The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at West Chester chapter.

As it is the beginning of October and all Halloween and scariness is upon us, who else to discuss than the popular horror/crime TV writer and director, Ryan Murphy. On September 19th, Ryan Murphy hit us with the second series of his “Monsters” TV show, showcasing Lyle and Erik Menendez. Monsters is currently the #1 streamed show, bringing in all true crime fanatics, horror lovers, and anybody else who is interested in the life of these two brothers. Exactly 2 years ago, the same thing happened with Dahmer, Ryan Murphy’s first season of Monsters. Dahmer was a huge success, and Evan Peters portrayed a disturbingly great role as Jeffrey Dahmer. With the new hype around the Menendez case, let’s break down Ryan Murphy’s horror and crime shows just in time for the perfect season.

American horror story (2011-present)

Ryan Murphy has blessed fans with AHS seasons year after year, with 12 impeccable seasons that are just plain scary, intriguing, and full of never-forget characters and plots. What makes AHS so interesting is that each season is completely different from the rest; however, some relate to each other (which I love!!). Ryan Murphy takes a spin on certain real life events and people, including the Cecil Hotel, serial killers like John Wayne Gacy and Richard Ramirez, the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, Madame LaLaurie, and SO much more. We see witches, ghosts, mass murderers, etc.

American horror stories (2021-present)

Now, this is different from the OG AHS. American Horror STORIES is a series that features scary episodes that are all different from each other. I like to think of it as a mini AHS season in one episode. Honestly, all these episodes are insanely scary. Since it is just one brand new storyline per episode, they have to make it as creepy as possible (and Ryan Murphy did)! Some of these episodes terrified me so bad, I had trouble sleeping. These episodes include Facelift, Necro, Bestie and Tapeworm.

scream queens (2015-2016)

One thing about Ryan Murphy is that he loves to include certain actors and actresses in his TV shows, like Emma Roberts. Scream Queens is a perfect mix of comedy and slasher with bratty mean girls. We love to see it. Billie Lourd and Ariana Grande in the casting…they could not have casted it better. Sadly, there were only ever 2 seasons.

american crime story (2016-present)

Now we know Ryan Murphy loves horror, but he also loves true crime. American Crime Story, though not as popular as American Horror Story, is still an amazing series. Some of the true crime episodes include OJ Simpson, the Clinton and Lewinsky scandal, and the murder of Gianni Versace.

monsters (2022-present)

Two seasons have come out so far: Dahmer and the Erik and Lyle Menendez Story. To say the least, these seasons have completely taken over my life during the time I watched them. Being immersed in the world and life of a killer is by far one of the most fascinating things to watch. Ryan Murphy dives deep into the lives of killers and tells us their story. With almost identical casting and real events, it’s difficult not to see the actors as the actual killers! Murphy produced two amazing seasons that have topped the charts for weeks. It really must be true that (almost) everyone loves watching a true crime story come to life. It is truly so fascinating, and I am DYING to know what killer we will be introduced to next.

grotesquerie (2024-present)

Grotesquerie is a new horror series about a detective and a nun working together to solve the murders in their community. This show came out a week ago and instantly gained traction due to the disturbing, gory scenes – and Travis Kelce’s featuring role. It follows the main character, Detective Lois, and her pursuits to find a murderer named Grotesquerie. What makes this show so notable is how disturbing the scenes actually are. If you want to watch something that will make your jaw drop and/or throw up, this is the show for you (and there’s still more episodes to come!).

Ryan Murphy has been involved, produced, directed, and written many more shows, but these are by far the most notable (and my favorite). I consider myself a true crime and horror junkie, and Ryan Murphy checks off my boxes on my TV show list. If you also love these types of shows: the ones that rock you to your core, share amazing stories, and even educate you on real life events, definitely check these out!

A Breakdown Of Ryan Murphy’s Works