Hysteria!

I'm only on episode 3 but I have to take a second to say how Bruce Campbell is absolutely killing it in this show. I'm used to him being kind of over the top acting (not because he over acts, but because that's what the role called for) like Evil Dead but in this he really really really is doing a great job of like playing a sheriff. It's coming off like very genuine the way he's acting his. You know his hand movements and not just the words that he's saying but all of it just seems very very genuine. At this point I'm just trying to get to my 200 word mark because I'm not done watching the show.

I stumbled upon this show by accident while browsing through a catalog of new releases and decided to start the first episode purely based on the poster. I thought, "Maybe it'll be something like Stranger Things or the Fear Street trilogy," but it turned out to be completely different. It's been quite some time since I've felt this kind of excitement-similar to when I watched The Haunting of Hill House.

This show isn't overly serious, but it's not a comedy either. I really enjoyed it overall, though I felt the ending was a bit lacking. I was expecting something different, and it ended up feeling a little cliché. That said, I still recommend giving it a watch!

It's 1989. Happy Hollow is a small town near Detroit. Star quarterback Ryan Hudson and his secret girlfriend Faith get taken by masked people. Dylan Campbell, Jordy Stanwyck, and Spud are a local high school metal band struggling to get noticed. Dylan goes fake Satanic to gain the attention of school hottie Judith.

I really really wanted to like this, but I really really hate Dylan. It's tough to watch the dumb pathetic teen do dumb pathetic teen stuff. He keeps making the same face, saying the same things, and doing the same idiotic mistake. Sure, Judith is hot and guys have done plenty of dumb things to get some crazy hot. It is still a frustrating watch. I feel like I'm Jordy.

Tracy Whitehead is problematic. She never declares that her daughter Faith went missing. The math doesn't add up for this helicopter mother in the early episodes. Then, there is an explanation, but it still doesn't work... especially for the daughter. Unless Tracy assumes that Faith has amnesia, that part doesn't make sense.

I would be more interested in Chief Dandridge's investigation. This is about a murder in a small town. That is still compelling. The actual hysteria part is somewhat interesting. The possession screws up the mystery part unless somebody solves that. There are too many dumb kids and too many dumb adults. I get it. That's the point. It doesn't make me hate Dylan's whiney voice any less.

I went in to this completely blind, and my first impressions was that it was going to be a dark comedy and satire from the 1980's satanic panic. It turned out to be a teen drama best suited for the likes of MTV. Once again, it's another 80s throwback where most of the cast look like they're out of 2024 cosplaying 80s characters and getting it all wrong. The story lines are all over the place but they do come together for the most part. I binged watched this in one day and it very well much could have been a 2 hr movie. The not so subtle ending really ruined what could have been an amazing wrap up. I can't really recommend the show, but it wasn't bad. It's definitely a one and done with no rewatchability. They really missed the mark on just how funny the satanic panic was in the 80s when we all knew it was bs.

This show captured 1989, the satanic panic, and the style of all those old supernatural horror films to the 'T'. I suspect that when the network saw it, they had them edit out a few minor shots that might give away what was a possible ending, so they could do a second season. At least I hope so. But having lived through that period, I can say they did it very well.

While not a comedy, it did keep me laughing at all the nods to other films of that genre, which in way reminded me of Stranger Things, but they limited jump scares, nudity blood, and ultra violence, and still made a good show. My hat is off to the producers and directors and writers.

PS the cast is all good, and this is Brice Campbell's 2nd best role after Bubba Ho Tep.