In case you have solely passing familiarity with The Twilight Zone — possibly solely actually understanding its iconic opening sequence — you could be forgiven for considering that the traditional tv present centered on scary themes. In actuality, nevertheless, whereas the present definitely had a darkish ambiance and included loads of suspense, creepiness, and dread, it fell extra into the genres of science fiction and fantasy than horror. It was layered extra with incisive insights into the dynamics of the person thoughts and the group collective than outright frights. The monsters of the present lived in individuals’s heads; its chills have been of the existential selection.
However, there are some episodes of The Twilight Zone that land on the extra historically scary aspect of issues. Not on the extent of contemporary horror flicks, thoughts you, however as in comparison with the remainder of the collection. Of those episodes, listed below are the 5 scariest:
“Residing Doll”
What’s it that’s so dang creepy about dolls? It’s not simply the clearly malevolent-looking selection, à la Chucky. Our children are terrified by an American Woman doll — an American Woman doll! — that was handed down from an aunt, satisfied that it’s cursed.
However Kirsten has nothing on Talky Tina on this episode of The Twilight Zone. Talky Tina is given to younger Christie by her mom, and Christie’s stepfather Erich, who’s already antagonistic to the woman as a result of he can’t have kids of his personal, takes a direct dislike to the doll. And why wouldn’t he? When wound, the doll often says, “My identify is Talky Tina, and I like you very a lot.” However to Erich, she says issues like, “My identify is Talky Tina, and I’m starting to hate you.” As Erich tries to eliminate the doll, her rhetoric, and intent, flip more and more menacing; you’ll be without end haunted by her voice intoning, “My identify is Talky Tina, and I’m going to kill you.”
“Twenty Two”
Hit with a case of nervous fatigue, high-strung skilled dancer Liz Powell has landed herself within the hospital. However a recurring nightmare is hindering her recuperation; every evening in a dream, Liz follows a nurse right down to the hospital’s morgue — room 22 — and the nurse eerily says, “Room for another, honey.” Liz is satisfied the dream is actual, however nobody believes her. The true which means of the dream is revealed on the finish, in one of many present’s greatest twists.
“The Dummy”
One other doll episode, this time that includes that King of Creepiness: a ventriloquist dummy. Ventriloquist Jerry Etherson makes use of Willy the dummy in his present, and swears that Willy is alive, to not point out a complete jerk. However has the dummy actually come to life, or are Jerry’s convictions simply delusions born from his heavy consuming or what docs have identified as schizophrenia? The dummy’s maniacal laughter is difficult to take, however await the splendidly disturbing twist on the episode’s finish.
“The Shelter”
Whereas serving in WWII, The Twilight Zone’s creator, Rod Serling, noticed firsthand the animal barbarity that lurks simply beneath the veneer of civilization. He recurrently returned to this theme within the present, most memorably in “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Road.” “The Shelter” shares some similarities with that episode, however maybe as a result of it’s one of many few episodes that doesn’t embrace any supernatural or sci-fi components, and as a substitute explores an all-too-real state of affairs, it’s a bit scarier.
A bunch of neighbors and associates have gathered to rejoice the birthday of Invoice Stockton. They’re the face of congeniality and good-naturedly rib Invoice about constructing a bomb shelter. However when the Civil Protection points a warning {that a} nuclear assault could also be imminent, they all of a sudden all need in, although the shelter and its provides are solely designed for the three individuals in Invoice’s household. The psychologically tense episode explores a fraught however usually ignored hypothetical: what do you do should you’re ready for a catastrophe, however your family members should not? For the parents within the Twilight Zone, it seems they’re not solely ill-prepared for a disaster, however for its surprising fallout.
“It’s a Good Life”
Born with godlike powers, together with the power to learn minds and homicide dwelling issues just by wishing it so, six-year-old Anthony Fremont has remoted his hometown from the surface world and retains its inhabitants underneath his strict management. Anthony requires these round him to solely suppose and say glad issues; anybody who runs afoul of his dictates and mood is killed and “despatched into the cornfield.” The townspeople and his personal dad and mom undergo Anthony’s reign of terror, strolling on eggshells, doing no matter they need to to appease him, and always affirming that no matter he does is sweet, “actual good.” The viewer can’t assist however really feel pissed off that it appears nobody ever disciplined Anthony when he was youthful, and nobody now has the braveness to finish his malicious rule. “It’s a Good Life” is tense, unsettling, and arms down the scariest episode of The Twilight Zone.
To study what made The Twilight Zone such a terrific present and why it nonetheless holds up right this moment, greater than sixty years after it premiered, make sure you hearken to this episode of the podcast:
