Hi all!

Today I am ranking Ryan Murphy’s horror/thriller shows! I am a huge fan of this man and his works. As usual, I need to add some disclaimers: 1.) I am only going to discuss television programs that Ryan directed and created. Not movies. 2.) They must fall under the thriller/horror genre. Therefore, I won’t be listing Feud, Pose, The Politician, 9-1-1, The New Normal, Normal Heart, Glee, Nip/Tuck and Popular. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

1.) American Horror Story 

In first place, I have to put American Horror Story. Despite some seasons being better than others, it’s still the best thing (in my opinion) to come from Ryan Murphy. Check out my franchise ranking here. This anthology focuses on real-life events in American history, sometimes with a supernatural twist. Each season features a new tale, with the cast recycled into fresh roles. It’s also known for its horrific opening credits. Asylum will always be my number one! What’s yours?

2.) American Crime Story  

In second place, I am putting American Crime Story. Check out my franchise ranking here. This anthology/true-crime television series focuses on a different, high-profile case in American history. They are each presented as a mini-series, independent of one another. I’m a huge fan. Every instalment has excellent acting, a gripping storyline and expert filming. I have learned so much about these real-life events from the show. So far, they have covered the trial of O.J. Simpson, the assassination of Gianni Versace and the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton. There are plenty of thriller elements to each story. Check it out!

3.) The Watcher 

In third place, we have The Watcher. This is one of the best shows I binged in 2022. Based on a true story, the mini-series follows a family that move into a strange neighbourhood in New Jersey. Not long after, they begin receiving letters from a stalker, claiming to have a sinister interest in their house and children. I was hooked from start to finish. It was truly fascinating and gripping. There was something so chilling about the atmosphere. Bobby Cannavale stole the show as the male lead. Highly recommend!

4.) Hollywood 

In fourth place, we have mini-series: Hollywood. Whilst it isn’t technically a horror or thriller, it’s extremely dark in tone. Post-war Tinseltown is re-envisioned with an imaginative “what if?” approach. It tells a fictional narrative about a group of actors and filmmakers, trying to break into the industry following the end of World War II. I recommend watching it for Jim Parson’s acting alone. He’s horrible but so captivating on screen. I love the opening credits and costuming. Absolutely worth a binge!

Update: This is where I would rank Monster: The Ed Gein Story 

5.) Ratched 

In fifth place, we have Ratched. This suspenseful drama series tells the origin story of asylum nurse, Mildred Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). In 1947, Mildred arrives in Northern California to seek employment at a leading psychiatric hospital, where new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind. Sarah Paulson is my favourite female actress. I absolutely live for her. She nailed this role but sadly, I wanted more. The second half dipped and with such an open ending, I thought the show would’ve continued. Either way, it’s worth a watch for the visuals alone! The colours, costumes and atmosphere are everything!

6.) Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

In sixth place, we have Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. It’s really hard to rank something based on a tragic true story. Before it even aired, there was a lot of controversy surrounding it. Was it fair to the victims and their families to re-hash such a horrific time in their lives? No. Do I believe it was done well? Yes. I don’t think anybody can deny Evan Peters phenomenal acting as Jeffrey Dahmer. We learn about how he was captured, brought to trial and his death. It’s hard to stomach at times and very confronting but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t captivating. Proceed with caution.

7.) American Horror Stories

In second last place, we have American Horror Stories. Just to be clear, AHS and American Horror Stories are not the same thing. They are set in the same universe but stand on their own as separate television shows. One is a continuing story, the other is made up of individual stories. The reason it’s lower on my list is because the episodes are very hit and miss. As a whole, they are more bad than good, which is a shame. American Horror Story is far better.

– Check out my episode ranking for Season 1 here. 

– Check out my episode ranking for Season 2 here. 

– Check out my episode ranking for Season 3 (Part 1) here. 

– Check out my episode ranking for Season 3 (Part 2) here. 

8.) Scream Queens 

In last place, we have Scream Queens. To be honest, I watched the entire first season – not the second. I just didn’t love it enough to continue. This semi-anthology series centres on characters terrorised by various serial killers in different locations. Season 1 was set at a mysterious sorority house, where a sister died under questionable circumstances after giving birth to a baby, she didn’t know she was carrying. It is a dark comedy slasher. Definitely not for me.

 Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank Ryan’s television shows? 

Peace & Love xoxo