Author of sci-fi/fantasy, horror and adventure/thriller fiction

KINGDOM, Season 2

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Netflix’s Korean historical zombie series KINGDOM rocked into its second season, building on the political intrigue and outbreak setup of the first season in six highly dramatic, action-packed episodes. It’s an example of how to tell a story with zombies right and proof the undead aren’t dead yet as a genre.

The season picks up right where the last lets off, with Prince Chang and a small force fighting back a horde of undead that no longer “sleep” during the day. Lacking the means to destroy the zombies, he decides the best way he can save the dying province is to finally attack his larger problems in the capital, and try to reclaim his throne.

While season 1 was a slow burn setting up a lot of elements that build toward a zombie climax, season 2 is packed with action sequences that build toward an even bloodier finale. The six episodes are remarkably tight, with every scene providing important backstory via a flashback or advancing the plot.

What makes KINGDOM work for me is the characters are likeable, the GAME OF THRONES political intrigue is lightly done but effective, and the history and culture provide a unique perspective and tools for a rising dead story. Unlike shows like THE WALKING DEAD, the characters don’t mull the loss of civilization and humanity, and instead focus on the material stakes of saving their country, while the bad guys are willing to sacrifice part or even all of it to hold onto power. This tight thematic and plot focus serves the story well and makes for compelling viewing.

At the end of season 2, everything is wrapped up neatly with a bow, while setting the stage for a possible season 3. I’m not sure the show needs it, but I’ll check it out just the same.

DON’T HUG ME I’M SCARED

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DON’T HUGE ME I’M SCARED is a 6-part indie musical/comedy/horror web series released from 2011 to 2016 by British filmmakers Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling. Rolling out like a horror version of SESAME STREET on crack, it’s honestly one of the most deeply provocative, entertaining, and strangest things I’ve ever seen on the internet.

Each episode starts off as a typical show for kids, complete with a stylized, colorful set and three characters, Yellow Guy (a boy like Bert or Ernie), Red Guy (a creature like Grover or Oscar the Grouch), and Duck (a talking duck). They find themselves in a situation, and an object on the set comes to life to sing a song to teach them something about a topic such as Creativity, Time, Technology, Love, Healthy Eating, and Dreams. The lessons start off educationally until sliding headlong and in a surreal way into a darker, nastier, very adult interpretation of the topic, resulting in the characters being brutalized. This could have come across as a shtick, but it’s done so well, and you sympathize with the characters so much, it’s super dark and compelling.

Part of the wonder of the show is the amazing detail in set design and techniques used to tell the story. Easter eggs abound, many visible only on repeated or even frame by frame viewings, all of them hinting at a deeper story. The storytelling techniques combine live action, puppets, cartoons, and computer animation. The songs are catchy ear worms. The surreal horror aspect is creepy as hell. And the end of episode 4 and the last episode bring in what appears to be a meta commentary on corruption in content creation in children’s programming, a larger story that ties the whole thing together but is very open to interpretation as to exactly what that story is.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. All the episodes are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ux2ZxSXePs&t=1221s.

DOCTOR SLEEP (2019)

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DOCTOR SLEEP (2019) is strong for a Stephen King adaptation, joining the ranks of films like THE SHINING and THE MIST in its atmospherics and execution, but ultimately it proved weak in the storytelling department, making it feel overlong and ultimately be somewhat forgettable for me.

A sequel to THE SHINING that takes cues from the Kubrick adaptation, DOCTOR SLEEP is set decades after that story’s events. Danny is grown up now and haunted by figurative and very real ghosts, and is a walking train wreck as a result. When he finally gets cleaned up and in control, he finds his purpose. When a young girl with similar powers is targeted by a roaming cult that consumes psychic energy to remain immortal, he must protect her.

What I liked: just enough elements of the first film borrowed for the second, most of which were okay but really standing out in use of the original music and a solid effort at atmosphere. Ewan McGregor brings a genuine, understated humanity to the role of Danny. The psychic warfare made for an exciting cat and mouse game. I really enjoyed Danny’s story, his grappling with his childhood trauma, and his connection to the Overlook, and wished the film had focused entirely on that.

What I didn’t: the bad guys not being scary, despite a good effort by the director and cast. They just weren’t compelling for me, and I actually found their scenes boring. The young girl Danny must help was miscast, or she wasn’t given good direction, as I never felt like she was scared by what was happening to her, which affected my investment. There were too many moments where I asked, “why are they doing that,” too many consequences that seemed to be discarded for convenience.

Overall, I thought the adaptation was good not great, solid fare but lacking the greatness of its predecessor.

FREAKS (2018)

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Now available for streaming at Netflix, FREAKS (2018) was a great surprise for me, a fantastic genre bender.

The film opens with a simple premise. Since she was a baby, Chloe has lived in an abandoned house with her loving but controlling father, warned to never go outside. Dad is loving and playful but also controlling and unpredictable, his primary goal to protect her, though something is off about the whole scenario. Outside, the world looks normal enough, and all Chloe wants is to be a normal girl who is part of a loving family. When a mysterious stranger shows up, she begins to learn the truth isn’t what she thought, but the danger her father warned her about is very real. As the story unfolds, the mystery of who they are and what’s going on in the outside world steadily unravels in stages–in a forced manner, at first, but then more and more naturally–building on the story until everything is revealed in a series of thrilling action sequences.

I loved it. The actress playing Chloe (Lexy Kolker) was fantastic, as was the dad (Emile Hirsch) and Bruce Dern in his role. The script is daring and goes all the way to sometimes shocking lengths with its premise, culminating in a satisfying ending. It has its “clunks” but overall is a smooth, fun ride.

So check it out, but you might want to avoid the trailer as it kind of gives away the whole thing.

WEAVERFISH (2013)

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WEAVERFISH (2013) is a British horror film that has a nice gritty, slow-burn, cinema verite feel to it, but the horror element leads up to a predictable, abrupt ending that may leave some viewers feeling flat.

The film begins with a group of young adults who grew up together now reuniting to explore the grounds of a local industrial plant that was shut down after a boy disappeared there years earlier. A lake winds through the area, providing a way in by boat. On the shore, they spend a night in wild partying until waking up the next day with far more than a hangover. They’re getting sick, very sick. Some type of disease that is changing their bodies.

The film centers on several characters: Reece, who is shy, into photography, and in love with Charlotte, who in turn is with Reece’s friend Matt and is irritated by how much attention he gets from other women. The dynamics of these relationships and those with other characters is realistic and contributes to the cinema verite feel.

When people start getting sick, things get more interesting, but then two elements fell short for me. First, the strange illness should have tested the relationships, forced revelations and change, or at least highlighted the need for change. Yes, unresolved relationships is like real life, but this is a story, not real life. A little bit of that would have gone a long way while keeping the feel of the film. Second, the illness culminates in a climax that is fairly easy to see coming, and so when the movie abruptly ends without much of a resolution, it fell flat for me.

Despite these complaints, I liked it and found it a worthwhile watch. The characters are likeable, the story feels real at least until the illness shows up, and overall, you get what you pay for with this indie horror flick.

LOCKE AND KEY (2020)

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I liked Joe Hill’s LOCKE AND KEY comic series quite a bit and was excited to hear it would be coming to Netflix. Unfortunately, despite some nice threads and plenty of promise, the adaptation, which deviates quite a bit from the comics’ darker material, feels like standard TV fare, and by the end had me banging my head against the wall at characters making constant terrible decisions without any consequences.

The story follows the Locke family, which is moving into the father’s ancestral home, Key House, after he is murdered by a student at the high school where he worked. Everyone is grieving or dealing with guilt. The three kids in the family try to make their way at their new school. Then the youngest begins to find mysterious keys around the house, each of which grants a magical power. Unfortunately, an evil entity also needs the keys, which it intends to use to unleash hell. This begins a cat and mouse game where the kids use the keys to gain powers while fending off the evil entity, which often has the upper hand.

The result was not bad for me so much as simply lackluster and overly familiar. The keys were fantastic, a really fun element in the story that kept me interested. The characters, unfortunately, weren’t exactly likeable, and the villain was dastardly and conniving to the point of being eye-rolling. Some of this was in the acting, while much of it was simply an adaptation of very dark and powerful material to render it safely packaged for a wide TV audience. By the end, the characters were making one terrible decision after another, generally without consequences.

So overall, LOCKE AND KEY was okay for me, a fairly decent watch but lacking the strength of its source material and paling in comparison with other amazing shows.