Netflix has a reputation for producing great shows, only to cancel them before they reach their end. The cancellations have left fans and critics scratching their heads as the service has cut several series that have not only developed a cult following, but have also been praised by critics.
The streaming giant’s quest for horror has produced hits like Stranger things And The Ghost of Hill House, which has developed a devout community of viewers clamoring for more terrifying content. A handful of horror series like mind hunter And The Santa Clarita Diethave scored higher on Rotten Tomatoes than more established shows with audiences and critics alike, but succumbed to Netflix’s cancellation policy much to the anger of subscribers.
10 1899 (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
Bet 1899the series follows a group of immigrants traveling from the UK to New York aboard a steamship. As the show unravels the backstories of its passengers, it reveals a connection to a ship that went missing four months before its departure. Revealing more would be a disservice to viewers who want to experience the series for themselves.
Created by DarksJohnny Fries And Baran bo Odar, 1899 was praised for its stunning visuals and gripping performances. Netflix shut down the historical drama just two months after its premiere, prompting fans to start a petition on Change.org, but despite the impressive number of signatures, the creators have moved on to other projects.
9 The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018 – 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Based on the Archie comic book series of the same name, The chilling adventures of Sabrina with star Kiernan Shipka as the titular Sabrina Spellman, who leads a double life as half witch, half human. The dark coming-of-age series contains elements of horror and drama as Sabrina tries to protect her friends, family and the town of Greendale from the demonic forces of evil.
After two seasons, the series was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as safety precautions and frequent testing contributed to a more expensive production across the board. Shipka has appeared in the companion series River valley as her character, Sabrina, who wraps up some loose ends from her series and returns for a new story arc.
8 Archive 81 (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Based on the podcast of the same name, Archive 81 stars Mamoudou Athie hired as an archivist to restore a video dissertation by a grad student who disappeared in 1994. The further he progresses in his restoration, the more he becomes drawn into the mystery surrounding her disappearance and the involvement of his evasive employer.
Wasn’t alone Archive 81 canceled after one season, but it was dropped after peaking at number two on the Nielsen streaming rankings. Critics praised the show for its performances and its blend of horror and supernatural mystery, but it wasn’t enough to save the series from the chopping block.
7 Society (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Told like a Gen Z version of lord of the flies, The community follows a group of teenagers who have returned from a camping trip and discover that everyone in their town has disappeared. Cut off from the rest of the world, the teens must learn to fend for themselves and survive the power struggle within their ranks.
The series premiered to generally favorable reviews and was renewed for a second season in late 2019. However, like a handful of other series that met the same fate, The community was later canceled after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
6 The Midnight Club (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Loosely based on Christopher Pike’s book of the same name, The midnight club follows a group of teens in hospice care who secretly meet each night to swap ghost stories. But the old mansion they live in has its own secrets and the adults who are supposed to help them have nefarious motives.
The series, created by Mike Flanagan, was intended to have a multi-season arc, but was canceled after one season, in part due to Flanagan’s move to Amazon Prime for his latest series and because viewership did not hold. The pilot episode of the series holds the Guinness World Record for most jump scares (twenty-one total) in a single episode of television.
5 Santa Clarita Diet (2017 – 2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Santa Clarita Diet follows real estate power couple Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) as they navigate Sheila’s new taste for meat. The family tries to cover up the trail of the bodies left in her wake as she tries to find a cure for her undead state and presents a normal suburban family.
The cult zombie comedy was canceled after three seasons, despite being a hit with fans, fell victim to Netflix’s “cost plus” budget model. With each season getting more expensive to make, it’s getting harder for Netflix to pay back investors, and with stars like Olyphant and Barrymore, the series was too expensive to maintain.
4 Marianne (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
When a bestselling horror author, Emma (Victoire Du Bois) kills her main character with the intention of retiring, she is visited by a friend who insists that her mother believes she is a character from one of Emma’s novels. As she and her assistant investigate the allegation, more characters from her books emerge who pose a danger to her and her loved ones.
The Marianne was canceled after one season. The French horror series did very well with international audiences, but the completion rate in France did not perform well enough to warrant a second season.
3 Mindhunter (2017 – 2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
mind hunter begins in 1977 and follows two FBI agents in the Behavioral Science Unit. Together they interview imprisoned serial killers to understand patterns in their behavior and solve crimes.
The David Fincher-led series, loosely based on a true story, was a critical success. The show aired for two seasons and was primed for a third in development before Fincher revealed it would not be returning, citing the cost of the show as the reason for its cancellation.
2 The Order (2019 – 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
The order follows Jack Morton (Jack Manley), a college freshman who joins a secret society steeped in dark magic. As Jack advances in the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, he discovers an ancient battle between werewolves and the practitioners in the organization that delves into his own family’s dark past.
Another victim of COVID-19, The Order was canceled in late 2020 with concerns about higher production costs outweighed by the more focused audience the series attracted. The series was praised for its suspenseful, humorous writing style as well as the campiness of its plot.
1 Fool (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
The British series crazy stars Kara Theobold And Susan Wokoma as two friends, one who possesses the power to see demons and one who is an amateur demon hunter. Together they try to free their hometown from demons who have disguised themselves as humans and form a real bond in the process.
Despite international acclaim, Netflix canceled the series after just one season, leaving fans puzzled. crazy was praised for the captivating dynamic between stars Theobold and Wakoma and the perfect mix of horror and comedy.