Netflix
Camila Morrone in ‘A Very Bad Feeling’
Staging, white dress, guests, wedding rings, vows, and anxieties. Many anxieties. Netflix released ‘A Very Bad Feeling’ on Thursday, March 26. This horror series on the theme of marriage is produced by the Duffer brothers, known for the phenomenon ‘Stranger Things.’ Enough caution to attract viewers, but does it actually captivate them? Opinions vary.
Take a young bride with a dramatic past and a wealthy nice fiancé. Place them in a luxury, eerie chalet filled with stuffed animals. Add in a completely neurotic family, and you have the ingredients of the new Netflix series. Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco star in this snowy and creepy psychological (but not only) thriller.
Due to time constraints, we haven’t seen the entire season 1, which consists of eight episodes, so it’s impossible to provide a complete and honest review. However, the initial feeling can be described as quite mixed. We were visually captivated by the direction, the icy landscape, and the numerous terrifying props, like those stuffed hunting dogs that no one should look in the eyes. We were terrified by the well-placed jump scares, to the point of turning away to spare our nerves.
A Mastered Horror Series
What everyone agrees on is the horror potential of ‘A Very Bad Feeling.’ From flashbacks to blood trails, abominable family stories about a killer roaming in the woods to ghostly figures haunting the house’s dark corridors, yes, it’s frightening.
‘The Guardian’ describes the series as “so hellish that it will prevent you from sleeping,” ‘Indiewire’ praises the direction as being “a delight for horror and gore fans,” while ‘Screen Rant’ raves about this “exciting and terrifying series that will leave all viewers shaken.”
The flawless performance of Camila Morrone, recently seen in season 2 of ‘The Night Agent,’ as well as the performances of other actors like Adam DiMarco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Gus Birney, are also acclaimed. However, where opinions differ is on the pacing of the series written by Haley Z. Boston.
Scattered Puzzle
Some, like ‘Time,’ believe the series takes too long to truly get started. They jokingly say, “I had to resist speeding up to 1.5x just to finally understand what’s happening,” lamenting the need to wait until halfway through the series to begin to comprehend the plot. This sentiment is echoed by ‘Variety,’ which feels that the horror genre, and this particular storyline, may not fit well within the episodic television format: “The necessary tension to truly scare is extremely difficult to maintain over several hours.” ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ agrees, adding that the secondary characters are not adequately explored, which is odd considering the show’s length.
Karla Crome, Camila Morrone, and Gus Birney in ‘A Very Bad Feeling’
For ‘Screen Rant,’ however, this disjointed and slow narration is a way to “keep the viewer on edge, as they never know who to believe or trust.” ‘Indiewire’ also loved how “each episode leading the spouses closer to the altar is filled with creepy twists and smart existential reflections.”
Some preferred the initial eerie, misty, and suspenseful episodes where you wonder, “What’s happening?” Others liked the later episodes where Rachel and the viewer start piecing together the puzzle. Some, like ‘IndieWire,’ ‘Screen Rant,’ or ‘Écran Large,’ loved it. Others, like ‘Télérama’ or ‘The Wall Street Journal,’ hated it. You’ll have to form your own opinion. Just not while eating, and with the lights on, at least.
