Crazy Fun Park

After Mapplethorpe dies in a feat of stupidity at an abandoned carnival, best friend Chester discovers that Mapplethorpe "lives" each night from dusk til dawn, trapped at the park with a group of other ghostly teenagers who met similar fates. Chester sneaks off to visit nightly -- which interferes with his schooling -- and each episode delves into the life and death of a different character.

I went into this blind and was gripped practically from the start. The characters are lovable, there's not one weak link in the cast (Stacy Clausen is a standout as Mapplethorpe, and Judith Lucy chews the scenery as Chester's teacher/counselor), it moves at a brisk pace, there are some really funny moments, plenty of well-structured drama, and a whole lot of heart. My only two criticisms are that Nimrod's storyline devolved into pure schmaltz, and the big mystery surrounding leader Remus ultimately felt sort of... meh.

The thing that I kept thinking was that it reminded me of the 1980s vampire classic "The Lost Boys." That's certainly not intended as an insult, nor did it seem like some blatant ripoff, but there's a similar dramedy tone and many of the same elements.

With just dead air and bad reality shows coming out of Hollywood at the moment, this Aussie miniseries was a welcome surprise. Highly recommended.

I went in blindly with low expectations and I was not disappointed. This show is a hidden gem! There are no particularly unlikable characters, and once we see their backstories they each get more interesting. I am also surprised at the LGBT representation, it was shockingly good! The acting was good, the storyline was full of heart and even made me shed some tears.

It's certainly not for everyone, but I still highly recommend watching this. The themes of loss and grief might lean into more mature audiences, but isn't exactly a horror series. Some aforementioned themes and visual effects here and there could be a little bit unsettling for some.

For some bad stuff (and this is pretty nitpicky,) some things just get forgotten. I'd give some examples but that's kind of hard to do keeping this review spoiler free. As much as I wish for a season 2, the ending was perfectly fine. I wish this show can get an actual fanbase that I could talk about the show with.

Sorry if this review is a bit ranty, but I just love this show so much.

This show is an amazing idea that is executed as poorly as possible. To begin, Mapplethorle is downright abusive to his friend yet were asked to sympathize with him. This, in tandem with Clausen's over-acting makes for a downright unbearable character. I'm a HUGE fan of inclusion but this shows hyper fixation is so obsessive that, instead of utilizing it naturally, it turns entire episodes into lectures on pronouns and relationships, which actually stands in its own way. This show celebrates an abusive friendship and fails to find the nuance it needs to make an impact. Absolutely worth skipping.

I didn't have any expectations for this and only picked it as I couldn't figure out the hotel TV.

Anyway, I ended up being hooked and binged all 10 episodes.

It does have some funny elements but, for me, I thought it was a really well crafted drama with some horror, loads of emotion and some life lessons.

I have to say I didn't expect to cry at all watching this show but I did have a little blub.

I'm not sure if there could be a season 2 unless the focus is on a different character but I'm really impressed that this "kids" show was so well done.

Overall, a really enjoyable story that deals with death and being able to let go.

Absolutely fantastic series!

It has every element you want in a show, from a bit of comedy, to a bit of thriller, to emotional scenes. Actually it was a very emotional and moving story.

The actors are outstanding.

We didn't realise it was for children when we started watching, and certainly didn't feel childish in any way.

It's definitely worth a watch, 100% and isn't scary at all. Actually it's rather beautiful and I'm not ashamed to say I did cry.

I'm really hoping for a second series as although the ending was fantastic and could be left there, I definitely want more from this show and the eery Park behind it.