Fill the void of this weirdly cozy Emmy-winning series.
Obsessed With Apple TV's 'Widow's Bay'? 10 Shows & Movies to Watch Next
Theresa Gonzalez is a writer based in Sonoma, CA and the author of Sunday Sews. She covers all things travel, design and food.
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I devoured Widow's Bay, the Emmy-winning series on Apple TV, starring Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, the mayor of Widow's Bay, an island town off the coast of New England. Tom has one mission: to turn the town into a tourist hotspot à la Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard. The locals have another: convincing him the island is cursed. As tourists begin to arrive, the locals' superstitions begin to prove true, and what follows is a creepy, funny, weirdly cozy ride.
I'm clearly not alone in my obsession. The freshman series, created by Katie Dippold (writer behind Parks & Recreation), won 14 Emmys, setting a new record for wins by a comedy series in a single year, including outstanding comedy series and acting awards for Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root and Kate O'Flynn. The good news: in June 2026, the series was renewed for a second season. The bad news: we don't know when it'll arrive. So to fill the Widow's Bay-shaped hole in your watchlist, here are the shows to stream next, from spooky small-town mysteries to horror-comedies that nail that same delicious mix of laughs and dread.
Scroll to see all the best shows and movies like Widow's Bay that you can stream in 2026!
Midnight Mass (Stream on Netflix)
Set in a tiny, isolated island community, Midnight Mass is another series where a newcomer's arrival sets off something sinister. It's more solemn than Widow's Bay, but the island-as-trap feeling will feel very similar and it's perfect for horror fans.
Jaws (Stream on Netflix)
This classic set on a New England island in tourist season with a mayor who won't close the beaches, Jaws is similar to Widow's Bay in that it features a small island community whose local economy depends entirely on tourism, creating a high-stakes conflict between public safety and keeping the seasonal cash flowing.
From (Stream on Amazon Prime)
On Widow's Bay, some islanders believe that if you're born there, you can't leave or you'll die (as many have). From has a similar idea: It's about a town that no one can leave, full of rules the residents have learned the hard way and it's worthy of a binge.
The Fog (Stream Free With Ads on Fandango or Rent on Apple TV)
Master of horror John Carpenter sets this chilling story about a coastal town whose buried history comes rolling back in with the fog. Fans of Widow's Bay's ominous fog warnings will recognize a lot here. It also features iconic horror royalty: Jamie Lee Curtis alongside her mother, the legendary Psycho star Janet Leigh.
Storm of the Century (Stream on Hulu)
Widow's Bay creator Katie Dippold says she was inspired by Stephen King and this Emmy-nominated mini-series shows why. Set on Little Tall Island off the coast of Maine, where a blizzard cuts the town off and a mysterious stranger makes a terrible demand of the residents. If the Season 1 finale's "who would you sacrifice?" dilemma got to you, this is the one to watch.
Castle Rock (Stream on Netflix or Hulu)
Castle Rock is set in Stephen King's fictional Maine town, blending his iconic characters and lore into a slow-burn mystery. It delivers the ultimate "Stephen King New England town" vibe, starring André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Lizzy Caplan and Sissy Spacek of Carrie fame.
Hot Fuzz (Stream on Peacock)
If the comedy side of Widow's Bay is what hooked you, you'll enjoy this comedy about an uptight outsider trying to impose order on a picture-perfect village hiding something awful. It's pretty hilarious with surprising heart.
The Wicker Man (Stream on Prime or Tubi)
In 1973's The Wicker Man, an outsider arrives on a remote island and finds that the locals' customs and beliefs run much deeper, and are much stranger, than he expected. It's masterclass folk horror that keeps you quietly laughing until it suddenly isn't funny anymore.
Twin Peaks (Stream on Paramount+)
This classic show is the template for a quirky town full of oddball locals with real darkness underneath. It's also a useful comparison because critics have contrasted David Lynch's exploration of psychic murk with Widow's Bay creator Katie Dippold's pop-culture approach.
Comedies From 'Widow's Bay' Producers
For something closer to the show's comedic DNA, you could also try Dippold's work on Parks and Recreation or director Hiro Murai's episodes of Atlanta, which have that same surreal, unsettling edge.
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