50 Scary Stories That Prove All It Takes Is 2 Sentences To Not Sleep At Night (New Posts)

Interestingly, this subreddit may have contributed to inspiring a TV show. Two Sentence Horror Stories was an American anthology horror network television series created by Vera Miao and produced by The CW.

It ran from 2019 to 2022, and although the initial idea is believed to be a single Reddit thread that asked people, "What is the best horror story you can come up with in two sentences"—it's hard to imagine the creators not browsing the entire subreddit while researching the topic.

"Two Sentence Horror Stories finds the right balance and speed for its anthology," says writer Jacob Oller. "The quick episodes, each less than a half-hour, waste no time sowing their uneasy seeds. They split their source sentences to give you a vague premise up front and fill in its macabre twist before the credits roll."

Oller feels that the condensed runtime means the characters' traumas are accelerated and seem more energetic rather than trivialized.

"It also means that there's no time to waste on different plot threads," he adds. "The focused and freaky plots aren't especially unique, but they're still fun to watch briskly unfold."

"You're not going to be wowed by the twists, but you'll still take some cathartic satisfaction in the (often disturbing) comeuppance that follows," Oller explains, and reading the subreddit's best posts, I can definitely see that.

As of this publication, the show has a rating of 5.6/10 on IMDb, which doesn't sound that high, but horror is often polarizing, and if you enjoy reading the short-form creepypasta, there's a good chance you'd like watching it, too.

"One of my favorite things about the show, which can still sometimes catch on a stilted piece of dialogue or contrived interaction (usually minor quibbles that feel bigger because of the series’ leanness), is that it isn't afraid to get nasty," Oller highlights.

"There's some seriously gross stuff in just the first two episodes, along with one of those wonderfully bloody moments that makes you go, 'Oooh!' and curl up in a little ball—but with a smile still stretched across your face."

However, as many fan favorite shows have been canceled by The CW amid content strategy changes at the network, Two Sentence Horror Stories got axed as well.

But Vera Miao didn't even expect it to get made! "In general, the odds are long in this industry, across the board," the executive producer/writer/director of Two Sentence Horror Stories, says. "I went into the [first] meeting [to pitch the idea] not expecting anything. I was just very honest and transparent about what I wanted to do with the show, and what it was and what it wasn't.

"I remember in that meeting, I said, 'This is not a jump scare, roller coaster ride of gory horror.' This is psychological and maybe sometimes even a little slow burn. It very much looks at previous cinema, and these stories present opportunities to go deeper into characters, but also how people intersect with some of the issues that preoccupy our every day. And it’s really an opportunity to showcase some talent that, perhaps, is not as well known or mainstream yet."

Now, she believes a bunch of people who were involved are gonna be the folks leading the industry in the very near future.

In an interview with David Letterman more than four decades ago, Stephen King delved into the human psyche's dark corners, revealing why he thinks we're irresistibly drawn to the thrills and chills of horror.

He said, "People like to be scared… It's the same as the old joke about the guy who beat his head against a wall because it feels good when he stops."

According to him, the appeal of horror is the exhilaration of facing our fears in a controlled environment, leading to a profound sense of relief and safety afterward.

Horror stories allow us to experience fear with a safety net; it allows us to explore our limits and confront our anxieties without real-world consequences. In a world where many are trying to shield us with "safe spaces," r/TwoSentenceHorror reminds us that facing discomfort can be a path to self-discovery.

For more, check out our earlier publications on the subreddit 30 Scary Two-Sentence Stories To Freak You Out Quickly and 30 Two-Sentence Horror Stories To Send Shivers Down Your Spine.