A bear-infested casino, a horse-drawn hearse, a humanoid stalker and the ghost of Mr Pipes who was eaten by his cats … in a Halloween special, Guardian critics pick their scariest ever work
In 2012, French series The Returned, or Les Revenants, introduced us to a small town in the mountains where the dead simply reappear as if no time has passed. It combined other spooky standards, such as creepy children, roads that circle back on themselves and serial killers, with only the occasional trip to the “lek poob” (the pub on the lake) to try to work out what the hell was going on. I am a fan of the good old-fashioned jump scare, but nothing really gets to me like the slow, unsettling chill of a situation that is not quite right. Best not mention season two, or the US remake, though. Rebecca Nicholson
