ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? (1992)

S05E01: THE TALE OF THE DEAD MAN’S FLOAT (1995)

Horror Anthology Recommendations

Yep. It’s that episode. The one that probably gave you nightmares.

When two students unearth an abandoned swimming pool in their school’s basement, everyone is excited until they realize that there’s one catch: the pool was closed because it’s haunted by a terrifying crimson acid monster who lurks beneath the water and has a terrible habit of drowning anyone who swims there.

The story is great, but what people really remember is the monster itself: a huge, bloody, practical effects thing of nightmares so horrifying that it could’ve easily been used in an actual horror film. The episode is often considered the scariest one of the entire series because the creature is just so jarringly gruesome - and I think it’s worthy of that accolade. I wish I’d seen this one as a kid because it would’ve been a terrifying (and very fun) experience.