The BEST episodes of Tales from the Crypt

Every episode of Tales from the Crypt ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Tales from the Crypt!

Based on the legendary and gruesome EC Comics from publisher William Gaines, this horror anthology featured stories of murder, the super natural, gore and humor and always had a twist ending of sorts. Some of Hollywood's biggest names took part, either working in front or behind the camera. Hosting duties fell to everyone's favorite decaying corpse, the Crypt Keeper. The success of this series spawned a Saturday morning cartoon series (Tales From the Cryptkeeper), a short lived Saturday morning gameshow on CBS (Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House) and lots of merchandise. Two feature films (Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood) were also produced. Two other movies based on the EC Comics (Tales From the Crypt and The Vault of Horror) were released back in 1972 and 1973 respectively. But they are not connected to this series and will not be listed here! Tales from the Crypt has aired on HBO, Fox, in syndication and the Sci-Fi Channel. Most recently, the series has bee

Last Updated: 1/10/2024Network: HBOStatus: Ended
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Yellow
star
8.08
145 votes

#1 - Yellow

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 8/28/1991

The year is 1918. During World War I, somewhere in France, it's the 49th day of continuous battle on the front lines. Lieutenant Martin Kalthrob doesn't want to be in the army anymore and asks his father, General Kalthrob, for a discharge. His father refuses but says he will transfer him to the rear if he leads a patrol to the German lines and fix the broken communication line. When he proves himself to be a coward, his father orders a court martial with penalty of death by firing squad.

Directors: Robert Zemeckis
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Forever Ambergris
star
7.97
159 votes

#2 - Forever Ambergris

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/1993

Dalton is a seasoned combat photographer who finds himself falling for a beautiful women who just happens to be the wife of his friend. One day Ike sends Dalton into a disease warfare area. Dalton returns, but not the way he used to be. He soon writes a letter about how he was set up and his wife and friend also contract the same disease.

Directors: Gary Fleder
What's Cookin'
star
7.96
164 votes

#3 - What's Cookin'

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/22/1992

Fred and Erma are workers at a squid cafe who find themselves in trouble because their business is failing and their landlord will kick them out. That is until one of the employees encourages them to serve meat. Suddenly business is getting better. Gaston decides to double cross Fred and Erma but he ends getting invited for dinner ... but not in the way he expects. (with optional commentary by John Kassir in character as the Cryptkeeper, the episode's writer Alan Katz, and Tales From the Crypt chronicler Digby Diehl).

Directors: Gilbert Adler
The Assassin
star
7.87
163 votes

#4 - The Assassin

Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/7/1994

Janet is a suburban wife of an ex-CIA assassin. When a group of operatives invade her home, they seem to think her husband is up to his old tricks again. The leader tempts one of her men then kills him, then kills the other guy, then plans to do the same with Janet. But Janet has a nasty surprise for her that she will never forget.

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Abra Cadaver
star
7.84
177 votes

#5 - Abra Cadaver

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/19/1991

A former potential surgeon sets out to wreak revenge on the brother who's cruel practical joke prevented him from realizing his dream.

Directors: Stephen Hopkins
Writer: Jim Birge
Carrion Death
star
7.80
241 votes

#6 - Carrion Death

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/15/1991

A sadistic serial killer has unforeseen complications when pursued by a determined motorcycle cop in a barren desert.

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Television Terror
star
7.77
225 votes

#7 - Television Terror

Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/17/1990

Horton Rivers is an arrogant television tabloid host. He is trying to get big ratings and decides to take his crew through a haunted house. The house is rumored to be haunted by an old woman who killed a number of men. Soon strange things start happening. Someone or something is stalking Horton and his camera crew. The ratings could take him to the top or to the bottom.

Directors: Charles Picerni
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My Brother's Keeper
star
7.66
172 votes

#8 - My Brother's Keeper

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 7/24/1990

The reckless Eddie and the correct Frank are Siamese brothers connected by their waists. Eddie wants to convince Frank to be submitted to a surgery with 50% of chances of success, but Frank is afraid. When Frank meets Marie in a bar, he falls in love for her and decides to risk. But a secret is disclosed with fatal consequences, affecting the relationship of the brothers.

Directors: Peter S. Seaman
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Strung Along
star
7.63
149 votes

#9 - Strung Along

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/2/1992

An aging puppeteer gets a new assistant. When he learns that his wife has a boyfriend, the assistant promises he'll do something about it. The puppeteer spends most of his time with is favorite puppet Koko. When he discovers that his assistant is his wife's lover, the two make him think that Koko has gone on a murderous rampage. Little do they know that Pinocchio isn't the only one with-out strings.

Directors: Kevin Yagher
Only Skin Deep
star
7.62
180 votes

#10 - Only Skin Deep

Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/31/1994

At a costume party, a young man falls in love with a sexy woman. They have a great time. He promises to keep quiet but the next day he spills the beans. The woman tells him not to be around while she's awake. He finds out that she's wearing that same mask. He tries to remove it only to learn that it's her horrible face. She gives him the most shocking punishment.

Directors: William Malone
Writer: Dick Beebe
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Staired in Horror
star
7.60
136 votes

#11 - Staired in Horror

Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/14/1994

Clyde is a fugitive who holes up in a house occupied by an elderly woman. One night he finds an attractive woman upstairs, but he discovers it's the same woman. She tells him that a long time ago her spouse caught her having an affair and put a curse on the house. She must stay up stairs if she wants to be young forever. The same thing will happen to the man if he comes upstairs. The cops arrive and he goes upstairs to change his image but he finds himself getting weak and the woman turns back into a helpless infant unable to do anything but crawl.

Directors: Stephen Hopkins
About Face
star
7.60
166 votes

#12 - About Face

Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/28/1996

Jonathan is a priest who discovers that he has two long lost daughters: beautiful Angelica and ugly Leah. Leah fears that because of her ugliness their father will leave them again. Jonathan plans to abandon them again but he is forced to kill Leah and gets a big surprise.

Directors: Tom Sanders
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Death of Some Salesmen
star
7.60
175 votes

#13 - Death of Some Salesmen

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/1993

A sneaky con man has a talent for killing people after he sells them phony tombstones. He soon learns that some for his new victims have a fortune buried in their cellar. He marries their daughter and kills the parents but when he goes down in the basement he gets a big surprise.

Directors: Gilbert Adler
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Three's a Crowd
star
7.59
397 votes

#14 - Three's a Crowd

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/1/1990

For their tenth anniversary a couple heads down to a cabin owned by their friend. When she and her friend start sneaking around the husband gets jealous and assumes that they are having an affair.

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The Ventriloquist's Dummy
star
7.51
292 votes

#15 - The Ventriloquist's Dummy

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/5/1990

A ventriloquist seeks out his old hero, Ingels, who he always admired. He soon meets up with his ventriloquist dummy Morty and discovers a shocking secret.

Directors: Richard Donner
House of Horror
star
7.50
121 votes

#16 - House of Horror

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/27/1993

Les Whilton is the president of a college fraternity. He decides to scare three pledges by daring them to spend a night in a haunted house. He and some of his friends have set up the place to look like it's haunted. Along for the ride is a group of sorority sisters. When everyone else turns up missing, everyone turns to Whilton. Whilton goes into the house alone and he gets a big surprise.

Directors: Bob Gale
Writer: Bob Gale
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Split Personality
star
7.50
153 votes

#17 - Split Personality

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 8/26/1992

Stetson is a con man who likes to date twins. He finds himself in the arms of twin sisters and creates a twin of his own. He weds both of them and decides to knock them off. Little does he know these twins share alike.

Directors: Joel Silver
Writer: Fred Dekker
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The New Arrival
star
7.42
130 votes

#18 - The New Arrival

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/25/1992

An arrogant radio child psychologist is obsessed with proving to his manager that he is the best. He gets a new patient, a woman and her daughter. When he goes to her room, he assumes that the daughter is the woman's imaginary friend. He learns that her daughter died years ago but her mother's love keeps her alive.

Directors: Peter Medak
Writer: Ron Finley
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The Switch
star
7.40
463 votes

#19 - The Switch

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/21/1990

An elderly millionaire asks a plastic surgeon to give him the body of a younger man to win the girl of his dreams.

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Split Second
star
7.40
163 votes

#20 - Split Second

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 8/7/1991

Dixon is a lumberjack who marries a sexy barmaid named Liz Kelly. Soon after, he turns from sweet Dr. Jekyll into cruel Mr. Hyde. He is jealous of her when the boys find her attractive. One day a new lumberjack comes to town and Liz finds Ted attractive. When he catches them in the bed together, Dixon goes in a jealous rage and whacks him blinding him. The boys help him seek revenge on Dixon and Liz.

Directors: Russell Mulcahy
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Beauty Rest
star
7.40
153 votes

#21 - Beauty Rest

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/11/1992

An obsessed wannabe model grows bloody red with envy when her roommate lands a part she thought she was going to get. She forces her roommate to overdose and steps in to take her place. She becomes the next victim of another jealous model and kills her rival. Now there's no one standing in her way and she is crowned, but she soon discovers something shocking about the talent show.

Directors: Stephen Hopkins
Watch Now:Amazon
Korman's Kalamity
star
7.37
240 votes

#22 - Korman's Kalamity

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/26/1990

Jim Korman is a cartoonist for Tales From The Crypt. He has talent for creating horrible creatures - they are all inspired by his harassing wife. Little does he know that his creations are coming to life and creating havoc. A female detective pursues the creator and suddenly falls for him. Korman decides to finally take his wife out of the picture.

Directors: Rowdy Herrington
Writer: Terry Black
Two for the Show
star
7.36
131 votes

#23 - Two for the Show

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/20/1993

A man slaughters his wife who he believes is having an affair. He drags her body and puts it in the bathtub. The police arrive and he refuses to let them near the bathtub. He chops up the corpse and hops a train with a trunk containing his wife's corpse. The detective follows him. The man switches trunks but when he opens the other one he gets a big surprise.

Directors: Kevin Hooks
Watch Now:Amazon
Let the Punishment Fit the Crime
star
7.36
176 votes

#24 - Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/31/1994

An ambulance-chasing lawyer finds herself in a nightmare court when she is hauled in for having too many digits on her license plate. She finds her self going through the court several times and they have a way of throwing the book at her. Little does she know, that her lawyer has been dismissed for being stuck in the court too long. He treats himself with the chair of doom but she must stay to take his place.

Directors: Russell Mulcahy
Writer: Ron Finley
Creep Course
star
7.36
140 votes

#25 - Creep Course

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/10/1993

Reggie is a college jock who is trying to pass a history test. He asks the class bookworm Stella Bishop to help tutor him. She goes to Finely's house to to get the answer sheet, but when she gets there, Finely and Reggie lock her in a mummy's tomb. Finely double crosses Reggie by poisoning him. Finely goes back to check his work, and gets a big surprise. Stella is not dead. She has been charming the mummy by impersonating his dead girlfriend making the mummy jealous and Reggie and Finely really take the wraps.

Directors: Jeffrey Boam
Writer: Jeffrey Boam
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