If You're a Walking Dead Fan, This Genuinely Terrifying TV Show Is Going to Be Your New Obsession

Fugit stars as Kyle Barnes, a small-town West Virginia man whose mother abused him when he was a child after she was possessed by a demon. Although he's grown up and his mother is lying catatonic in a local nursing home, he still lives in the same house where it all happened, haunted by the violent memories of his mother's unrelenting reign of terror. Adding to his pain is the fact his wife (Kate Lyn Sheil) also became possessed while they were married, and although he's able to exorcise her demon, she ends up leaving him and refuses to let him see their child. Broken and struggling for answers, Kyle teams up with a local priest (Philip Glenister) to find out why these instances of possession continue to follow him.

In a show that's basically about a town-wide struggle between good and evil, it wouldn't be surprising if themes of religion and demons ended up coming off as heavy-handed. Thankfully in the same way that The Walking Dead is a show that puts its focus on the fascinating interactions of its main characters rather than the zombies, Outcast manages to cut through the stringy, tar-like demons; brutal exorcism scenes; and a possible appearances from the Devil himself to be something that somewhat resembles reality. It works because it feels like it could be happening next door, whether you want to believe in demons or not.

It's been a little while since we've seen Almost Famous alum Fugit on screen, but it's been worth the wait. After his small role in 2014's Gone Girl, Fugit stands out as Outcast's lead, able to subtly convey just how much his character is struggling to keep his anger at bay. You'll also recognize Reg E. Cathey, who played Freddie on House of Cards, as the town's police chief who may or may not have something to hide. The Office's David Denman (he played Roy, if you need a reminder) is Cathey's increasingly suspicious partner.

One of the biggest things that stands out about the show is the fact that it manages to actually be scary, which is a feat few TV shows (and even movies) have been able to perfect. The show's decision to exercise restraint in a genre that tends to veer into shouty Bible verses and splashing holy water makes every jump scare, graphic close-up, and moment of psychological terror that much more frightening. The writers leave room for tension to build and build and build, so when they finally draw back the curtains to reveal a possession scene in all its gory glory, it hits like a freight train instead of a cheap thrill.