This week, Netflix’s global Top 10 TV shows has seen an unexpected resurgence: NOS4A2, the supernatural horror series based on Joe Hill’s novel, is climbing fast as viewers discover (or rediscover) its eerie mix of psychological tension, fantasy world-building and gothic menace. The renewed attention comes at a moment when genre titles are performing exceptionally well on the platform, especially those blending emotional storytelling with dark, imaginative horror. The series has found new life in the chart and is generating strong conversation among horror fans and Stephen King devotees, intrigued by the fact that Joe Hill is King’s son. With both seasons now streaming on Netflix in several regions, NOS4A2 is enjoying a second life beyond its original AMC run.
The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
NOS4A2 – All the key details
- Title: NOS4A2
- Original title: NOS4A2
- Format: TV series
- Runtime / Episodes: 2 seasons, 20 episodes (runtime varies by episode)
- Genre: Supernatural horror, fantasy drama
- Country of origin: United States
- Original language: English
- Director / Creator: Created for television by Jami O’Brien; based on the novel by Joe Hill
- Lead cast: Ashleigh Cummings, Zachary Quinto, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Jahkara J. Smith, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
- Release date: Season 1 premiered June 2, 2019; Season 2 premiered June 21, 2020
- Platform: Streaming on Netflix
- Top 10 position today: No. 8 in Netflix’s global TV Top 10 (December 11, 2025)
What NOS4A2 is about
At the heart of NOS4A2 is Victoria “Vic” McQueen, a young woman from a working-class background who discovers she has a supernatural gift: she can use a mysterious covered bridge to open portals and find lost things. This power is part of a broader hidden world of “inscapes” – personal, psychic landscapes that exist inside people’s minds and can be accessed by certain gifted individuals known as strong creatives.
As Vic delves deeper into this hidden universe, she realizes that not all inscape travelers use their abilities for good. Some are benevolent, others are corrupted by power or trauma, and the cost of entering these spaces is never straightforward. Her path ultimately brings her face to face with Charlie Manx, an immortal predator who stays young by feeding on the souls of children and ferrying them in his vintage Rolls-Royce Wraith to a twisted, frozen amusement park called Christmasland.
Vic’s discovery of her gift becomes a personal and moral battle. To stop Manx, she has to confront not only supernatural danger but also her own family history, doubts and self-destructive impulses. The series leans into a moody, slow-burn tension, making the stakes feel both cosmic and intimately human.
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NOS4A2 – Cast & main performances
Ashleigh Cummings leads the series as Vic McQueen, playing her as a complex mix of defiance, vulnerability and raw determination. Her performance grounds the more fantastical elements of the story, making Vic’s journey feel relatable even as the show veers into psychic bridges and nightmare theme parks. Zachary Quinto delivers a deeply unsettling turn as Charlie Manx, alternating between charm and monstrous menace. Layers of prosthetic makeup and careful physicality underline Manx’s decaying immortality, while Quinto’s performance gives the villain a disturbingly charismatic core.
Around them, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson appears as Bing Partridge, a troubled man whose devotion to Manx makes him one of the show’s most disturbing human figures. Jahkara J. Smith plays Maggie Leigh, a Scrabble-tile-reading medium whose own inscape gift adds another texture to the show’s mythology, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach portrays Vic’s father Chris McQueen, bringing a raw, damaged warmth to the series’ family drama.
Why NOS4A2 is trending today
The sudden climb of NOS4A2 in the Netflix Top 10 is driven by a combination of fresh availability and word of mouth. Both seasons landing on Netflix in multiple territories has exposed the show to a far wider audience than during its original cable run, and horror fans have been quick to share their reactions to its unsettling villain and richly imagined mythology. Seasonal timing also plays a role: even outside of Halloween, viewers are gravitating toward dark, atmospheric genre series that feel a little sharper and stranger than standard supernatural fare. Clips of Zachary Quinto’s vampiric Charlie Manx and the nightmarish realm of Christmasland circulate on social platforms, while comparisons to Stephen King–style storytelling help pull in curious viewers who are in the mood for something creepy but character-driven.
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NOS4A2 – Themes and style
NOS4A2 operates at the intersection of psychological horror and dark fantasy. Visually, it contrasts the worn, everyday realism of Vic’s New England surroundings with the heightened surrealism of inscapes: the rickety Shorter Way Bridge, the stylized menace of Christmasland and other imaginative spaces tied to different travelers. Thematically, the series explores trauma, generational pain, addiction and the cost of power. Vic’s ability is both a gift and a burden, and the show repeatedly returns to the question of what people are willing to sacrifice – and whom they are willing to sacrifice – to feel safe, powerful or eternal. The moody cinematography, wintry palettes and unsettling score reinforce a feeling of creeping dread, even in quieter scenes.
Why NOS4A2 is worth watching
If you enjoy supernatural series that emphasize character, atmosphere and mythology over cheap jump scares, NOS4A2 is an intriguing option now that it’s easily accessible on Netflix. The show offers a distinctive villain, an emotionally rich heroine and a carefully constructed fantasy-horror universe that rewards viewers who like their scary stories with a bit more narrative and thematic depth.
▶ WATCH ON NETFLIX
