11 Shows Like ‘Bates Motel,’ Ranked by IMDb Score
When it comes to horror classics, you can’t really find a more notable movie than Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. It stemmed from numerous sequels and spinoffs, but I don’t think any garnered such awesome reviews as the contemporary prequel show Bates Motel. It follows a younger Norman Bates and his mother, who run the infamous Bates Motel.
The show was captivating and really did justice to the original, but with a unique modern twist that worked perfectly. If you’ve seen Bates Motel and want something similar to binge next – we got you more than covered. Here are the 11 best shows like Bates Motel, ranked solely on their IMDb scores. Enjoy!
11. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020)
IMDb score: 7.4/10
What it’s about: It follows the life of Sabrina Spellman, a teenage witch that just celebrated her 16th birthday and now must choose between the human world of her friends and high school peers or the witching world of her family. Sabrina tries to juggle between both, but it is a deadly game that’ll lead her to the bowels of Hell.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: Like Bates Motel, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina pays homage to an old classic. Sabrina the Teenage Witch, however, was a comedy show, although it featured most of the same characters. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is much more horror-ish, and the story progresses in a much darker manner.
It’s one of my favorite Netflix original horror shows, but not the favorite…
10. Castle Rock (2018-2019)
IMDb score: 7.5/10
What it’s about: Castle Rock is a fictional town from the stories of Stephen King. This two-season series intertwines two separate stories and characters from the said town and even includes the likes of Annie Wilkes, the main antagonist of King’s classic, Misery.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: Bates Motel plays into the narrative of a classic horror movie but gives it a contemporary twist. Well, Castle Rock does the same thing, but for Stephen King’s literary work.
The show is quite captivating, and I genuinely enjoyed some changes they made to some of King’s most famous characters. I urge you to give the show a shot, as the stories are absolutely awesome, and the cast is amazing (including Bill Skarsgard, Lizzy Caplan, Paul Sparks, Sissy Spacek, Andre Holland, Melanie Lynskey, etc.).
9. You (2018-2024)
IMDb score: 7.7/10
What it’s about: You is a riveting story based on a series of books revolving around Joe Goldberg, an obsessive book clerk who stops at nothing to get the girl she wants – even if it includes kidnapping, stalking, murdering, and everything in between. The show has taken us across several continents, and numerous victims, but one thing remains the same – Joe Goldberg never changes.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: You is still an ongoing Netflix original series, with the final fifth season set for release in 2024. And, just like in Bates Motel, an obsessive, dissociative psychopath is our lead. Both main characters seem kind and sweet – until we see their true face.
It’s funny, though, because no matter how much harm they cause, you can’t help but feel at least a tiny bit sorry for Norman and Joe. At one point, you want them to be caught and stopped, and then at the next, you want them to escape. It’s a real rollercoaster of a ride – especially You – and I can’t wait for Season 5 to come. I bet it’ll be absolutely unhinged.
8. The Sinner (2017-2021)
IMDb score: 7.9/10
What it’s about: The Sinner is an anthology series consisting of four seasons, following four separate cases of seemingly ordinary people committing inexplicable crimes, or suicides, out of the blue. The only connection between the four cases is Harry Ambrose, a detective working on all four cases.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: While the plot and setting might not be similar to Bates Motel, it offers us an insight into a damaged mind, not just from the perpetrator but the investigator. Also, the people committing these crimes all look so normal, but just like in Bates Motel – you never know what they went through behind closed doors.
The Sinner is really an epic show. Although Season 1 is my favorite by far, you won’t be disappointed with the remaining three seasons as well, as they explore completely different crimes and situations.
7. American Horror Story (2011-)
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
What it’s about: American Horror Story is an anthology series where each season revolves around different characters, settings, and horror-ish cases, including an asylum, a haunted house, a witch coven, a circus, an infamous haunted hotel, a cult, a 1980s-style slasher summer camp, and much more.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: I’d have to say that American Horror Story is much more hardcore horror than Bates Motel, but if you want something that’ll shake and frighten you like Bates Motel – this is the way to go.
The actors from each season also tend to appear in the following seasons, but portray completely different characters. AHS is a unique viewer experience, and each season delivers a piece of the horror genre suitable for every fan – so you’ll definitely find something you’ll absolutely love.
6. Sharp Objects (2018)
IMDb score: 8.1/10
What it’s about: Two brutal murders happen in a small town – the hometown of a reporter named Camille Preaker. She just got out of a brief stay at a psychiatric hospital but is now forced to return home to help cover up the murders – and to face the psychological trauma of her past caused mainly by her neurotic mother.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: Before I say anything, I want to highlight that Sharp Objects is one of the best-limited series I’ve ever watched, and I believe Amy Adams deserved the Emmy she was nominated for.
Now, it’s nothing like Bates Motel in terms of the plot and genre, per se, but it does depict a complicated, twisted relationship between a mother and a child. Just like in Bates Motel, we get to see how a traumatic past can lead to unstable adulthood – something we witness in both Norman and Camille.
5. Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
IMDb score: 8.2/10
What it’s about: Set in Victorian London, Penny Dreadful sees a misfit group of an explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, a medium, Vanessa Ives, a scientist Victor Frankenstein, and a gunslinger Ethan Chandler, join forces to battle supernatural threats such as vampires, demons, witches – and so much more.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: The vibe of Penny Dreadful is so vintage, just like Bates Motel. Although Bates Motel doesn’t actually include anything supernatural – other than Norman’s hallucinations, if you want to call it ’supernatural’ – both shows are riveting, unsettling, and jam-packed with phenomenal performances.
Also, Penny Dreadfuls were a publication of 19th-century cheap literature for mass audiences that included stories like Dracula, Frankenstein, Sweeney Todd, etc. – all of which this show harnessed inspiration from. It gives Victorian Gothic horror a beautiful homage, and I genuinely believe this show is severely underrated.
4. Hannibal (2013-2015)
IMDb score: 8.5/10
What it’s about: Hannibal Lecter is a renowned psychiatrist who forms a bond with an FBI agent – or profiler, to be more specific – who is haunted by the fact that he can empathize with even the most notorious serial killers and criminals. Perhaps Lecter can help him… because the subject matter hits far too close to home…
Why it’s like Bates Motel: Both shows sought inspiration from classic horror flicks, and they switched up the narrative to fit their unique storylines. Hannibal is riveting, dark, and full of surprises – and Mads Mikkelsen really did the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter justice.
3. Mindhunter (2017-2019)
IMDb score: 8.6/10
What it’s about: The show follows two FBI agents who pioneered criminal profiling in the late 1970s. They were tasked to interview serial killers to resolve open cases. As they did, they started creating profiles to help determine triggers, warning signs, and behavior patterns in potential serial killers before they ever escalate and actually commit crimes.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: The entire Mindhunter show focuses on exploring the broken mind – finding ways to recognize it before it happens. You can’t help but wonder if their expertise could help Norman before he fell off the deep end… In any case, Mindhunter will intrigue, shock, and terrify you, all at the same time.
2. The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
IMDb score: 8.6/10
What it’s about: A fractured family of five children is broken to pieces when one of them, Nell, hangs herself, and they reunite for her funeral in their old home – the Hill House. Flashing between past and present, we get to witness how the children grew up in a haunted house and how it broke every one of them in their own way.
Why it’s like Bates Motel: Bates Motel grows to be an eerie place due to everything happening there. Well, you won’t find an eerier place than Hill House – and the Netflix original show, created by Mike Flanagan, is one of the best horror mini-series I’ve ever seen in my life. I’d actually argue it’s the best.
It’s full of twists, flashbacks, and past trauma haunting people in the present. I’m trying not to spoil anything, but The Haunting of Hill House is a must-watch if you dig horror.
1. Dexter (2006-2013)
IMDb score: 8.7/10
What it’s about: Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter analysis expert and works every day to solve the most heinous crimes. Every night, however, he commits such crimes – so meticulously and perfectly that one wouldn’t even find a trace of them happening. Except for the blood-drop slides he keeps as souvenirs from each of his victims…
Why it’s like Bates Motel: Like Norman, Dexter is sweet and lovable, and one would never suspect him of being such a cold-blooded killer. Dexter had his ‘issue’ since he was a kid but was then instructed by his adoptive father to try and direct his issue toward those who deserve it – the scum of society, such as killers, pedophiles, etc.
No matter how heinous Dexter’s crimes become, he never goes after innocent victims, which isn’t something you can say for Norman Bates. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why Dexter is highly regarded as one of the best crime TV shows in history.
I (shamefully) just started (and finished) the show last year, and I was so mad at myself for not discovering it before. Definitely, I recommend it to everyone who loves horror, crime, the serial killer sub-genre, and everything in between.