Ghouls, goblins and ghosts, oh my! Halloween, the season of fright, is upon us. During this time there are many new shows to watch if you want to enjoy some scares from the comfort of your couch.
One new show on Netflix that is sure to bring some fright is Ratched. This show is inspired by the book (and film) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest starring Jack Nicholson. It depicts the journey of a man in the mental health system while during his stay at a mental institution. Throughout his journey, he makes friends and develops relationships with the other inmates. They are subjected to daily medications and witness psychotherapy first hand. The woman who is in charge of ensuring these patients take their medications and follow the rules is a nurse named Ratched.
This show is the story of how nurse Ratched came to be. Portrayed by Sarah Paulson, she is depicted as cold and lifeless in the original film—a woman of small words and cruel action. Patients regularly become enraged with her, but she cares little for their outbursts. This is a good one to binge if mind games are your choice of chills.
Another Netflix original show is The Haunting of Bly Manor, set to release October 9. This is the follow-up season to The Haunting of Hill House. The first season, released in 2018, was a resounding success and garnered many fans. Bly Manor, however, depicts an entirely new story from that of Hill House. The show’s storytelling is very similar to American Horror Story, in that there are multiple seasons with a recurring cast but a different story each season.
This new tale focuses on the character of Dani Clayton, who is hired to care for a man’s niece and nephew. These children came into his care under mysterious circumstances. As she begins working at the Bly manor, Clayton becomes increasingly aware of strange figures lurking in its shadows. Clayton is not the only one to notice them, however: the children see these figures, too, and treat them as entirely harmless. But as the story progresses, these friendships quickly turn sour.
Continuing on with Netflix originals, a movie that has been recently added is the Korean film #Alive. Director Il Cho had Hollywood ambitions when he decided to direct this zombie thriller. The film is a spin on Matt Naylor’s original #Alone script, which he co-adapted with Cho. The movie has received a score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes as well as a 6.2/10 on IMDB. It topped the charts on Netflix in 35 countries (the U.S. included) when it was globally released on September 8.
#Alive focuses on the streamer/gamer, Joon Woo, who is streaming from his apartment in Seoul while his family is out. During one of his streams, his friends tell him to check the news: a mystery disease has infected the population, and infected individuals are attacking and gorging on the flesh of others. Joon then barricades himself in his apartment while trying to get help through a social media post. Days go by, with no help in sight, and Joon finds himself trapped with a whole apartment complex full of the infected. Many viewers found Joon’s struggles relatable in light of the ongoing quarantine. This thrilling zombie film will make movie night all the more scary.
Finishing off our list of spooktacular shows is the upcoming anthology series, Monsterland, from Hulu. Each of its eight episodes are named after a city in the U.S., and feature a different director. Monsterland is based on Nathan Ballingrud’s book North American Lake Monsters: Stories, and it offers a scary twist on an already thrilling anthology. Mary Lewis is the creator and executive producer for the show, which is a part of “Huluween,” their annual Halloween-themed celebration.
Monsterland dives into the human psyche. Each episode has its own story and feel. They mix horror with the emotions and thoughts we as humans face (like jealousy and greed for example), all the while still being grounded in reality so as to allow viewers to easily relate to the story and characters. Much like The Twilight Zone, each episode has a “bigger picture” that might be lost if you place too much focus on the horror.. The newly released show is definitely one to look out for if you are hungry for horror!
Authors: Danielle Mercado and Julian Alcaraz | A&E Editor & Staff Writer
