American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 4 Review

In this review I will be discussing the fourth episode of American Horror Story: Cult in broad terms. However I will allude to, and may divulge, plot points and character motivations to better explain my points and analyse the episode. This will not be an Episode Synopsis or Breakdown and heavy spoilers will be clearly sign-posted. However, everyone's spoiler sensitivity is different and if you truly want to go into the episode blind and not even being coloured by my views then I recommend reading this after seeing the episode.

11/9

  Okay, first I have to take a moment to acknowledge the title of this episode, as it's cleverer than I think many people have noticed. This instalment is called "11/9", which ostensibly refers to the day immediately after the 2016 U.S Presidential Election. But it's also a direct inverse of the, now infamous, "9/11", inviting the comparison that this, too, was a moment that shook the U.S.A, and the world. The episode reflects this as we see how this day is changing people's lives on a personal level, all involving Kai.

  Episode 4 takes a step back, stumbles, almost falls but when lingering in this precarious spot reveals hidden depths and puzzle pieces. It's just a shame there's not that much horror. It does clearly and strongly present the Cult part of the title, but it did feel a little bit like American Politics Story this week. To clarify I don't just mean in the obvious way by commenting, as it does a heck of a lot, on "deplorables", "nasty women", and "grabbing by the pussy" either. No, broader strokes of liberalism and conservatism are presented here too, as is Kai's own brand of anarchism. It's scary but it's all still politics. 'Cos we haven't heard enough about that in the last twelve months!

  Let's start with Kai. First I want to address a misconception about Kai that Lil' Bro brought up, but I think a lot of people may share. He was confused how Kai seemed to be a Trump supporter, given his enthusiasm for getting him into office but also seemed to be manipulating and sympathizing with liberals, such as Harrison or Winter. I pointed out that his motivation here wasn't as Democrat or Republican. In my opinion, Kai merely wants the outcome that would cause the most upheaval, playing into his goals for, in his own words, "world domination". He is not on the side of Trump, he's on the side of chaos. This plays into "The Donald" however as his rise to power shows that anything is possible in leadership politics. Suddenly the idea of a lunatic like Kai getting real power isn't so far-fetched. Indeed, people like Kai might feel emboldened by the turn of events. It's an interesting twist to explore this scenario rather than the rise of more obvious fascists, racists and misogynists in the Republican ranks and beyond, although they are explicitly mentioned in case the metaphor went over your head. If Kai, the fictional anarchist, has been vindicated and empowered then we must see that these people could have been too. It's all the more sad that this was obviously written before some of the more recent events and news, as it now seems depressingly and terrifyingly redundant.

  Anyhow, let's finally get into the episode proper. We open with the reveal that this is, indeed, an episode of flashbacks, beginning on election night of 2016 with the news reporter we've seen before; Beverly Hope (the excellent Adina Porter). She reports from the polling stations as we see all of our main characters discussing the candidates and casting their vote. We then see Kai burst into the polling station with a severely injured man who insists on voting (Chaz Bono) and presents us with one of only two moments of horror (via gore) in the episode, along with screaming the seasons none-too-subtle theme of this season; "Welcome to Trump's America, fuckers!" The episode follows all of these people and let's us learn how they got here, as well as their links to Kai and the Clownz gang.

  We begin with the Wilton's, specifically Harrison, as we see how Kai inserted himself into their lives through befriending and seeming to empathise with him. I won't spoil it but suffice to say that Kai seems to identify possible vulnerable or pliable targets for his "induction". We see how his insidious mind controlling techniques manipulate misfortunes and desperation  (exacerbated by the politics of the day, of course) to lead Harrison down a dark path, and presumably, SPOILER! grow his band of murderous clowns, here getting the first two people who are presumably in the costumes we've seen this season. Here is where the episode ran into it's biggest problem for me. The actors playing Meadow and Harrison are great, but clearly the weak link in this episode. I don't think it's their fault though, but rather that they are very poorly written. Kai's seductive insidiousness is well portrayed but it's still a huge leap to the level of immorality he leads Harrison to. I never really believed it and it's played more for camp value than any serious attempt to explore how Kai could break through human ethics and values. It's a shame as I found myself losing interest in the episode here. 

  Mercifully the rest of the episode improves as we delve into the other characters, who are presented as much more rounded and believable in their descent into darkness. This leads us nicely into Beverley's story. 

  We've already seen glimpses of Bev via news clips reporting on some of the murderous events this season, but it becomes apparent that she is far more important and connected to our story, with deeper motivations than most of our characters thus far to boot. It's in this section of the episode that I perked up a little as I was pleased to see the return of AHS veteran Emma Roberts. 

The lovely Miss Roberts plays a rival news reporter to Bev, a less capable but more attractive, younger and more promiscuous reporter who is willing to exploit her sexuality to sleep her way to the top. I'm not sure what this character is meant to be saying, and she is presented and played far more in line with the kind of character performance we saw in Roberts' previous show; Scream Queens, which veers a little too far into teen soap-opera territory. She provides understandable motivation for Beverly as a genuine rival who she has reason to detest. I guess her character reflects that the rise of sexism is allowing people like Bev to unfairly be superseded by "dolly bird" types who allow themselves to be exploited, but it's very muddled. Without spoilers we do see the biggest moment of actual horror here though, so at least that's something. It's also a tad redundant as Bev reveals that she feels continuous seething rage. This is fantastically portrayed but I'd have loved to see further exploration of why this is, we presume due to sexism (which is touched upon) and racism (which isn't) but it might have been nice to show that. 

  Finally, in the final third, we see how Winter and Ivy previously met, seemingly confirming a lot of the suspicions of Ivy that I and others have had thus far. This is the most interesting part of the episode as it seems to imply that even pre-election Winter might not have been entirely innocent either. And at the very least we see seeds of exactly what might lead her to Kai, if she isn't already working for his goals. The descent of this pair into extreme behaviour is far more believable, coming as a reaction against a particular man (Chaz Bono from the intro) who is a now all-too-familiar type of villain; the sexist, misogynist, sexually abusive, probably racist Republican supporter. Although, in fairness, Bev's story does have this motivation touched upon too.  The worst crime of this particular third of the episode though is that it tries to deliver horror and fails. The moment of what should be tension is killed by the ridiculousness of the situation (just tell Kai to go get something else!) and the fact that it is a blatant and unashamed rip-off of a hugely famous 2004 horror movie. There are more little reveals here which I feel may be vitally important but too spoiler heavy. Suffice to say you should watch carefully.

  Overall then, this episode seemed to be presenting us with a deeper illustration of how "the fear in a small Michigan town can infect the entire country". But I think by this point we get the picture. I certainly do. It wasn't a bad episode, and there were definitely great moments, but too much didn't quite work and overall my memory of the episode is that it was a bit dull. I appreciate that we get some further reveals this episode but I'm concerned that we are almost half way through the season and don't have answers to a few bigger questions yet. Just what is the deal with Twisty? (Entirely absent AGAIN this week), why did the Cult choose a clown motif? (It can't be because of Ally's fear, and is remarkably convenient now that she is a target). What was the deal with that green chemical stuff? How do Dr Rudy and Detective Samuels fit into this? And just what exactly is Kai's motivation? (It had better be more impressive than just being a crazy, genius. I want to know how and why). All that considered leaves me still very much on board and intrigued for next week, but prepared to call this the weakest episode of Cult so far, and I'm now on the tip of beginning to worry for the season as a whole. The episode and season are saved from worse vitriol by great performances though (stand up Adina Porter, Evan Peters and especially Billie Lourd).

*** (3/5)

MM

American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 3 Review

In this review I will be discussing the third episode of American Horror Story: Cult in broad terms. However I will allude to, and may divulge, plot points and character motivations to better explain my points and analyse the episode. This will not be an Episode Synopsis or Breakdown and heavy spoilers will be clearly sign-posted. However, everyone's spoiler sensitivity is different and if you truly want to go into the episode blind and not even being coloured by my views then I recommend reading this after seeing the episode.

Gaslighting (verb) - to manipulate (someone) by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.
Gaslighting is a form of manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or members of a group, hoping to make targets question their own memory, perception, and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying, it attempts to destabilize the target and delegitimize the target's belief.
  Instances may range from the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents ever occurred up to the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim. The term owes its origin to a 1938 play Gas Light and its 1944 film adaptation. The term has been used in clinical and research literature, as well as in political commentary.

Episode 3 - The Neighbours From Hell

  Episode 3 of AHS: Cult drops the political pretence almost entirely in favour of a much deeper dive into emotional horrors and psychological torture in it's third episode. There are a couple of important clues dropped for attentive viewers and the beginnings of an intriguing examination into cult thinking. Themes of paranoia vs victimisation, possible mind control and induction techniques are all present, along with a harrowing but bloodless pre-credits scene and a truly grotesque moment involving a domestic pet. The result is an excellent episode, but one which leaves the rest of the season with a lot to do in order to deliver on it's promise.

  The episode opens with a scene which was personally amongst the most harrowing to watch in all of AHS (and there have been some crazy intense moments over the years). This is despite the fact that it's not in the least bit gory, instead playing on the use of real psychological fears and trauma. Perhaps it's because it represents a fear I didn't realise I shared (although any sane person would, in my opinion). Maybe it's because it's terrifyingly real, featuring no monsters or supernatural elements. Or it could be my unease at having someone's genuine anxiety-inducing phobias used so cruelly against them. Indeed the scene is reminiscent of almost a bloodless Saw, with its "poetic justice" style killings, although no such motivations are presented here (an issue with these early episodes which I hope will be resolved).

  All this is before even the credits roll, after which we join the season's protagonists Ally and Ivy in the aftermath of last week's shocking ending. Turns out things are as bad as we feared, and Ally is intriguingly both villain and victim here. Her actions lead to consequences for her, despite not being obvious. At first it seems like she will get away scott-free but this leads to results which may be even more sinister and harrowing. This is where the episode, and the season thus far, excels. Even after commiting one of the most heinous sins of mankind we sympathise with Ally, but we also completely understand and identify with the angry mob and the eccentric neighbours who now target her. It's a masterclass in showing how situations and people can be manipulated and taken advantage of, and a possible learning experience in the way it holds a microscope to society as a whole.

  Related to this is the apparent antagonist of this season; Kai. Although it's put into doubt later on that he is the true mastermind (at least not on his own), he is presented as being very much the person who is in control of everything, manipulating events and people for his own anarchist end-goals. It's really intriguing how scary this is, in a rather different way than most villains. Kudos must go here to actor Evan Peters, in lesser hands Kai could come across as merely an annoying prick (and there are shades of that), but Peters imbues him with real menace, even when seemingly doing something good for other people. Crucially he is also weirdly charismatic, even when he is slapping women or drawing out people's darkest fears and impulses. It's believable that he could part a crowd and have these people follow him. Not unlike real life cult leaders, oddly enough.

  And here we get to the spoilery stuff, so skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to be spoiled before watching the episode. We get several intriguing clues and developments in this episode. As early as the opening scene we suspect that Dr Vincent (Ally's psychiatrist) may well be involved in the villainous shenanigans of the clown-obsessed cult, due to them knowing exactly how to exploit his patient's worst fear. This is only cemented later when we see him play with badges, one of which bares a striking resemblance to the smiley face logo graffiti of the clown gang. He is shown to be notably disdainful of Ally in a phone call she makes to him for support, seemingly giving her advice that may keep her isolated and afraid. Related to this is the continuing manipulation of Oz, and Ally, by Winter. That she disappeared in time enough to avoid preventing Ally's fatal mistake last episode is bad enough, but she continues to do subtle things which are just disruptive enough without seeming aggressive (i.e letting in a pervert who is responding to a fake ad to engage in fellatio with Ally and Ivy). If it wasn't already clear that she is somehow under Kai's thrall and working towards his agenda then it becomes more obvious every episode. Crucially her actions with Ally last week come into play in a big way. Which brings us to our biggest reveal. Although treated as a throwaway line Oz reveals Ivy's computer password and seemingly implicates her as being involved in, or even the architect of, Ally's gas-lighting. Although this detail is glossed over or not noticed by Ally in all the ensuing (staged?) commotion. Is all of this a revenge plot against Ally, by Ivy, for; "voting for fucking Jill Stein instead of Hillary"? (One of only two very subtle references to the 2016 election which nevertheless could be vitally important). It's potentially great if this is true as it would play into the themes I discussed last week of evil begetting evil, with Trump's victory leading to a scared populace looking for anyone to blame. Even outside of all of this we learn that Detective Samuels is a personal friend of the neighbours who may or may not be persecuting Ally (he always seemed a little suspicious to me, and is definitely played as such by Colton Haynes). And I haven't even touched on the mysterious truck spewing chemicals (some of which Ally massively comes into contact with, perhaps importantly). I have no idea what this means, possibly a mind control agent used by the clown gang? In any case I'm suitably intrigued, but hope the answers are satisfactory (AHS has let me down on that front before).

  All in all then a great episode, which may prove vital to the overall picture, seemingly fitting pieces into place whilst continuing to represent the themes of cult manipulation and paranoia. It'll be interesting to see how I'll view it as part of the bigger picture, but for now...

****1/2 (4.5/5)

MM

American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 3 Special Guest Thoughts (Spoilers)

Hi guys, Marvel Man here. My younger brother has been a horror fan since he was far too young to be watching, and we've both enjoyed pretty much every season of AHS (maybe not Hotel) and discussed them frequently. This season has been no exception and he's asked if he could share his brief bullet-point thoughts on the most recent episode here. Be warned that there are both real and speculative SPOILERS but he's quite insightful and his thoughts and views present a different angle than just mine. I'll be back with my own full review tomorrow but without further ado here's the thoughts of Lil' Bro;

Episode 3 - "The Neighbours From Hell"

• The psychiatrist seems to want Ally out of the way, and Ivy is never around. They're 100% in on it, or being controlled by Kai. Or maybe the psychiatrist and Ivy are fucking?
• It's basically been confirmed that Kai can control people - The angry mob and the gay neighbour killing his wife. 
• "No cisgender names" is an obvious reference to the whole triggered "don't assume my gender" thing that was happening in society.
• Basically everyone is against Ally. The more people she pisses off the more people Kai seems to be recruiting to his cult. For example, the neighbours and the detective. 
• I don't know what the heck the chemical truck was. Maybe it causes hallucinations? Or is causing/exacerbating Ally's rage? Or maybe she's just had enough of society's shit, and it's to reinforce that message? 
• The biggest question for me is Ally. Is she a conspiracy nut? Paranoid? Or a mentally ill person who is being tormented? Is Ally against everybody or is everybody against Ally?

And finally, a couple of big spoiler spots that might have big ramifications for the future, as discussed in a text conversation between Lil' Bro and Marvel Man;

MM: Did you notice the buttons the psychiatrist was playing with? 

LB: Yeah they're the same as the cult tag.

MM: Exactly. And I may have misheard but did Oz say he watched Ivy putting in her password...?

LB: Yeah. It was "clownz". Which is more evidence that Ivy is behind it. I think everyone's messing with Ally. I told you Ivy was in on it. 

LB

American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 2 Review (Spoilers)

In this review I will be discussing the second episode of American Horror Story: Cult in broad terms, however I will allude to, and may divulge, plot points and character motivations to better explain my points and analyse the episode. This will not be an Episode Synopsis or Breakdown. However, everyone's spoiler sensitivity is different and if you truly want to go into the episode blind and not even being coloured by my views then I recommend reading this after seeing the episode.

"The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one."
- Bill Hicks, 1993

"And we also have evidence that Darth Vader tried to buy yellowcake uranium from unwed teenage mothers."
"Those things all sound scary! How much money before I can feel safe again?"
- Family Guy, 2007

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction ... The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."
- Martin Luther King, 1963

"I am interested in reaching out to people, making contact with other human beings, building bridges, not walls."
 "What's that behind your back? This door is new. Strong. Why would you need a strong door like this? Bars in the windows? Why would you need a knife to answer the door? Are you gonna melt all this metal down and build a bridge?"
- American Horror Story: Cult, 2017

Episode 2 - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

 AHS: Cult loses depth and nuance, but gains strong focus in it's second episode. It's as subtle as a sledgehammer, and it's treading  rather familiar ground (see above), but it tells it's message well, and it's one that really needs to be heard right now. All of this also reinforces exactly why AHS has taken on this political angle, and how it ties into the horror genre. It's by reflecting that sometimes the truest, scariest darkness is in men's souls.

  The episode begins with another frustrating cameo from our returning clown Twisty. This scene doesn't do any more to explain his particular significance though or how he fits in to the season's plot. Additionally the episode loses all the potential doubt about what is real. I'm certain these clowns are actually there now and, despite casting the same actor as Twisty, I have a feeling that I know exactly who's going to be revealed under the mask, and if I'm right then it's a cheap trick and the show should be above that.

  Although the specific focus on the 2016 election seems to have become softer it soon becomes apparent that this isn't the case. Our reality is used as the dystopia that's causing everything. Ally is being manipulated and twisted into fear and darkness just as we see the whole world is. Men like Kai have become empowered to be truly cunning and free to spread their negativity and try and let it infect others. This seems to have been exactly what has happened to Winter. Billie Lourd plays creepy so well, the detached menace showing even as she switches to seductive mode. A comment on the potential allure of fear and wanting to feel safe perhaps.

  We are also introduced to most of the season's new characters, as expected. There is a nice vocal cameo from a great actress who debuted in last year's AHS and we are also introduced to Billy Eichner and Leslie Grossman's unusual suburban couple. The pair seem to both confuse and reinforce the central themes, being militant liberals. This seeming contradiction introduces the potential for more morally grey thinking going forward. They also reveal just what the significance of bees is this season, as seen in the marketing already. The hives are a trigger for Ally and her apparent trypophobia, while the hive nature of a bee colony serves as a perfect metaphor for cult thinking. Eichner delivers a blatant speech to this effect which also comes off as none too subtle but thought-provoking.

  Finally the episode, though slow, ends with a shocking moment (which really shouldn't be). Without spoiling anything it is perfectly thematically relevant and seems to pay homage to the classic ending of the original Night of the Living Dead.

 The episode as a whole, then, is a little uneven. It starts fairly pedestrian and loses a little interest by abandoning some of its uncertainty. Likewise certain character motivations are poorly explained at this point. For example it's not made super clear why Oz is developing such disdain for Ally, and gravitating towards Ivy more. Sure, I can gather it's part of Winter's continued manipulation and brainwashing (presumably on behalf of Kai) but with everything else that's hammered home it would be nice to see some of that, and it had better be explained in future episodes as to what exactly Kai and Winter are doing, and why. This episode ultimately succeeds on the back of interesting performances (once again) and compelling, if not ground-breaking, storytelling. I would reinforce, however, that it's a message we urgently need to take to heart. I know I'm going to hate Kai and be increasingly frustrated with him "getting away with" things, but we need to recognise the real Kais in our world. Even when they're in a big, white house.

***1/2 (3.5/5)

MM

It (2017) Movie Review

Disclaimer 1 - Although I'm normally careful to avoid huge spoilers in my discussions this will be a spoiler review, for the simple reason that a book of this story has been out since 1986 and a filmed adaptation since 1990. Whilst I won't be posting a synopsis of everything that happens in the movie (a pet peeve of mine in reviews), I will be discussing things that happen which may be more effective as surprises or unknowns. If you don't want to know anything and haven't seen the movie then please return to this review once you have, and feel free to share your own thoughts on It.

Disclaimer 2 - I have never read Stephen King's It, nor have I seen the 1990 mini-series (I know, I know!). Although I'm aware enough of the general plot, some story beats and the things that have permeated pop culture, you should regard this review as being by someone who is watching this movie as their first real exposure to this story. As such I have no idea how faithful this film is or it's comparison to it's predecessors. There's a fascinating article to be written about these but that's not this one, I am judging the film entirely as it's own entity rather than as a remake or re-telling.


 "IT" 2017 is a good movie. Let me start by saying that. It's not a perfect film by any stretch and it doesn't re-define the genre or do anything new. It's phenomenal success, both financially and critically, can presumably be put down to things that should be a given but sadly aren't these days; a good plot, decent direction and outstanding, well- defined characters played by incredibly talented actors. There are flaws, which I will get into, but the overall feeling I had when leaving the theatre, and reflecting back since, is "that was a good movie".

  It didn't start that way. I was actually a little worried for about the first 20 or 30 minutes. The opening scene has sadly been over-played (including by this film's trailer) and it's familiarity robs it of a lot of impact. This is coupled with the fact that Bill Skarsgard's take on Pennywise (the default clown form of the titular monster) didn't come off as all that menacing or intimidating at this point. When he switches into full, toothy monster mode and bites off an arm the CGI and shock are played more bombastic than perhaps would have been more effective for me. The scene is vital to the ongoing plot moving forward though, and is just emotionally effective enough for me due to the young actor's performance of Georgie, and my own well-documented discomfort of seeing young children in distress. As the film goes on from this it unfortunately doesn't immediately pick up either. It seems like we spend a long time introducing character (retrospectively necessary but could have been a little deeper and tighter). What's really problematic though is that the film seems to set a pattern of good but slow character work leading to the next set-piece, which is where the film will try and scare you and reaffirm it's horror status. The horror never seems to come naturally and jars a little at first, before the film settles you into it's heightened reality. At this point it's not all that scary either, at least for anyone with tolerance and affinity for horror. My biggest gripe with the first half of the film though is a technical one, the sound design and sound editing are terrible. It seems like the film-makers knew that the visuals weren't all that scary so try and create discomfort and fear by having the music and sound cues be distractingly loud. Of course I'm on edge, my teeth are rattling and my ear drum hurts!. It's a shame as something more atmospheric could have worked much better, and does as this problem settles down after the first hour.

  It probably seems at this point that I'm being wholly negative about the film and so I have to mention a plus, and it's a big one. The cast here, primarily the seven young members of the "losers club" are uniformly excellent. You'll see this praise brought up a lot in reviews but I assure you it is well deserved. It's rare for child actors not to be annoying or seem fake but the seven young stars here absolutely carry the movie. I realised whilst watching that these characters are so relatable, and are played as such. I can't believe that there will be anyone who watches this film who doesn't find at least one character to identify with, who acts in a way that reminds you of yourself at that age. Heck, I saw parts of myself in three or four of the kids. It seems almost unfair to pick a stand out but I would say that Sophia Lillis (Bev Marsh) handles incredibly tough material with restraint and skill. It was, for me however, young Finn Wolfhard (Richie Tozier) who just comes out as the most memorable here. Perhaps a small part of that is knowing he's a good actor (from Stranger Things) and convincingly playing a totally different role here. He also gets most of the humour, sarcasm, the best lines and is the person we wish we were like, even if that doesn't make him literally the most relatable.

  As the film develops, it's verisimilitude increases dramatically. Previously hokey jump scares start to actually shock. They didn't terrify me at all but there were a couple of interesting scares that did get a little jump out of me, and I'm quite hardened and desensitized. The people sitting around my seat were jumping up like a pogo too so you might be scared, though I wouldn't personally class anything as terrifyingly scary. That's not how I necessarily judge a horror movie though. The film also improves as it's underlying themes become apparent. This isn't just a story about kids against a schlocky monster, it's about other horrors you fear as a child, both literal and intangible. For every monstrous creature there is representation of growing up, accepting loss, loneliness, facing bullies, extreme abuse (psychological, physical and sexual. Be warned). Perhaps a bigger theme that resonated with me, although I may be projecting too much onto it, is unity. It's explicitly stated that the kids are strong enough to face the monstrous "It" only when they are together. Friends can be family, even for the loneliest "loser". And whilst this is cemented incredibly disgustingly in the novel this film culminates with a simple, but effective, blood oath by an end point that is earned as we too have come to care about these people. It does slightly fudge what could and should have been a better-handled romantic subplot though.

  The only other gripe I have is a moment of seeming unreality when the movie spurts a geyser of blood at Bev, in a clear homage to the original Nightmare on Elm Street. This did take me out of the movie as I tried to comprehend how the parent figures can't see a bathroom literally covered in blood. I'm assured this is explained in the book though and the film just didn't explain it all that well, so perhaps that's on me. It was still a great homage and, indeed, there are a wealth of horror, Stephen King, 80s and director Andy Muschietti Easter Eggs and references which nerdier types (like me) will enjoy.

  In the end the film left me really wanting more, despite it's hefty run-time, and the final reveal of the film's actual title of "It: Chapter One" has me really excited to see the conclusion in Part 2 ASAP. That film will have some work to do in casting adult actors who can live up to their young counterparts though. I also got so invested in the mythology and story that I immediately began reading the novel when I got home (long story short; it was on sale for £1 digitally, I got it on my phone, started it about two weeks ago and now I'm truly ready to get stuck in). It is not a perfect movie but it's probably one of the best horror films I've seen in the last decade or so. The mix of Stand by Me type coming-of-age elements with Nightmare on Elm Street style horror and mythos leaves me excited to watch this again and dive deeper. I'm told I'll float...

**** (4/5)

MM

American Horror Story: Cult - Episode 1 Review (Spoiler-Free)

In this review I will be discussing the premiere of American Horror Story: Cult in broad terms. I will allude to, but not divulge, plot points and character motivations. However, everyone's spoiler sensitivity is different and if you truly want to go into the episode blind and not even being coloured by my views then I recommend reading this after seeing the episode.

Episode 1: Election Night

  It's good to have American Horror Story back. More importantly, after Hotel, it was good last season (Roanoke) to have it back on form. We can only hope this season also delivers and proves that single, truly awful, season to be a blip. So far, so good.

  There's an old adage I used to hear about science-fiction, that it's at it's best when it's genre is used to reflect current-day society and it's issues, fears, even controversies. As a Trekkie I first learned of this being used to describe the brilliance of Gene Roddenberry's original 1966 series. Back then it was how Roddenberry was able to tell stories about race relations, sexuality, politics and more in a way that he described as going "right over the network's heads". AHS: Cult is nowhere near as subtle in it's reflection of the horrors and fears in present society (as the title of this episode implies). However, I do believe that horror, like it's genre cousin sci-fi, can do really well when it comments on real-life issues. AHS this season has, in my opinion, been really clever in embracing the real horror that many people felt in November of last year (and, let's be honest, multiple times since). Indeed the show begins in this way as more of a social drama or satire, but is, if you think about it, just a different kind of scary. What perhaps makes it even more unsettling is that it is painfully real, and this is reflected throughout the episode.

  Lest we get too political or outside of the genre it's not long before we see the (welcome) return of the creepy and evocative AHS title sequence. Immediately afterwards is perhaps my favourite scene of the episode. Without spoiling it, the joy here is seeing an almost shot-for-shot remake of a scene from my favourite past season. It's like the episode is saying, "yes we're doing some social commentary this season but we're still THAT show". Some people may dislike this, or see the return of these elements as a re-tread but it filled me with warm nostalgia (weirdly, given what the scenes involved). Smartly it also uses the history of the show to succinctly fill us in on the lead character Ally (played by the amazing Sarah Paulson). Ally suffers from severe anxiety and irrational phobias. This is handled remarkably well by Paulson (as an anxiety sufferer myself I can confirm the truth of the performance, although I can only imagine feeling this severe).

 Throughout the episode Ally's anxiety, as well as the aforementioned call-back, makes us, as the viewer, question what's real. Is Ally hallucinating? Is young Oz seeing things? How can THAT character exist in this world, let alone in this way? This uncertainty is not given an easy answer, and I like that. It makes things more unsettling and the drama more compelling.

  On the more negative critical side I will say that this first episode did seem to show a bias. In a situation like this, when you're reflecting real lives, I think it would make for a better show, and social commentary, to show both sides of the story. Thankfully I'm on the side that the show seems to represent as the "good guys" but I do wonder if this will cost the show viewers in it's home country, and would have appreciated a representation of the more complex morality at play. I hope the show develops to seem a bit less black-and-white.

  My only other criticism is more of a personal one. I've always had issues with the horror genre exploiting children and there is a scene towards the end where a young boy suffers emotional traumas that seemed a little tasteless and too extreme for me.

  I couldn't leave without giving a quick view on the cast. This season seems to have the smallest cast to date but potentially seems like it could benefit from this in exploring the depths of these people. Without a big name star like Jessica Lange or Lady Gaga this is finally the time for Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters to take top billing, and centre stage. They deserve it after their work in the previous six seasons and thus far they do not disappoint. The new additions that we see here also make an impact. Alison Pill as Ivy comes across as a little aloof and unsympathetic but I suspect that's the point. Finally it's so good to see Billie Lourd (daughter of the late, great Carrie Fisher) get to show how good an actress she is. I watched her in both seasons of the wonderfully camp but completely ridiculous "Scream Queens" and while she killed at the comedy (no pun intended) we've already seen more depth and complexity to new character Winter than anyone in that show displayed.

  Finally, a warning. If you're a coulrophobe (afraid of clowns) then maybe give this one a miss, or watch with other people, in daylight, with all the lights on. It's not a phobia I have so it didn't affect me on that level, but I did appreciate the creepy nature of the imagery. It's especially effective due to how the show frames it and pushes it to extremes of taste and decency.

  Overall then not perfect but a very promising start. As with all AHS it'll be hard to judge until we see this as part of the bigger picture. There are still characters to introduce and the show has a habit of falling apart in the end of it's seasons. I'm super intrigued by this already though, with so many questions and genuine investment. I can't wait until next week for episode 2.

**** (4/5)

MM