Monsterland

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.

I will add more to this review but if the caliber of the rest of the episodes is the same as the first.. well horror fans of all shapes and sizes.. we might be in for a big treat. Many 'horror' fans, by that i mean gore mongers. Will perhaps not appreciate the first episode considering its a psychological horror... I for one got a pure feeling of unease watching the first ep, this often comes from great story writing, editing and direction can do this with dialogue coming secondary.

Episode 2, Also another psychological horror. That ambiguous ending will have you questioning everything that came before it in a different light. Everything seemed more innocent until.... well you'll have to see. Really what carried this episode is the acting of the lead. I've seen him in other things and he plays certain characters very well.

Edit, Just done with episode 5... My score has thus far not merited being downgraded from a 9 especially after this episode... Many people in the world are affected or have a loved one affected with mental illness. This one hit very deep for me as I struggle with mental illness and will for many other people like myself who have felt that level of despair where you thought there was only one solution... fortunately i keep myself in line in that regard more for the sake of others than myself. Others are not so fortunate to have that level of control....

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.

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.

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.