American Gothic (Season 1)

American Gothic (1995) is a CBS supernatural drama series available to watch online on iFILM. In Trinity, South Carolina, Sheriff Lucas Buck — played by Gary Cole — holds the town with an unhurried grip. He smiles a lot. He never loses.

Young Caleb is the one person Buck seems unable to own. His dead sister Merlyn returns as a spirit, warning him away from the sheriff. His cousin Gail arrives to protect him but finds herself pulled toward Buck anyway. Twenty-two episodes circle this standoff without quite resolving it — CBS pulled the plug before the finale aired.

The show built a cult following on the strength of Cole's performance alone. An early role for Sarah Paulson. If atmospheric Southern Gothic with a noir edge is your thing, American Gothic was doing it before the genre had a name. Stream it online on iFILM.