offers her anything she wants, Catherine jumps at the chance to make all her dreams come true — until she learns that nothing in this life is free.
Why it's scary: Sometimes, a little real talk can be just as frightening as a ghost story.
"The Tale of The Crimson Clown" (Season 3, Episode 12)
Sam learns that stealing is bad when an evil clown comes to life and hounds him for taking the money his brother saved up for their mother's birthday.
Why it's scary: I can't with the clowns.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Frozen Ghost" (Season 2, Episode 4)
Hi there, Melissa Joan Hart! A spoiled child and his babysitter, Daphne, go to stay with his aunts, who reveal that they are haunted by the ghost of a little boy who died of exposure.
Why it's scary: "I'm cold."
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Mystical Mirror" (Season 5, Episode 4)
Cindy gets a job at a boutique where the employees keep disappearing. Eventually, she learns why: The owner, Ms. Valenti, has been using her recruits to keep herself young with the help of a magic mirror, Snow White style.
Why it's scary: It's really impressive how many ways this show manages to portray the quest for youth.
Daily Motion."The Tale of the Final Wish" (Season 2, Episode 1)
When 13-year-old Jill declares she would love to live in a princess fantasy world, she gets exactly what she wished for. Unfortunately for Jill, fairy tales aren't all they're cracked up to be.
Why it's scary: This is the ultimate "be careful what you wish for" cautionary tale.
Daily Motion."The Tale of Apartment 214" (Season 3, Episode 2)
Shortly after her parents' divorce, Stacy moves into a new apartment with her mother. Desperately in need of a friend, Stacy gets close to an older woman named Madeline who happens to live nearby. But when Stacy fails to visit Madeline one afternoon, she find out there's something sinister afoot.
Why it's scary: Is there anything more terrifying than clingy neighbors?
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Dream Girl" (Season 3, Episode 10)
Boy meets girl. Girl is dead. Boy fears girl and death. Boy finds out he's been dead the whole time.
Fun fact: M. Night Shyamalan has cited this episode as his inspiration for The Sixth Sense.
Why it's scary: Dating is hard enough without adding death to the equation.
Daily Motion."The Tale of Station 109.1" (Season 5, Episode 13)
Otherwise known as that time tweenage Ryan Gosling casually locked his brother in a hearse and turned up the radio full blast.
Why it's scary: TBH, Gosling's floppy hair is a little horrifying. But more seriously, being mistakenly sentenced to die is a hard one to get over.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Dangerous Soup" (Season 3, Episode 13)
The cameos never stop on this show. This episode features a fresh-faced Neve Campbell as a staff member at a restaurant called The Wild Boar. When employees start quitting, the reason soon becomes apparent. The restaurant's famous soup is made using a special ingredient: fear.
Why it's scary: No one wants to know what's in deli soup.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Night Shift" (Season 5, Episode 11)
When Amanda starts volunteering for the night shift at a hospital, she notices that something is off. Something has been feeding on the patients, turning them into something out of The Walking Dead.
Why it's scary: Creepy hospital monsters are the worst. Remember that episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Thirteenth Floor" (Season 2, Episode 5)
Billy and Karen like to sneak off to play on the empty 13th floor of their building. One day, they realize that they're not alone — the floor is being used by a company to make some extremely peculiar toys.
Why it's scary: Beware of abandoned floors, kids.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Prom Queen" (Season 1, Episode 12)
Two boys meet a young woman. She convinces them to help her investigate an urban legend about a teenage girl who died from a hit-and-run while waiting for her prom date. There's only one snag: she's not who she appears to be.
Why it's scary: Imagine being stuck in your prom dress for 60 years.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Photo Finish" (Season 7, Episode 9)
When two prep school students and best friends try to join a secret society, only one gets accepted. But when one of them gets caught in a spooky hazing ritual involving a camera-wielding ghost, the other must save him.
Why it's scary: I think this show should be renamed Are You Afraid of Photography? As of today, the answer is yes.
Daily Motion."The Tale Of The Whispering Walls" (Season 2, Episode 11)
Louise is bringing the two kids she regularly babysits home from a carnival when their car suddenly breaks down. Forced to stop at an abandoned Victorian house to phone for help, the children soon realized that they aren't alone.
Why it's scary: Old-timey ghosts are no joke.
Daily Motion."The Tale of The Closet Keepers" (Season 4, Episode 10)
After getting bullied by her basketball teammate, Billy, for being deaf, Stacey finds herself in a space-age cell. Her roommate? Billy, of course. The two find out that they have been kidnapped as part of an exhibit for a human zoo.
Why it's scary: We better hope that aliens treat their zoo creatures better than we do ours.
"The Tale of Bigfoot Ridge" (Season 6, Episode 13)
When Gina goes missing while skiing, her sister, Dani; and brother, Kirk, (played by a pre-brooding-Anakin Hayden Christensen) go looking for her — only to find out she's been kidnapped by a ghost who haunts those lost in the darkness.
Why it's scary: As anyone who has ever gone night skiing can tell you, dark woods are creepy AF.
"The Tale Of The Night Nurse" (Season 7, Episode 13)
Talk about a series finale. Nicki and AJ (most '90s names ever, by the way) are staying with their grandparents when they find pictures of Emily, a girl who was murdered by her live-in nurse. Because this is Are You Afraid of the Dark, Nicki somehow finds herself back in time, on the very day of the murder. And now, the nurse is after her.
Why it's scary: Evil nurses are the worst.
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