Is anyone else already looking forward to season 4 of American Horror Story: Coven? I'm totally loving the wacky witch school storyline of Coven—Hermione wouldn't last a day around those wild, sex-crazed students. You also have freaky Franken-Kyle, a voodoo queen, and the jazz-loving Axeman. It's kooky, spooky, and completely captivating, so how can ahs season 4 possibly top this one? If you're searching for fresh horror story inspiration and creative american horror story season ideas, here are seven chilling horror setting ideas for next season:
7 American Horror Story Season Ideas for AHS Season 4
1. Native American Mythology
Season 4 of "American Horror Story" could do something completely different by exploring spooky Native American horror stories and ancient folklore. Native Americans were actually mentioned in "American Horror Story: Murder House"—psychic medium Billie Dean revealed that Native Americans were once haunted by the deceased settlers of the Roanoke Colony. Of course, there's the old horror movie trope of haunted houses being built on top of "ancient burial grounds," but I would love to see native american horror creatures like skinwalkers, which are Navajo witches who can turn into animals with otherworldly powers. Native Americans also believed in various forms of ghosts and beasts, including Bigfoot-like creatures and the wendigo american horror story concept, a cannibalistic half-beast. Of course, there'd have to be some "Ancient Aliens" sci-fi elements thrown in there somewhere.
- Skinwalkers: Navajo shapeshifters possessing terrifying supernatural powers.
- The Wendigo: A cannibalistic beast born from desperate wilderness hunger.
- Roanoke Ghosts: Spectral entities rooted in early colonial history.
2. A Scary Circus
If you've ever seen the classic movie Freaks, then you know that the greatest show on Earth is one of the ultimate horror setting ideas. But of course, Ryan Murphy's freakshow would need a big twist. Instead of just featuring pitiable people born with disfiguring disorders, perhaps it should be run by a mad scientist who creates his own freaks. We've already seen the creation of a Centaur this season, and last season featured the monstrous results of Dr. Arden's experiments. And surely you remember the bloodthirsty american horror story infantata from season one. I'd love to see P.T. Barnum's infamous Fiji mermaid brought to life by way of a twisted bio-experiment, creating unforgettable american horror story creatures.
3. Vampires
Surely Ryan Murphy is eventually going to take on these popular supernatural beings in future horror plot ideas. This season we've seen a Hollywood starlet as a witch, so why not turn a vampire into a rock star? Adam Levine could return to play this role. Since "American Horror Story" storylines can take place during different time periods, it might be fun to see him as a glam rock vampire from the '70s (think David Bowie). Murphy does love music, so he'd do an amazing job with the incredible era that also brought us disco and punk. Plus, mixing vampiric lore with the scary circus vibe or eerie hotel settings would elevate the suspense.
| Horror Theme | Iconic Monster / Trope | Potential AHS Season Twist | | --- | --- | --- | | Native American Folklore | Skinwalkers & Wendigos | Ancient curses meeting modern terror | | Dark Circus | Bio-Engineered Freaks | Mad science and twisted side-shows | | Vampirism | Glam Rock Vampires | 1970s music scene and immortal bloodlust |4. A Haunted Hotel
The setting of "Murder House" was a little like a real haunted hotel since so many people were packed into that place, but it could be fun to see "American Horror Story" revisit its ghostly roots with a real haunted hotel setting. There are so many great horror movies about spooky hotels to draw horror story inspiration from! Murphy could set next season in a sprawling hotel like the iconic Overlook in The Shining, or he could choose a smaller place like the Bates Motel from "Psycho." But obviously, his haunted hotel needs some sort of twist. Perhaps it should be run by the devil himself (or herself), incorporating supernatural horrors similar to Native American mythology.
5. Creatures from the Deep
I can't see Ryan Murphy taking on "Jaws" or the Loch Ness Monster, but there are plenty of humanoid creatures from the deep that he could pay homage to when crafting creepy story ideas. I can definitely picture swamp witch Misty Day creating her own Swamp Thing friend using the leftovers of a human who can't be healed. All she has to do is mix those body parts with a little Louisiana mud and plenty of swamp moss. As mentioned above, Murphy could try to make mermaids frightening, or he could haunt a lake with the ghosts of people who drowned there. Maybe they were all killed by a terrifying humanoid lake monster created by the mad scientist with the circus freaks.
6. A Freaky Family
Here I'm thinking along the lines of the cannibalistic killer families in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and "The Hills Have Eyes." I can definitely picture Murphy doing something similar for ahs season 4, but in a different setting. He could use the myth of the Wendigo mentioned in Native American mythology. Native Americans did believe that people could turn into these monsters by eating the flesh of other human beings. Murphy might also consider doing his own twisted take on "The Munsters." I'd love for him to show us how members of a family become a vampire, a werewolf, and a Frankenstein's monster.
7. Egyptian Mythology
Murphy has already done zombies, but he hasn't brought their bandage-covered cousins back from the dead yet. I can definitely picture "American Horror Story" being set in a spooky museum. However, instead of being haunted by Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt at night, it will be visited by someone trying to resurrect a mummy or two. Perhaps Jessica Lange's character will want to conjure up Cleopatra to ask her about her favorite age-defying beauty treatments. Murphy could also sprinkle this idea with a little "Ancient Aliens"/"Stargate" lore for ultimate horror story plots.
- Cursed Artifacts: Relics that unleash ancient Egyptian plagues.
- Mummy Resurrections: Spectral pharaohs walking among museum guests.
- Immortal Beauty Rituals: Dark magic invoked for eternal youth.
Some of the ideas above definitely might seem a little cliché to you. However, so far "American Horror Story" has explored nothing but overused horror tropes with its haunted house, horrific asylum, and school full of witches. Luckily, the show has proved that it's still possible to bring something fresh to classic tropes. What is season 4 of American Horror Story about in your dream scenario, and which of these american horror story season ideas would you love to watch?
Related articles
Popular searches
Browse categories
Likes, comments and replies are available on the full version.
View full article & comments →