August is fading fast. Mild as it has been, the heat still feels like vernal. With all the rain, the humidity hasn’t subsided. But for all the hallmarks of late summer, the slowly changing sundown still heralds the end. Spooky season is around the corner as you, no doubt, have seen in any retail space. The brisk way we race to the next holiday without savoring the here and now. When I saw All Hollow’s Eve decor the moment I turned down a Target aisle, I recoiled like a vampire to a cross. Way too early! If we must concede, let’s at the very least watch some creepy fare that are part of the sunny times.
FX’s The Shards is the latest from show creator Ryan Murphy, behind such classics as Glee and Pose. Here, we find him squarely in his wheelhouse. He is, after all, the man behind American Horror Story which is coming back again. However, he is not alone when it comes to this venture. Shards comes from the mind of Bret Easton Ellis, author and social media pariah. Most know him from American Psycho and Less Than Zero. This newest, based on the book of the same name, follows a version of his high school self as he begins senior year with his friends at a prep school in Los Angeles. I never read the novel, but if you have read any, you know where this is going. Affluent brats from privileged backgrounds go to parties and get wasted, breezing through school. The catch: a serial killer has made his way into their community picking them off.
Being set in the 80s, the traditional slasher vibes come off as pat as the teens’ disaffected natures. You wonder if Murphy and even Ellis himself cares if these characters live or die. The actor playing Bret is interesting enough to compel the plot forward. However, maybe we shouldn’t use so much narration. The voice over just breaks up the action, stopping and starting like a poorly-operated stick shift sports car. Funny to see actual celebrities’ kids in these roles. Entertaining for sure, but not enough substance.
Earlier this summer I reviewed Backrooms but failed to see the other major surprise horror hit. Now on Peacock, Obsession can be enjoyed in the comfort of your home. We are introduced in the beginning to Bear, a mild-mannered music store worker who has a crush on his co-worker Nikki. He tries to get up the courage to ask her out during a group bar trivia night. Sounds like the start of romantic comedy, right? Well…not quite. Before attending, Bear visits a magic shop to get Nikki a gift. While browsing the trinkets, he finds a deceptively innocent toy called a “One Wish Willow.” He would just need to say what he desires and break it, then it will come to pass. Harmless, it would seem. But in typical monkey’s paw logic (do these films not exist in this universe?), his wish goes awry. Nikki starts to attach herself to Bear like she is possessed, like she is a new version of herself. Actress Inde Navarrette give one of the most nuanced performances I have seen in a long time. She plays this new Nikki as well as flashes of the original who seems to be fighting to escape. In some scenes they appear simultaneously, giving some to speculate if Inde is in line for Oscar.
Curry Barker, who wrote and directed, came from YouTube like Backrooms Kane Parsons. Both have been a shot in the arm to the film industry. Barker, however, relies more on the razor’s edge between humor and fear. In that way, he is very reminiscent of Jordan Peele. Both started in comedy and turned to horror later. But they also know how to balance out the tones in wonderful yet unexpected ways.
Much discourse has been posted all over social media stating that Bear is the villain and Nikki his victim. Again, how does he not know the adage “Be Careful What You Wish For”? One conversation no one is having is about his friend Ian being as much as an antagonist. Rest assured, no one will come away unscathed.
