Netflix's Halloween collection has several gems to offer, but one among the priceless pieces of terror has Stephen King's blessing. As the series breathes softly through shadows, ghosts in its dialogue and nightmares in its bloodstream, the horror king himself stamped his approval on the French Netflix series, likening its skeleton to something he would have written himself. With its flawless Rotten Tomatoes score and with its remarkable capacity to disturb across cultures, this series feels tailor-made for Halloween time and beyond.

What makes it spooky is not just its plot but the atmospheric horror that creeps under the skin, through the TV screen.

Stephen King did not merely endorse Netflix's 2019 series, Marianne, in a casual aside but went on to declare it "pure nightmare fuel," perfect for the "sickos," on X. Describing it as having a creepy yet playful feel, a horror series with flashes of humor, and something akin to the Stranger Things feel, King added, "It also has (I say it with all due modesty) a Stephen King vibe." With its premise of a demon-possessed novelist that perhaps hit a metaphorical home for King, his recommendation stood as a double guarantee of fear and distorted familiarity. 

With a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the horror maestro's review of Marianne has further granted the show immediate cult acceptance among fans of the genre. As Halloween nears, Marianne transcends language barriers and becomes a ritual binge as its slow-burning supernatural horror, and its creeping sense of atmospheric terror and surrealism provide the chills that characterize the season of the witch. 

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Amid a streaming ocean of jump-scare fluff, Marianne is a quaint, ruthless haunt, making it perfect for a binge in the dark.

Directed by Samuel Bodin, Marianne is a French horror-drama that arrived on Netflix in September 2019. Comprising one season with eight episodes, it follows the life of Emma Larsimon, a writer who finds the malevolent spirit she used to write about in her books is not fictional anymore. The demon is now taking over her real life, and the consequences are dire. Marianne heavily relies on atmospheric terror with its moody landscapes, small-town fear, hidden histories, and a creepy setup that toys with the writer's guilt.

Replete with graphic scenes, terrifying eyes, and gradual fear combined with supernatural suspense, the production includes Victoire Du Bois as Emma Larsimon, along with Lucie Boujenah, Ralph Amoussou, and Tiphaine Daviot as part of the standout supporting cast. Though the plan of a second season has been shelved, its cliffhanger demonic pregnancy ending could have reached new heights of horror as Bodin's plans for a part 2 would have juggled psychological fear and queer romance. However, with just one season, Marianne unlocked enough unsettling elements that did not just frighten but even made horror's favorite writer anoint it as one of the dreadful greats. 

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Have you watched Marianne on Netflix? Comment your reviews below.