‘If there is such a thing as a soulmate, then yes, Nicky is my soulmate…’
With an eye-catching title, an executive producer credit for the Duffer Brothers (of Stranger Things fame), and a talented cast, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen was always going to be a big event on the horror TV landscape. While it met with considerable buzz and enthusiastic reviews upon arrival, that seemed to die down pretty quickly as the series progressed. Let’s explore why…
We’ve seen a set-up similar to this one in everything from Ready or Not to I’m Thinking of Ending Things to You’re Next. A young, attractive couple in the throes of a burgeoning love affair retreat to the man’s home estate, where the woman discovers that his eccentric family are hiding a murderous secret. Here, the couple, Rachel and Nicky (played by Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco, respectively), are on the verge of getting married on Nicky’s family estate before word of a deadly curse begins to emerge. The cast is rounded out by Ted Levine and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Nicky’s parents, with Gus Birney, Karla Crome and Jeff Wilbusch as various family members.
Something Very Bad… starts off great. Showrunner Haley Z. Boston creates a convincing and pervading sense of dread in the first couple of episodes, mainly through the kinetic camera work and some imaginative lighting. The problem is that there simply isn’t enough material here to justify eight full-length episodes. This would have made a great three-episode mini series, or even a feature film, but by the time we hit episodes six and seven, this show too often feels like it is spinning its wheels. While the bombastic final episode does make up for this somewhat, ultimately, the destination doesn’t justify the journey.
As a debut outing for a first-time TV showrunner, Something Very Bad… has enough bright spots to justify its existence, but there is a nagging feeling of missed opportunity having over it.
