Monsterland

If you're looking for jump scares and a gore fest, this is not it. If you like psychological horrors/thrillers with a sprinkle of supernatural, well then you're in the right place. This show is more about the monsters inside of us as humans and less about the supernatural, mostly using them as a metaphor (at least that's what I took from some episodes). As an anthology series, there will inevitably be some episodes that fall flat. Like black mirror, it's a lot of commentary on current situations/issues, and like black mirror, some episodes are just better than others. I personally really enjoyed the series and watched it all in one day. My least favorite episodes were 4 and 8, with the best being 5,6, and 7.

The first episode of season one struck me similarly to my seminal reaction to the first X-Files episode. And I was excited with this prospect. Even without Molder and Scully.

However, after watching half of the first season something has become apparent. The performances, production design, cinematography, and general mood are great. The scripts are spotty though. They tend to end abruptly, leaving the conclusions unresolved or "open-ended." And as a viewer I feel that this is a let down, or indicative of lazy writing.

These meandering storylines are allowable for a few, errand episodes within a season, however, it seems to be a series pattern.

None-the-less, I'll continue watching because there are some satisfying pay-offs within this series. You just have to wade through the murk.

A ton of these reviews lament the script writing, however, few actually seem to realize it is adaptation of a short story anthology, North American Lake Monsters y by Nathan Ballingrud. I have not read the anthology which seems to be much more favorably reviewed. The show was good just poorly marketed. The previews and and retitling definitely do not fit the show. It also seems the source material may have alluded to more actual monsters where the stories selected here were mostly metaphorical.

Firstly, I have only seen the first episode so far. I am always on the lookout for shows that are on the sinister side. I expected this show to be about typical monsters, and I really do not enjoy that kind of entertainment. I do enjoy a deep, meaningful psychological thriller which this seems to be. I recommend it, but not if you are looking for typical halloween horror.

I thought this series was supposed to be horror but it's not really in my opinion. Each story is unique (mostly) and some are much better than others. My least favorite was the Texas one. That one was a dud. However a couple of them were so interesting. The one that really creeped me out was the one with Taylor Schilling. Her character was interesting, mysterious and ultimately unforgettable. The breakout star was Miss Dever who equally frustrated me but then gained my compassion. She's a young star who is on the rise right now and is one to watch!