Widow’s Bay
The next Martha’s Vineyard and definitely not cursed…
Is Widow’s Bay the best show on television? It might well be.
The words ‘comedy horror’ aren’t exactly what I look for in a TV show or movie because it screams terrible horror and not really that funny. However, when everyone suddenly started talking about Widow’s Bay I decided to give it a go…and I was blown away. Created by Kate Dippold, known for writing Parks and Recreation and The Heat and directed by Hiro Murai, the series is set on the fictional New England island of Widow’s Bay. Not known for being much of a tourist spot, the mayor Tom (played by Matthew Rhys) is trying to get it on the map, despite it’s supposed curse that brings various supernatural evils to the island. Whilst these stories are initially ignored by Tom, the resident believer Wyck (Stephen Root). who also happens to be an alcoholic fisherman, wears him down until finally the curse catches up to Tom, forcing him to face the truth of his island. Throughout the show, more and more strange occurrences happen and Tom is left to try and save himself and his home.
What surprised me the most, was just how funny and how scary it was. Fantastic comedy writing combined with even better suspense and horror is a rare thing to come across and it worked so perfectly. I’ve come to find that when comedy horror is done, one always falls behind. Widow’s Bay is the perfect pairing of laugh out loud moments and genuinely spine chilling suspense. It’s comedy, horror and small town drama all rolled into one.
The casting directors deserve all the praise for casting Rhys to play small town Mayor and Father Tom. Known previously for his dramatic work in The Americans and The Beast in Me, he is always exceptional but he really shines in this role. He brings the dramatic flare but also is a lot of the comedic relief, and he has some of my favourite reactions to supernatural entities I’ve ever seen. The shows secret star is the relationship between Tom and Wyck, which brings levity and humour whilst also developing into a really interesting Father/Son, older brother/annoying little brother type situation that steals the show every time they’re together.
If you are looking for a light hearted horror show that will make you laugh and cover your eyes in fear, I cannot recommend Widow’s Bay enough. Or if you’re not usually a horror fan but are looking to dip your toes in, this is a great introduction into the genre.