Shows like The Strain
15 picks with a similar feel
What defines The Strain, going by its Boxlist taste profile: An otherworldly, dark fantasy series: serious and original. Best if you like the extraordinary over the everyday. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of social commentary, underdogs and mysteries that are not what they seem, plus tags such as outbreak, disease and virus.
Here are 15 shows with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.
Based on The Strain (2014).
- 1
Marianne (2019)
TV7.7
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 2
Chapelwaite (2021)
TV7.5
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: vampire, horror.
- 3
TV7.6
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of underdogs and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: horror, survival.
- 4
V Wars (2019)
TV7.9Slower burn
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: vampire.
- 5
From (2022)
TV8.3
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of underdogs and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: horror.
- 6
Supernatural (2005)
TV8.2
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 7
American Horror Story (2011)
TV8.1
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 8
TV7.6
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 9
American Horror Stories (2021)
TV7.9More intricate
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and weighty, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 10
The Originals (2013)
TV8.6
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: vampire.
- 11
War of the Worlds (2019)
TV7.4
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of underdogs and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: survival.
- 12
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
TV8.1
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 13
30 Coins (2020)
TV7.2
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 14
Them (2021)
TV7.6
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: horror.
- 15
Midnight Mass (2021)
TV7.6
Why it's like The Strain: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: vampire, horror.
Boxlist compares The Strain with every show in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 7.2 or more from at least 150 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.
Which of these suit you?
Take the taste test and every pick shows how well it matches you.
Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like The Strain?
- Picks with a similar feel include Marianne, Chapelwaite, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and V Wars. Each shares part of The Strain's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 shows.
- How are these shows like The Strain chosen?
- Boxlist compares The Strain with every show in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 7.2 or more from at least 150 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.