Nightcrawlers (The Twilight Zone)

"Nightcrawlers" is the 17th episode of the third season of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on January 11, 1963. The episode was written by Rod Serling and directed by Douglas Heyes.

The story centers around a gas station in a small, isolated town on a dark and stormy night. A state trooper arrives, visibly shaken and reporting a harrowing experience involving a diner where people were seemingly killed by an unseen force. Soon after, more people arrive at the gas station, also seeking refuge from the inexplicable events unfolding in the area.

Each time a character gets frightened or stressed, the gas station pumps start erratically dispensing gasoline, and the scene outside reveals more details of a terrifying threat: creatures that resemble large, animated shadows or "nightcrawlers" moving across the landscape, seemingly reacting to the rising tension of the gathered individuals. The creatures appear only after expressions of fear or anxiety.

The episode explores themes of mass hysteria, fear as a catalyst for the unreal, and the potential consequences of heightened emotional states. It leaves the explanation for the nightcrawlers deliberately ambiguous, suggesting that collective anxiety might be the driving force behind their manifestation, or perhaps that their appearance is a warning about the destructive nature of human fear. The episode is regarded as one of the more suspenseful and unsettling installments of The Twilight Zone. The ending offers no resolution, leaving the viewer to ponder the true nature and origin of the titular nightcrawlers.