The creators of Stranger Things present a new drama steeped in dread, where a happy couple embarks on what should be an idyllic wedding at a dimly lit cabin in the woods. The results are nothing short of chilling.
Upon learning that the Duffer brothers, the minds behind Stranger Things, had a new series premiering on Netflix, I knew I had to watch, albeit without eagerness. I confess to finding identical twins who produce visual media inherently unsettling, even when their projects aren’t explicitly titled “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.” My nervous system simply isn’t wired to enjoy horror, and I often struggle to understand those who do. Isn’t life itself sufficiently frightening?
The inaugural episode, which debuted on Thursday, March 26th – and one wonders if that’s a working title or the definitive one; it has the directness of naming Mrs. Doubtfire “Heartwarming Drag Act” or Free Willy “Pelagic Marine Predators Do Not Belong in Captivity” – situates us four days prior to the wedding of Nicky (Adam DiMarco) and Rachel (Camila Morrone). This impending union serves as the central event driving the narrative.