American Horror Story

:

Season 1
  • Network: FX
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 5, 2011
Season #: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 1190 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,003 out of 1190
  2. Mixed: 121 out of 1190
  3. Negative: 66 out of 1190
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User Reviews

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  1. Skittlegirl
    Oct 19, 2014
    9
    I LOVED IT!!! At first I thought it was just about sex. But it ended up being something so much more. My mind was blown away by what I learned through out the story. I was hooked after the first episode. I can't wait to see the others.
  2. jackaz15
    Aug 29, 2018
    8
    Despite tiresome characters and muddled plot threads, Murder House was unique and macabre thanks to its enticing direction, campy tone, and atmospheric tension. (8/10)
  3. youlouz
    Jan 16, 2016
    8
    American horror story season one was absolutely outstanding until the last few episodes which were tragically boring .
  4. zanithan
    Jan 15, 2015
    8
    The first two seasons, with the Haunted House and the Asylum, were a lot of fun. I think the third is boring but just my opinion.

    I think most people who like horror stories and, like me, need something to get into on Netflix will like this. The plots are intricate and fun and I did not notice any gaping plot holes. The characters feel real enough. The darkness and horror is stimulating    The first two seasons, with the Haunted House and the Asylum, were a lot of fun. I think the third is boring but just my opinion.

    I think most people who like horror stories and, like me, need something to get into on Netflix will like this. The plots are intricate and fun and I did not notice any gaping plot holes. The characters feel real enough. The darkness and horror is stimulating and feels like genuine human evil, not cartoonish crap that you too often see in horror movies.

    In short, this is very engrossing and entertaining. I flew through 2 seasons in just a few nights as I could not wait to see what happens next.

    One other short note: Children and those who are easily disturbed emotionally should not watch this; it is pretty intense.    … Expand
  5. allenfodo27
    Mar 15, 2015
    8
    Murder house was a pretty big suprise for me, i wasnt sure what I was going to get from the show, but I got to say I was not disappointed. All though towards the end of the season it did start moving a little slower but than it got better at the end.
  6. Fordee15
    Apr 16, 2015
    8
    "American Horror Story: Murder House" is a great piece of television. It's creepy, it's shocking, it's sexy- it's everything you want in a television show... and more!
    The storytelling gets a bit jumbled half-way through, but, only by a bit, thankfully.
    "Murder House" is great, but, it definitely isn't for everyone. Especially for those who can't take the sheer craziness of sexy maid    "American Horror Story: Murder House" is a great piece of television. It's creepy, it's shocking, it's sexy- it's everything you want in a television show... and more!
    The storytelling gets a bit jumbled half-way through, but, only by a bit, thankfully.

    "Murder House" is great, but, it definitely isn't for everyone. Especially for those who can't take the sheer craziness of sexy maid ghosts, rubber rapists, school shootings, deformed babies, and cheating spouses!    … Expand
  7. JulietteRyanRok
    Apr 28, 2015
    7
    Season 1 , Excellent . Season 2 , even better . Season 3 , just awful & other than Jessica Lange's performance the Coven was trite & frankly, stupid.
    I pray for season 4 to be an improvement but I'm worried .
    I wish I could leave a 10 but I was so disappointed by the Coven that I can't.
  8. vitorthehuman
    Dec 21, 2015
    10
    This season is the most gothic of all the others. It's also bloody, dramatic, sexy and scary. Definitely is in second place on my list of best season of American Horror Story.
  9. Gjmzvs
    Oct 20, 2017
    10
    It wasn't the best season, but it's so good at all, all the characters had something special and the story it's creative, I'd say it's one of the best season.
  10. athf
    Mar 14, 2016
    7
    Has interesting concepts and themes that catch the viewer's attention. The actors do a fantastic job with portraying round characters. I definitely recommend.
  11. lisawarfield
    Oct 18, 2016
    8
    In the sixth season of the hit FX tv show, American Horror Story, the story is set in a North Carolina farmhouse. The teasers and trailers of this unknown season theme can be summed up into one word: creepy. The characters are introduced in a documentary type way, where the events are re-enacted by other people. The show’s main characters are a young married couple named Shelby (SarahIn the sixth season of the hit FX tv show, American Horror Story, the story is set in a North Carolina farmhouse. The teasers and trailers of this unknown season theme can be summed up into one word: creepy. The characters are introduced in a documentary type way, where the events are re-enacted by other people. The show’s main characters are a young married couple named Shelby (Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe) and Matt (Cuba Gooding Jr. and Andre Holland). After Matt listens to Shelby’s continuous complaints of not feeling safe in the house and hearing strange noises at night, Matt’s former-cop, recently sober sister, Lee (Angela Bassett and Adina Porter), comes to stay with them. For Shelby this may be about protections but I think it may prove as a bigger problem later in the season.
    As for the season’s content, I feel it is a nightmare as well as a history lesson as the characters also start to learn about the ancient colony of Roanoke, which may be the root cause of the house’s many problems. I find it interesting because the show goes back and forth between the re-enactments of the story, the character interviews, and now flashbacks to the colonial times and what might have happened at Roanoke. This might get a little confusing at times but all and all fits the format of the season thus far. American Horror Story’s sixth season, “My Roanoke Nightmare,” lives up to the name, feeling as if it’s right out of your worst nightmares yet leaves you wanting more. It is truly well imagined, although the characters may be far-fetched and the events somewhat unbelievable, it works with the idea of the story and makes you want to hide under the covers.
    By well imagined, I mean that the characters in this show fit well together, with Shelby’s paranoia and Matt’s comforting way about it. Lee trying to be tough as nails but is actually terrified of the house she’s living in. I think it does a very good job of being realistic in how someone would feel in this situation. I can also relate well with Shelby because I get very paranoid being alone in my house and thinking someone or something is in my house with me. I may not actually living through this like her character is, but I understand some of what she is feeling. The setting of this farmhouse is a creepy as the events, placed in the middle of desolate woods with the closest neighbors being miles away. The house itself is large and barren, with just three people living in the house, it leaves many empty rooms and spaces where noises can be heard and creepy things can happen. This, paired with the suspicious past of the house, makes for a horror film setting.
    Throughout American Horror Story, the theme and storyline has changed in each season. It seems each season is creepier and more gruesome than the last. Each season has been linked to an important and or creepy time in American History, for example season 3, “Coven”, is strongly linked to the Salem Witch Trials, but season 4, “Freak show”, was set in the time period when the Circus was very popular. I like that the theme changes, it’s not predictable like other shows with consistent plots. You don’t know what the show is going to be about this season, and you don’t know what route the season might take.
    In conclusion, season 6 of American Horror Story is very well done. It fits the mold of the rest of the seasons with it’s strong links to American history, while still being creepy and leaving you on the edge of your seat. The first 5 seasons are located on Netflix, so go check it out if you like gore mixed in to your standard history lesson.    … Expand
  12. lms08
    Oct 20, 2016
    8
    One of the best shows that has aired across FX, is American Horror Story. The first season pushed emotional and mental boundaries. It plays with your biggest fears and brings them to life. This season revolved around a house later named “Murder House”. The Murder House is the house of your nightmares. People in the house are trying to kill the main characters and their fight to surviveOne of the best shows that has aired across FX, is American Horror Story. The first season pushed emotional and mental boundaries. It plays with your biggest fears and brings them to life. This season revolved around a house later named “Murder House”. The Murder House is the house of your nightmares. People in the house are trying to kill the main characters and their fight to survive lasts the entire season. Even though each episode makes me even more scared than the last, I keep hitting the next episode button.
    The first episode starts off with a little girl standing in front of the house. When two boys walk up to the house swinging baseball bats, she tells them that they are going to die in there. The two boys told her to shut up and walked into the house. Once inside, they started vandalizing the main level, then the door to the basement suddenly swings open. They both decide to explore the basement and walk down together. On the way down to the basement one of the boys started throwing down firecrackers. In the basement, they see jars full of body parts, courtesy of the very first owners, and start to get a little scared. The one who wasn’t throwing firecrackers heads upstairs but stops suddenly when he hears silence. He turns back around to go search for his brother. When he finds his brother, his body is covered in scratches. When he turns around to run back upstairs he sees the person that killed his brother and screamed in terror.
    The rest of the season is centered around Vivian Harmon, her husband Ben, and their daughter, Violet. After Vivian had a miscarriage, she catches her husband cheating. Ben and Vivian decide to move to California in hopes of rekindling their love. Once they moved into their house, strange things started happening. Ben is a psychologist so he can move anywhere and still get clients. One of his clients, Tate Langdon, who instantly falls in love with Violet, gets more sessions with Ben so he can see her more often. There is only one problem with Tate; he is dead and is stuck in the house. On the outside Tate is nice, sweet and compassionate, but he also has an evil side. Tate died because he went to school and started to shoot people. After he shot them he went home. The SWAT team was called, they came to his house, and they shot him. Throughout the first season the Harmons fight to stay alive and get out of the house.
    This first season alone has a lot of characters, but they find a way to make it work. Each character has a different story and each story interacts and are woven together perfectly. Every character brings you deeper and deeper into the story making you want more and more.
    The cast was stacked in the first season. You have Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Zachary Quinto, Frances Conroy, and Denis O’Hare. One of the bigger stars in this group is Jessica Lange. She is one of the most talented actresses ever. Her most notorious role was in the 1976 version of King Kong. Her acting skills are top notch. In Murder House she plays Tate’s mother, Constance. She didn’t understand why her son shot those people so she asked Ben to have sessions with him. She often visits the house to see her son Tate and another son that she killed named Bo. During this season she tries to get the Harmons to leave the house, she loses a daughter, and she gains a grandchild.
    The emotions that these actor bring are the level of acting that make you feel like you are right there with them on screen. On the other hand, this doesn’t mean that the storyline is believable. Throughout the season they try to leave the house but because of their financial situation they are stuck in the house. When they try to sell the house no one wants to buy it nor do any realtors want to sell it. There is only one realtor that is willing to try but that is the realtor that sold them the house.
    With Vivien and Ben focusing all of their attention on the house and the new babies on the way, they start to forget about Violet. They didn’t even notice that she hasn’t been going to school for three straight weeks. Another bad part about AHS is the fact that they only have 13 episodes per season. Those episodes are filled tight with information. Each time you learn more about a character or even a new character. You even go back in time to see what happened to each character and why they are stuck in the house.
    Overall this show is amazingly fantastic. It will captivate you from episode 1 to episode 13. It will give you new fears and make your old ones seem ten times worse.    … Expand
  13. whitmorgan7
    Mar 10, 2017
    9
    American Horror Story is one of my favorite TV shows on air, and probably one of my favorites of all time. Ryan Murphy really goes there with everything he does, and gives it everything he's got. He loves to implement a shock factor and makes everything creepy fun. While some seasons have suffered, most have lived up to the hype. My favorite seasons are Murder House (1) and Coven (3).American Horror Story is one of my favorite TV shows on air, and probably one of my favorites of all time. Ryan Murphy really goes there with everything he does, and gives it everything he's got. He loves to implement a shock factor and makes everything creepy fun. While some seasons have suffered, most have lived up to the hype. My favorite seasons are Murder House (1) and Coven (3). Honestly, I really enjoyed My Roanoke Nightmare (6) as well, while most people did not. The actors in this show are also top notch. You fall in love with each one of them and the many different characters they take on.… Expand
  14. Dragonfly44
    Oct 12, 2018
    8
    The show starts off strong. It keeps you guessing and while sometimes confusing, you always want to know what happens next.

    Rating - 86%
  15. panslabyrinth
    Dec 8, 2017
    8
    Murder House is what strated the frenzy of American Horror Story, and after all these years, the show's source material still holds up greatly making it one of the better seasons this show has presented. Despite, the show does ironically get lost in its own complexity, due to the constant urge to present some extremely original plot points that it just gets overwhelmed with charaters, whomMurder House is what strated the frenzy of American Horror Story, and after all these years, the show's source material still holds up greatly making it one of the better seasons this show has presented. Despite, the show does ironically get lost in its own complexity, due to the constant urge to present some extremely original plot points that it just gets overwhelmed with charaters, whom are speaking of, not very likable.… Expand
  16. ndyines
    Jan 19, 2018
    8
    I agree if AHS is great, but not all of them. I like "Murder House" because the story is sad, "Coven" because the story is fun and sweet, "Hotel" because the story is so elegant and I feel enjoy in this season, even more, I like Lady Gaga and Matt Bomer's performance. And don't forget about Evan Peters as leading role in AHS, he can play anything.
  17. WorldofLucky
    Feb 3, 2018
    7
    I have to admit it was better than I expected from an American television series.

    Originally the show didn’t have a name for each season, and was known only as “American Horror Story” however the name has been updated to “Murder House” to distinguish it from the seasons that follow (each named differently). I watched this show originally when it came out for several episodes. I    I have to admit it was better than I expected from an American television series.

    Originally the show didn’t have a name for each season, and was known only as “American Horror Story” however the name has been updated to “Murder House” to distinguish it from the seasons that follow (each named differently).

    I watched this show originally when it came out for several episodes. I remembered liking it, but I don’t remember why I stopped watching.

    The story itself was pretty good, they layered on many stories in the house and intertwined them. Most of the story is in current day, with flashbacks, so in that sense it is a traditional horror story. The didn’t shrink back from the season finale like I was worried.

    However, the best part I think is the way the series itself is set up. Each season is a different story, but uses a lot of the same actors in different roles. I am currently finishing season 2, a fully different story, most of the same actors and the whole idea of doing the show like this actually exceeds the content of the season itself.

    Pros: There are enough different substories combined with enough good actors you should be able to find something interesting.

    Cons: The Murder House story itself isn’t the most unique storyline, enjoyable but not unique.

    It has me bought into the show enough I will continue with the next season.    … Expand
  18. Felindie
    Jul 15, 2019
    8
    A strong and convincing horror plot with great performance of Jessica Lange.
  19. PleasantPeasant
    May 4, 2018
    7
    This season wasn’t amazing, but was much better than seasons to come. It wasn’t as creepy or unnerving as I wanted it to be; it was simply disturbing and odd. The story can get pretty unfocused and convoluted, but the interesting plot threads kept me intruiged.
  20. crose898
    Jun 16, 2018
    10
    One of my favorite shows of all time that broke me out of my being scared of horror shell. Murder House will always be my favorite AHS season with such an excellent cast, my favorites being Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Sarah Paulson, & Jessica Lange.
  21. monikli
    Jun 27, 2018
    9
    It is the best season of the whole series, the world they recreate, how the real world connects with the supernatural, in short, the suspense offered by the plot leaves one watching the television, waiting for the next episode with great anxiety. Also, the actors do a job, for me, excellent.
  22. jordanbelfort
    Oct 1, 2018
    7
    The first season did not have a good script
    Jessica Lange is a masterpiece
    I really enjoyed it
  23. SirSloppith
    Oct 2, 2018
    7
    Great show so far the horror theme is there some scenes are unneeded but still a strong show.
  24. MarceloPaz
    Oct 6, 2018
    8
    the plot is pretty confusing. I do not know if it was a good idea to put all this together, it seems to be a war in a world totally parallel to ours. The other seasons seemed to fit the current one better.
  25. Dsros96
    Oct 29, 2018
    7
    Interesting plot, based on actual events and characters. A good way to present and start this antology series.
  26. LucaCritics
    Mar 28, 2020
    8
    American Horror Story Season 1 Review: 8/10
    Characters made the story of this first season an amazing one. Really incredible performance of the cast.
  27. Misterdiony
    May 17, 2021
    8
    The first season of AHS offered a lot in terms of characters and stories / side stories. While it was sometimes a bit confusing, it remained in my head for a while and I watched it multiple times already. Big props to Jessica Lange for an awesome and outstanding performance.
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Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best TV Season of 2011
4
#4 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011
3
#3 Most Shared TV Season of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 30
  3. Negative: 3 out of 30
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Emily Nussbaum
    Dec 8, 2011
    80
    The show may be ridiculous, but the humiliation and panic feel real. And there's something to be said for surprise.
    Read full review
  2. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    Oct 5, 2011
    50
    American Horror Story, from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk of "Glee" and "Nip/Tuck," is a very standard creep-fest, an aggressively stylized mash-up of familiar haunted-house movies including "The Amityville Horror," "The Haunting," and "The Shining."
    Read full review
  3. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Oct 5, 2011
    91
    I loved the pilot, mostly because I could never predict where the story was going, a rarity in prime-time TV.
    Read full review
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