This article contains mentions of violence, sexual abuse and homophobia.
The eleventh season of the horror anthology series American Horror Story delves into the terrors hiding within the titular city. Now, New York has already witnessed numerous iconic horror stories, ranging from the light-hearted Ghostbusters to the hyperviolent Spawn animated series.
With AHS: NYC starting out with a string of mysterious deaths and disappearances and a serial killer on the loose, there is a lot to unpack. The variety of horrors offered would also lead viewers to several other shows and movies that take place in the Big Apple.
The Addiction (1995)
Stream On AMC+ Amazon Channel
An allegory on addiction and the morality of sin, The Addiction is a stylish '90s horror that starts off with a New York University grad student getting bit by a vampire. As she herself turns into a bloodsucker, she naturally grows a fondness for human blood, with her hunger reaching self-destructive levels.
Not only is the protagonist of The Addiction an NYU grad student but the fact that she encounters a vampire so randomly adds to the unpredictability of the city. Just like AHS: NYC, the victims of vampirism in the movie find themselves being attacked in the most unexpected of situations. It further points to the dark truth that the bigger a city, the higher its crime rate (including even supernatural crimes, at times).
Gargoyles (1994 - 1997)
Stream On Disney+
A pretty edgy option for the Disney Channel's animated shows, Gargoyles revolves around the mythical flying creatures who might appear beastly on the surface, but are the nocturnal protectors of New York.
A thousand years ago, they had a similar role in Scotland following which they were in an eternal state of petrification. But now, they are back to deal with the modern world and its crimes. While AHS: NYC focuses more on the real world instead of such supernatural themes, Gargoyles would make for an interesting New York-centric segue. Even though a dedicated police officer often helps the Gargoyles, the animated series also delves into the issues within the NYPD. This also becomes a significant theme in the coming episodes of AHS: NYC, with the police unable to help characters like Gino who must set out on their own to find the truth.
The Purge (2013)
Stream On HBO Max
Even though its numerous sequels and the TV series spread across all of America, the first Purge kicked off in the New York City borough of Staten Island. The core concept of the movie is that in a dystopian future, the government has announced the annual tradition of The Purge, a day when everyone will be allowed to engage in any form of violence or anarchy they like.
Mass murders, looting, and home invasions follow, with New Yorkers going for each other's throats. Even though The Purge might fall under dystopian fiction, its nature and consequences seem eerily comparable to actual rioting, and its realism is what makes the movie all the more terrifying. Set in the 1980s when serial killings were occuring in New York, AHS: NYC similarly explores a state of lawlessness and sheer chaos with a particular demographic living in fear.
American Psycho (2000)
Stream On HBO Max
Patrick Bateman, one of Christian Bale's most iconic characters, is the titular lead in American Psycho. Doubling as a satire on the New York elite class (Bateman is a top banker) and the serial killer genre, American Psycho is expectedly violent, darkly funny, and ultimately unpredictable.
While the primary killer in AHS: NYC has a habit of targeting only gay men, in particular, the recklessly sadistic Bateman is more open to killing anyone who makes him feel inadequate and insecure. Regardless of their motives, both follow a certain modus operandi, just like all serial killers do. Apart from all the bizarre memes that the movies have generated now, American Psycho still stays relevant for its dark exploration of the New York high life and how the city serves as a hunting ground for the most notorious of criminals.
Get Out (2017)
Stream On AMC On Demand
A Black photographer from Brooklyn pays a visit to his girlfriend's white parents in Upstate New York, encountering all sorts of strange phenomena. The movie's socio-politics comes out with satirical and shockingly original plot twists, cementing debutant writer-director Jordan Peele's status as a bigwig in modern horror.
With the movie starting off with the abduction of a Black man in Brooklyn, it is clear that the central conspiracy in Get Out targets a particular racial demographic. With AHS: NYC's crimes being targeted towards gay men, both New York-based narratives show how hate-mongering politics targeting minorities can even seep into seemingly progressive cities.
Spawn (1997 - 1999)
Stream On HBO Max
Based on Todd McFarlane's Spawn comics, this adult animated series is set in a disorganized New York where gang-affiliated crime is at an all-time high and the cops are as corrupt as ever. After a slain hitman gets reincarnated as a "Hellspawn'' to get more souls for the Devil, he becomes the city's unlikely savior.
Unlike conventional superheroes, Spawn doesn't have much of a moral code, allowing him to punish criminals in the most violent ways possible. It can be said that he becomes the antithesis of a serial killer. While the killers in AHS: NYC target innocents, Spawn uses the dark corners of the city to track down mobsters, hoodlums, and other law-offenders.
C.H.U.D. (1984)
Stream On Prime Video
The '80s monster classic, C.H.U.D stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers aka monsters who live under the sewers and attack unsuspecting New Yorkers who walk over its manholes.
As a homeless shelter manager and a police officer team up to find and kill the humanoid monsters, the movie also follows the trajectory of a procedural thriller (most of which deals with cops versus serial killers). In a vast and expansive area like New York, C.H.U.D proves that the threats can go beyond just the usual ones in the streets. Even the sewers can have their fair share of criminal elements.
Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Stream On AMC+ Amazon Channel
The eighth installment of the Friday The 13th franchise is no cinematic masterpiece, but it still makes for a fun-filled watch as the notorious masked murderer Jason Voorhees migrates from Camp Crystal to the Big Apple (well, almost, as he is mostly on a boat en route to the city).
While serial killer stories in New York (much like AHS: NYC itself) can be quite disturbing and graphic, Jason Takes Manhattan's almost-cartoonish violence offers a light break to viewers. As Jason hunts down youngsters on the boat, each particular kill comes with its own share of hilarious reactions from the victims. Viewers were infuriated with the false marketing of the title, but the movie still has its fair share of cult followers.
Cloverfield (2008)
Stream On FuboTV
A pretty memorable pick among the innumerable found-footage movies of the 2000s, Cloverfield starts off with a party in Manhattan which soon turns into a night of survival as colossal aliens attack Earth.
Unlike other clichéd depictions of alien invasions, Cloverfield doesn't even focus on the aliens but rather emphasizes the human trauma and chaos that ensues. It's a bit of a stretch, but still, this approach to a human-driven story is comparable to the crimes depicted in the latest American Horror Story season. While there is enough bloodshed strewn across the episodes, some gorier crimes are depicted with off-screen violence, emphasizing tasteful execution than mere shock value.
Cruising (1980)
Stream On Cinemax Amazon Channel
When it comes to its storyline, Cruising is quite similar to American Horror Story: New York City. Both are set in 1980s-era New York with a focus on fetish subculture and a serial killer targeting gay men.
In fact, there are some direct references to the Al Pacino-starring movie in the second episode, especially in regard to an unexpected slap in the interrogation scene. In Cruising, Pacino's undercover detective gets so engrossed in NYC's leather culture that he begins to identify with it. This adds further to the psychological elements of the thriller, but Cruising should still be watched by viewers with caution, given how some of its elements are dated by today's standards.