This Cult Sci-Fi Horror Series With Stephen King Vibes Has Become A Major Netflix Hit

There are so many problems with streaming media, but a big one is that each of these companies is hellbent on creating new movies and shows to fill out their library of licensable titles. There's a lot that's worth watching, but there's nowhere near enough time to watch these worthy works. As a result, great films and series fall between the cracks or get unceremoniously cancelled before they can complete their run. 

So it's something of a miracle that "From," a science fiction horror series created by John Griffin that flew under the radar for several years, survived for five seasons. The final season was greenlit by MGM+ last April, thanks in large part to the show's enthusiastic cult following, but the company might consider lobbying Griffin for another season. Because this cult favorite has become a bona fide hit on Netflix.

Netflix began streaming the first three seasons of "From" last month, and it's currently the fourth most popular series on the service. It's not hard to understand why. Griffin's show is basically "Lost" with major Stephen King vibes, and it even features one of the show's stars, Harold Perrineau. 

"From" opens with a family of four being forced to re-route their road trip when their chosen path is blocked by a fallen tree. They wind up in a small town where they receive directions out of the area from Sheriff Boyd Stevens (Perrineau), but they soon find themselves back in the town again. Gradually, they discover that there is no escaping this unnamed town.

"From" quickly makes "Lost" look like a lovely tropical vacation when it's revealed that the town turns decidedly lethal at night, due to the presence of vicious, human-looking monsters. And the show is unsparing in depicting these creatures' savagery. It's a gorehound's delight.

A major reason why "From" never caught on with mainstream viewers is that the first season streamed on Epix, which would eventually be acquired by MGM+. So Netflix is essentially doing a huge favor for MGM+, because "From" is every bit as addictive as "Lost."

Given the series' uptick in visibility, perhaps the critically acclaimed show (all four seasons rate over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes) will finally earn some Primetime Emmy nominations. It won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Television Series last year, and Perrineau is well overdue for Emmy consideration. The only impediment here is that voters will have to binge four seasons of a show that was off their radar.

If voters do take the plunge, they'll find a smart, terrifying series that flirts with the bleakness of Stephen King's legendary horror bummer "The Mist." A lot of people may not have the stomach for that, but Griffin and his writers adroitly plumb the darkness of our era, where days often feel like a purgatorial drag. But "From" keeps us watching because we need to believe there's a way out of this.