13: Fear Is Real

Veteran horror film director Sam Raimi is one of the executive producers on 13, and his expertise shows. The series looks and feels like a real horror movie, which doesn't go unnoticed by the media-savvy contestants. The unseen host, known as The Mastermind, intentionally uses language that evokes death and murder, making the already spooky challenges seem even eerier. The participants are often visibly shaken

Though it's obviously a reality show, the situations seem so much like a movie that the players -- and the viewers -- can't help but wonder where the line will be drawn between reality and fiction, or if there's a line at all. When players are tied up and blindfolded in the woods, alone at night, The Mastermind says some will face a terrible fate. And when two contestants are nailed into coffins and actually buried alive, terrified, it's clear that he wasn't exaggerating. Even for a reality show, some of these situations seem less like a TV show and perhaps more real than necessary. 13 will likely appeal to horror fans, but anyone who finds such movies off-putting will probably have the same reaction to this series.