# Into the Dark (TV series)

Into the Dark is an American horror anthology television series produced for Hulu, with each stand-alone episodic installment based around a different holiday. The first season premiered on October 5, 2018, and consists of twelve feature-length episodes of television films. Into the Dark was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 4, 2019, and also consists of twelve episodes.
The series is produced by the television branch of Blumhouse Productions, with founder Jason Blum executive producing every episode. Each episode features its own ensemble casts and director, with directors including Patrick Lussier, Nacho Vigalondo, Sophia Takal, Daniel Stamm, James Roday Rodriguez and Gigi Saul Guerrero contributing installments.
Into the Dark was ordered in January 2018, and has been met with a positive response from critics upon its premiere. Each episode starred different actors, including Tom Bateman, Dermot Mulroney, Diana Silvers, Nyasha Hatendi, Suki Waterhouse, Matt Lauria, Jimmi Simpson, Keir O'Donnell, Israel Broussard, Aurora Perrineau, Clayne Crawford, Martha Higareda, Corey Fogelmanis, Jude Demorest, Jahkara Smith, Adelaide Kane, Reign Edwards, Britt Baron, Giorgia Whigham, Felicia Day, Tina Majorino, Judy Greer, Barry Watson, Dana Drori, and Megalyn Echikunwoke.
Following season 2 of Into the Dark, Blumhouse continued a similar concept to the series, albeit for Amazon Prime Video instead of Hulu, in the form of the anthology Welcome to the Blumhouse.

## Premise

The theme of each episode is inspired by a holiday during the month of its release.

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 12 | 12 | October 5, 2018 (2018-10-05) | September 6, 2019 (2019-09-06) |
| 2 | 12 | 10 | October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04) | July 17, 2020 (2020-07-17) |
| 2 | 12 | 2 | February 12, 2021 (2021-02-12) | March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26) |

### Season 1 (2018–19)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Holiday | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "The Body" | Halloween | Paul Davis | Paul Fisher & Paul Davis | October 5, 2018 (2018-10-05) |
| A professional hitman transports his latest victim in plain sight, assuming that Halloween revelers will think that the body is part of an elaborate costume. On his way to dispose of the corpse, however, the killer becomes involved with some admirers. Cast : Tom Bateman as Wilkes, Rebecca Rittenhouse as Maggie, Aurora Perrineau as Dorothy, David Hull as Alan, Ray Santiago as Jack, Harvey Guillén as Nick, Max Adler as Officer Freer |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Flesh & Blood" | Thanksgiving | Patrick Lussier | Louis Ackerman | November 2, 2018 (2018-11-02) |
| One year after the murder of her mother, an agoraphobic teenager begins to believe that danger lurks within her house. Cast : Dermot Mulroney as Henry Tooms, Diana Silvers as Kimberly Tooms, Tembi Locke as Dr. Helen Saunders, Meredith Salenger as Rose Tooms |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Pooka!" | Christmas | Nacho Vigalondo | Gerald Olson | December 7, 2018 (2018-12-07) |
| An actor takes a job as the mascot for a toy called Pooka, until he discovers the malevolent side effects within the costume that begin to affect him and those around him. Cast : Nyasha Hatendi as Wilson, Latarsha Rose as Melanie, Jon Daly as Finn, Dale Dickey as Red, Jonny Berryman as Ty |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "New Year, New You" | New Year's Eve | Sophia Takal | Story by : Sophia Takal & Adam Gaines Teleplay by : Adam Gaines | December 28, 2018 (2018-12-28) |
| A group of former childhood friends get together, and find that they have not left their past behind entirely; when one of them plans revenge on the other for driving a babysitting client of hers to commit suicide. Cast : Suki Waterhouse as Alexis, Carly Chaikin as Danielle Williams, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Kaela, Melissa Bergland as Chloe |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Down" | Valentine's Day | Daniel Stamm | Kent Kubena | February 1, 2019 (2019-02-01) |
| Two office workers become stuck in an elevator. Romance appears ready to blossom, until events take a dark turn. Cast : Matt Lauria as Guy / John Deakins, Natalie Martinez as Jennifer Robbins, Arnie Pantoja as Eddie, Christina Leone as Ruby, Diane Sellers as Jennifer's Co-Worker |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Treehouse" | International Women's Day Ides of March | James Roday | James Roday & Todd Harthan | March 1, 2019 (2019-03-01) |
| Faced with a wave of bad press, a celebrity chef bully retreats to his remote vacation home, where he finds the debts that he has incurred by his mistreatment of women will be repaid by the friends who know them. Cast : Jimmi Simpson as Peter Rake, Mary McCormack as Lilith, Shaunette Renée Wilson as Marie, Maggie Lawson as Becca Wheeler, Stephanie Beatriz as Elena, Julianna Guill as Kara Wheeler |||||||
| 7 | 7 | "I'm Just F*cking with You" | April Fools' Day | Adam Mason | Gregg Zehentner & Scott Barkan | April 1, 2019 (2019-04-01) |
| A traveler, who is secretly an Internet troll, encounters a motel manager who torments him with escalating practical jokes. Cast : Keir O'Donnell as Larry Adams, Hayes MacArthur as Chester Conklin, Jessica McNamee as Rachel Adams |||||||
| 8 | 8 | "All That We Destroy" | Mother's Day | Chelsea Stardust | Sean Keller & Jim Agnew | May 3, 2019 (2019-05-03) |
| In an attempt to prevent her son from becoming a serial killer, a geneticist creates clones in order to allow him to repeatedly experience the same murder. Cast : Israel Broussard as Spencer Harris, Aurora Perrineau as Ashley Prime, Dora Madison as Marissa Cornell, Frank Whaley as Parker, Samantha Mathis as Dr. Victoria Harris |||||||
| 9 | 9 | "They Come Knocking" | Father's Day | Adam Mason | Shane Van Dyke & Carey Van Dyke | June 7, 2019 (2019-06-07) |
| A man and his two daughters take a road trip, and are attacked by mysterious forces. Cast : Clayne Crawford as Nathan, Josephine Langford as Clair, Lia McHugh as Maggie Singer, Robyn Lively as Val |||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Culture Shock" | Independence Day | Gigi Saul Guerrero | James Benson, Efren Hernandez, and Gigi Saul Guerrero | July 4, 2019 (2019-07-04) |
| A young woman illegally crosses the border from Mexico into the United States. Her American Dream turns into an existential nightmare when she and her fellow undocumented immigrants are unaware of the situation they find themselves in. Cast : Martha Higareda as Marisol Ramirez, Richard Cabral as Santo Cristobal, Shawn Ashmore as Thomas, Barbara Crampton as Betty, Creed Bratton as George Atwood |||||||
| 11 | 11 | "School Spirit" | First day of school | Mike Gan | Patrick Casey & Josh Miller and Mike Gan | August 2, 2019 (2019-08-02) |
| A group of social outcasts earn themselves weekend detention, during which they discover the truth behind urban legends that haunt their school. Cast : Corey Fogelmanis as Brett, Annie Q. as Erica, Jessi Case as Lizzy, Julian Works as Vic, Jordan Austin Smith as Jason, Philip Labes as Russ, Hugo Armstrong as Mr. Armstrong |||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Pure" | Daughter's Day | Hannah Macpherson | Story by : Paul Fischer and Paul Davis Teleplay by : Hannah Macpherson | September 6, 2019 (2019-09-06) |
| In this coming-of-age horror story, several teenagers perform a secret ritual at a "purity retreat". One of them begins to see a supernatural entity. However, the demon they have unleashed, may be just as dangerous as the pressure to conform to their fathers’ expectations. Cast : Jahkara Smith as Shay, McKaley Miller as Jo, Scott Porter as Pastor Seth, Annalisa Cochrane as Kellyann, Ciara Bravo as Lacey, Jim Klock as Kyle, T.C. Carter as Gabe |||||||

### Season 2 (2019–21)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Holiday | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 13 | 1 | "Uncanny Annie" | Halloween | Paul Davis | Alan Blake Bachelor and James Bachelor | October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04) |
| A group of college students become trapped in a board game that brings forth their darkest secrets and fears. To escape, they must play; to survive, they must win. Cast : Georgie Flores as Eve, Adelaide Kane as Wendy, Paige McGhee as Grace, Jacques Colimon as Craig, Dylan Arnold as Michael, Evan Bittencourt as Peter, Karlisha Hurley as Annie |||||||
| 14 | 2 | "Pilgrim" | Thanksgiving | Marcus Dunstan | Story by : Noah Feinberg Teleplay by : Noah Feinberg and Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton | November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01) |
| In order for a family to better appreciate each other, a woman invites historical re-enactors playing Pilgrims to spend Thanksgiving with them. However, the re-enactors may be too dedicated to their characters. Cast : Kerr Smith as Shane, Reign Edwards as Cody, Peter Giles as Ethan, Courtney Henggeler as Anna Baker, Taj Speights as Finn, Antonio Raul Corbo as Tate |||||||
| 15 | 3 | "A Nasty Piece of Work" | Christmas | Charles Hood | Paul Soter | December 6, 2019 (2019-12-06) |
| After a businessman discovers that he will not be receiving a Christmas bonus nor a promotion from his corporate employer; his boss offers him an alternative opportunity for advancement — one that involves a violent competition against a rival employee. Cast : Kyle Howard as Ted, Julian Sands as Steven (in his final television role), Dustin Milligan as Gavin, Angela Sarafyan as Tatum, Molly Hagan as Kiwi, Natalie Hall as Missy |||||||
| 16 | 4 | "Midnight Kiss" | New Year's Eve | Carter Smith | Erlingur Thoroddsen | December 27, 2019 (2019-12-27) |
| A group of friends gather at a beautiful desert resort on New Year's Eve, and play a game called Midnight Kiss, as is their tradition. The purpose of the game is for each of them to find someone with whom to start the New Year. When a killer tries to join in, relationships that are already stressed are further tested, and life itself becomes the prize. Cast : Augustus Prew as Cameron, Scott Evans as Joel, Ayden Mayeri as Hannah, Lukas Gage as Logan, Chester Lockhart as Zachary, Adam Faison as Dante |||||||
| 17 | 5 | "My Valentine" | Valentine's Day | Maggie Levin | Maggie Levin | February 7, 2020 (2020-02-07) |
| Three people are locked in a small concert hall together. An airing of the grievances and emotional abuses of the past until things turn violent. Cast : Britt Baron as Valentine Fawkes, Anna Lore as Trezzure, Benedict Samuel as Royal Briggins, Anna Akana as Julie Voccola, Ally Maki as Allison, Sachin Bhatt as Eddie |||||||
| 18 | 6 | "Crawlers" | Saint Patrick's Day | Brandon Zuck | Story by : Catherine Wignall Teleplay by : Catherine Wignall and Mike Gan | March 6, 2020 (2020-03-06) |
| Three unlikely friends try to work together to save a college town from a dangerous horde of shapeshifters. Cast : Giorgia Whigham as Shauna Shore, Pepi Sonuga as Misty Carpenter, Cameron Fuller as Aaron Hampton, Olivia Liang as Yuejin, Jude Demorest as Chloe Willis |||||||
| 19 | 7 | "Pooka Lives!" | Easter Pooka Day | Alejandro Brugués | Ryan Copple | April 3, 2020 (2020-04-03) |
| As part of a sequel to "Pooka!", a bunch of friends who knew each other from high school create their own holiday. When the "Pooka Challenge" goes viral on the internet, events take a nightmarish turn as murderous versions of Pooka start to come to life. Cast : Felicia Day as Molly, Wil Wheaton as David, Malcolm Barrett as Derrick, Rachel Bloom as Ellie Burges, Jonah Ray as Matt, Lyndie Greenwood as Susan, Gavin Stenhouse as Bennie |||||||
| 20 | 8 | "Delivered" | Mother's Day | Emma Tammi | Dirk Blackman | May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08) |
| A mother-to-be's life is turned upside down when she comes to realize that somebody she knows has terrible plans for her unborn baby. Cast : Tina Majorino as Jenny Booth, Natalie Paul as Valerie Coates, Michael Cassidy as Tom, Micah Parker as Riley, Rosslyn Luke as Instructor |||||||
| 21 | 9 | "Good Boy" | Pet Appreciation Week | Tyler MacIntyre | Aaron Eisenberg and Will Eisenberg | June 12, 2020 (2020-06-12) |
| A woman fed up with dating decides to get an emotional support dog to help with her anxiety. When she takes the dog home, people who are mean to her start turning up dead. Cast : Judy Greer as Maggie Glenn, Ethan Rains as Doug, Steve Guttenberg as Don, Ellen Wong as Annie Powell Morris, Elise Neal as Dr. Linda Johnson, Maria Conchita Alonso as Bea Rodriguez, McKinley Freeman as Nate, Chico the Dog |||||||
| 22 | 10 | "The Current Occupant" | Independence Day | Julius Ramsay | Alston Ramsay | July 17, 2020 (2020-07-17) |
| An amnesiac man who is trapped in a psychiatric asylum suspects that he is actually the President of the United States and makes plans to get out. Cast : Barry Watson as Henry Cameron, Sonita Henry as Dr. Larson, Marvin "Krondon" Jones III as Orderly, Lilli Birdsell as Helen, Kate Cobb as Eliza, Ezra Buzzington as The Administrator, Joshua Burge as The Emperor |||||||
| 23 | 11 | "Tentacles" | Valentine's Day | Clara Aranovich | Story by : Alexandra Pechman & Nick Antosca Teleplay by : Alexandra Pechman | February 12, 2021 (2021-02-12) |
| Tara and Sam begin a new chapter in their lives after moving from Los Angeles, moving together until their relationship takes a terrifying turn. Cast : Dana Drori as Tara/Lina, Casey Deidrick as Sam Anselm, Evan Williams as Grant, Kasey Elise as Esther |||||||
| 24 | 12 | "Blood Moon" | Spring Full Moon | Emma Tammi | Adam Mason & Simon Boyes | March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26) |
| Esme and her son Luna move to a small town to begin a fresh life only to find that the reception given to them is not what they expected. When the locals begin to investigate Esme, she must protect Luna from a terrible secret involving a werewolf. Cast : Megalyn Echikunwoke as Esme Rawls, Yonas Kibreab as Luna, Joshua Dov as Sam, Marco Rodriguez as Miguel, Gareth Williams as Barlow Townes, Jack J. Yang as Joseph |||||||

## Production

On January 9, 2018, it was announced that Hulu had ordered a first season of twelve episodes. Each episode was set to be released one month apart beginning in October 2018. The series' first twelve episodes were expected to function as standalone stories though some narrative device or structural device was expected to connect them.
On May 2, 2018, it was announced that the series had been titled Into the Dark and would premiere on October 5, 2018. Davis and Fisher were announced as the Producers and Alexa Faigen as Executive Producer. On October 11, 2018, Production Designer Cecil Gentry revealed in an interview with Dead Entertainment that he was working on ten out of twelve episodes of the series.
In August 2019, Into the Dark was renewed for a second season. Hulu ordered nine further episodes in addition to the fifteen already ordered, bringing the total to 24 episodes. Alexander Koehne and Lauren Downey were announced as Co-Showrunners and Executive Producers. The twelve-episode second season premiered on October 4, 2019, and was originally scheduled to run through September 2020, after the first season concluded in September 2019. The August and September 2020 episodes were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic; they had been filmed by November 2020, and premiered in February and March 2021.

## Release
### Marketing

On September 13, 2018, the first trailer for the series was released.

### Premiere

On September 21, 2018, the series held its world premiere during the annual LA Film Festival in Los Angeles, California with a screening of the episode "The Body" at the Writers Guild Theater. The episode "I'm Just Fucking with You" held its world premiere during the 2019 South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas as a part of the festival's "Narrative Spotlight" series of screenings.

### Distribution

On October 11, 2018, it was announced that Sony Pictures Television had acquired the international rights to the series. Sony was expected to take the series out for sale internationally and begin its sale effort at the Mipcom market in Cannes the following week.

## Reception

The series has been met with a positive response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 69% approval rating.
The first season holds 68% approval rating with an average rating of 5.6/10 based on 163 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Into the Dark is a worthy horror anthology, offering viewers a selection of frightening and witty gothic tales like a tray of cobwebbed bonbons, making for a spooky Halloween treat." The second season holds a 71% approval rating with an average rating of 8.00/10 based on 120 reviews.
Into the Dark (season 1): Critical reception by episode :
* Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
* Season 1 (2018–19): Percentage of positive critics' reviews tracked by the website Rotten Tomatoes
Into the Dark (season 2): Critical reception by episode :
* Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
* Season 2 (2019–21): Percentage of positive critics' reviews tracked by the website Rotten Tomatoes