Let me start by saying that I’m nowhere near a horror expert. In fact, I’m much closer to a novice. And that’s by choice.
Sure, I’ve seen tons of classics over the years, but I have a problem with jump scare and slasher films which make up a lot of contemporary horror. And to be honest, when we do watch something approaching real horror I tend to find an excuse to conveniently get up and rummage through the cupboards for a snack.
Okay, I’m scared, I said it.
The point of that sad admission is that I know comedy/horror is probably a pretty healthy subgenre, but my knowledge of it doesn’t go far beyond Evil Dead which I saw in a college film class.
That said, I get how hard it must be to balance horror and comedy. And while I don’t have much experience seeing it, Widow’s Bay kills it, so to speak.
Confidently created (and the pilot written) by Katie Dippold who has a varied sketch and writing career (including Parks and Recreation) it finds a fantastic balance between the two genres. Matthew Rhys (Tom Loftis) stars as the major of a small New England island town with some real issues.
Mayor Loftis is trying to revitalize this seemingly doomed island by turning it into the next Martha’s Vineyard, but the residents all seem to think that’s crazy given the generations of issues the island faces.
And in just the first two episodes, those issues include a mysterious fog that can turn the good folks of the island into some sort of Herman Melville zombies, an underground electric chair that may have tried to stop the evil, an underlying satanic presence, and a ghost who can turn into a killer clown in a nod to Stephen King. Indeed, the whole island seems to be an homage to King’s fictional Derry, Maine — a place where horror in all shapes, sizes, and forms springs eternal.
The writing and directing is spot on in finding that tone. The comedy is very much there, and while it occasionally is on-the-nose funny — an old PSA for the island and the old board games at the haunted B&B are fantastic — just as much its character driven and more darkly quirky than a sitcom like Parks and Rec.
Of course, Rhys is the star here and he’s just wonderful. I know the Welsh actor primarily from The Americans, and while his character in that could be funny, this is a definite departure from anything I’ve seen him in. He’s a bundle of jittery nerves and contradictions, opposed to most of his fellow islanders, but experiencing some of the island’s issues first-hand. He’s obviously having a blast and it shows.
Stephen Root is the other more widely-known face here, playing the self-anointed leader of the pure islanders who believe something has been unleashed to bring more than the usual levels of horror to the island. Per usual, he’s stellar, and the other eccentric island inhabitants are good (and I expect) will only get better as we get to know them.
You can kind of see the outlines of some of the deeper mysteries the rest of the season might dig into, even if you don’t know what monsters or evils may be thrown in the mix.
But, again, the tone and balance here is key, and in my book it’s just right. The comedy doesn’t overshadow the thrills and chills, and the horror is played straight enough to be pretty creepy.
As for me, I only left the room once to let the cat out. And he really did need to go at a scary moment. I, mean, he wanted to go out.
Okay, he indicated a desire to go out.
I’m never going to get into the world of slasher jump-scares. But, Widow’s Bay is good enough to keep my ass on the couch.