The 10 Best Tales from the Crypt Episodes of All Time, Ranked
Polygon has compiled a ranked list of the ten best episodes from Tales from the Crypt, the horror anthology series that ran on HBO from 1989, timed to coincide with all seven seasons becoming freely available to stream on Tubi in July 2026. The show was adapted from EC Comics' 1950s horror titles, which were forced out of print by the newly introduced Comics Code in 1955, and its HBO home allowed the 1989 revival to depict the stories with an R-rated freedom the original comics never had, alongside high production values and a string of well-known actors in guest roles.
The article notes that the series, while hugely influential on horror culture, is uneven and often deliberately campy, with some seasons (notably season two) leaning heavily on repetitive plots about murderous spouses. Polygon's top ten picks include the season one opener "The Man Who Was Death", starring William Sadler as a sacked prison executioner who takes freelance work, and "You, Murderer", a season six episode notable for using archive footage and impersonator Robert Sacchi to feature a first-person "performance" from Humphrey Bogart.
- Polygon ranks the ten best Tales from the Crypt episodes ever made.
- All seven seasons began streaming free on Tubi in July 2026.
- Top picks include "The Man Who Was Death" and "You, Murderer".
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Tales from the Crypt was a horror anthology series that aired on HBO from 1989, built on gruesome, twist-ending stories introduced by a wisecracking animated skeleton known as the Crypt Keeper. It was based on horror comics published by EC Comics in the 1950s, titles that were effectively driven out of print when the American comics industry brought in a strict self-censorship code in 1955. HBO's willingness to show adult content let the series revive those stories with a level of gore and dark humour the original comics couldn't get away with, backed by a decent budget and guest appearances from well-known actors.
The show ran for seven seasons and became a cult favourite, though its quality varied a lot from episode to episode, with some stretches relying on repetitive or campy plots. It has remained a touchstone for horror fans over the decades, and its influence can still be seen in other anthology-style horror shows and films.
The occasion for revisiting it now is that all seven seasons have become freely available to stream on Tubi as of July 2026, prompting renewed interest and retrospective coverage of which episodes are considered the best.