Widow’s Bay

Now I understand why Matthew Rhys won two Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in two different series (something that has never happened before). The guy has such an incredible acting range that it’s a pleasure to watch him and, at the same time, admire his talent for creating such diametrically different characters… and then wonder how actors like this leave their characters on set, go home, and just function like normal human beings.

The Beast in Me and Widow’s Bay: two completely different stories, two completely different male characters, one a psychopath with Hannibal Lecter energy, the other a comically cowardly character with hidden emotional trauma - both brought to life by the same person.

This time, of course, I’m writing about Widow’s Bay, the TV series with 19 nominations and 14 Emmy wins, 10 episodes (so far), in the genres of folk horror, mystery, and thriller. It’s a mysterious story about a cursed island inhabited by superstitious residents who are convinced that the island’s fate is governed by ancient folk legends, and a skeptical mayor (Matthew Rhys) who refuses to accept the warnings and eccentricity of his fellow islanders and does everything he can to change the island’s image by turning it into a tourist attraction. But THE MIST is coming...

When I started watching the first episode, I laughed so much at the whole atmosphere, the weirdness of the characters, and the insanely good dialogue, that I absolutely did not expect what was coming next. Let me tell you right away: I’m not a person who likes horror because I value my sleep. Back in high school, heading into college (that was basically my only horror phase), I used to read The Shining like an idiot before bed, and I’ve watched a few hardcore Asian horror movies that have been so deeply burned into my memory that they’re not only enough to last me a lifetime, but I genuinely regret ever watching them in the first place.

So, for people like me, who cover their eyes during scary scenes and peek through their fingers, I feel responsible for putting up two red flags for the second and third episodes, after which I couldn’t sleep... IT definitely caught me by surprise.

The interesting thing is that even though the show’s narrative is dark, the episodes are so well put together, the characters are so much fun, and the whole series has this perfect laugh-horror-laugh-horror balance that you simply don’t want to stop watching because you need to know what happens next. So, after taking a two-day break, I continued with episode four, where the story really starts to unfold and the answers slowly begin to reveal themselves.

It’s creepy, I’m not going to lie, but the humor and the ridiculously good characters make you forget about that part.

The cast is definitely one of the best I’ve seen in a series so far. The combination of the main characters and the way they completely click with the supporting cast was fantastic. Everyone fits their character so naturally that you start thinking this is genuinely what they’re like in real life. Matthew Rhys (Tom Loftis), Stephen Root (Vic), and Kate O’Flynn (Patricia) all absolutely deserved their Emmy statues, but honestly, that entire office full of characters deserved an award.

Since the island and the story are completely detached from the modern world, the cinematography has this retro, nostalgic look reminiscent of 1970s films, with a subtle grain that makes it feel like it was shot on film (even though it wasn’t). The sixth episode is deliberately different from the rest, shot in another format and using exclusively natural light. You’ll see why (it looked beautiful).

It’s interesting that the series doesn’t have an opening title sequence, but it does have a really good poster and typography inspired by the typography used on the covers of The Shining and The Mist by Stephen King, complete with that distinctive red hue and the letter I with no dot on top.

In fact, the entire series takes a lot of creative inspiration from King’s work, so if you’re a fan, you’ll notice.

Season two is, of course, confirmed. We’ll have to wait until 2028 for it to come out, but the anticipation is definitely well deserved. Rating: 9/10