Editorials

Bloody Disgusting’s 10 Best Horror TV Series of 2022

Published

1 year ago

December 26, 2022

The year’s robust horror releases aren’t exclusive to movies; it’s also been a banner year for horror on television.

2022 kicked off with the final three episodes of Showtime’s must see “Yellowjackets,“ setting the bar high for horror TV in 2022. In its critically acclaimed wake, other horror shows more than delivered with new seasons of ongoing genre favorites, surprising adaptations of familiar novels, breathtaking feats in anthology storytelling, and so much more.

Here are Bloody Disgusting’s top 10 best horror TV series of 2022.

Shining Vale

Shining Vale review

The inaugural season of this Starz series used classic horror homages to comedic effect to capture domestic dysfunction. At the center of it is actress Courteney Cox, playing against type as a floundering author whose life is spiraling in the wake of an affair and a midlife crisis. The atypical characters and repurposed iconic horror scenes transform the familiar family sitcom format into a unique, era-bending horror-comedy depiction of inner demons. Written by series creator Jeff Astrof from a story he wrote with co-creator Sharon Horgan, “Shining Vale” adheres to the familiar beats of haunted house and possession horror. What makes it feel fresh is the blending of horror and television influences, along with Cox’s central performance. She’s aided by an equally engaging performance by Mira Sorvino as the devious ghost Rosemary.

1899

horror tv 2022 1899

The minds behind the mind-bending Netflix series “Dark” are back with another twisty, atmospheric series, this time aboard a ghost ship. The period piece follows various passengers on the cross-Atlantic ship when a mysterious signal from the sister ship Prometheus appears after being lost at sea for months. The endless twists and turns in store mean the season winds up in a vastly different place than where it began, keeping you guessing the entire time. If you’re in the mood for moody supernatural mysteries and fantastic production design, “1899” brings both in spades.

Interview with the Vampire

horror tv 2022 interview with the vampire

The premiere episode of this new adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel shifts from 1910 New Orleans to 2022 Dubai, indicating the series’ expansive scope and ambition. This iteration establishes Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) as a Black man struggling to run a business in 1910, and navigating life becomes even more complicated once he meets the seductive vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid). “Interview with the Vampire” adds new layers to Rice’s already complex characters, and Anderson and Reid are more than up to the task of making them compelling to watch. Its modern sensibilities, scale, and cast inject new life into a familiar story.

Servant (Season 3)

horror tv 2022 servant

The Turner family may have restored order to their home by the end of season two, but it derailed again quickly in the third season of the M. Night Shyamalan-produced series created by Tony Basgallop. Murder, paranoia, cults, kidnapping plots, and Leanne’s enigmatic powers and persona continue to create barely contained insanity within the Philadelphia brownstone, presenting yet another remarkable showcase for this highly talented cast. “Servant” has a unique way of drawing you in despite relentlessly withholding answers. Season three made for a much more focused and even outing than season two, serving as a satisfying setup for the upcoming final season.

What We Do in the Shadows (Season 4)

“What We Do in the Shadows” Season 4 Trailer Looks as Hilarious as Ever [Video]

Season four brought significant growing pains and transitions for our favorite Staten Island vampires. The housemates returned to find their mansion in a state of complete disarray and Laszlo (Matt Berry) acting as the guardian for a now baby Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch). Nandor (Kayvan Novak) begins his quest for matrimony, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) opens a club, and Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) searches for his family. It allows the fourth season to expand the supernatural world in poignant and hilarious ways.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Guillermo del Toro assembles a Murderers’ Row of horror filmmakers for his limited anthology series, and each story is contained within his ornate oddities cabinet. The episodes range from the macabre to classic frights to the fantastical, all sending its central characters on unexpected journeys. The roster of talent on display is incredible, and that reflects in the series’ quality. The impeccable craftsmanship never wavers throughout, ensuring favorites vary vastly based on narrative preference. Panos Cosmatos’ “The Viewing” eschews the norm in favor of a face-melting vibe, making for an impressive stand-out. The quiet introspections that dabble in cosmic or existential horrors play like a soothing yet haunting vintage scary story collection.

Love, Death, + Robots (Volume III)

Tim Miller’s animated anthology series unites various art styles and genres in an easily digestible format. The sheer range makes for an infectious grab bag for all tastes and moods. Robert Bisi & Andy Lyon’s “Night of the Mini Dead,” for example, chronicles an entire zombie apocalypse entirely through sped-up miniatures in the most charming way. Seven director David Fincher’s “Bad Travelling” spins a graphic creature feature at sea, while sci-fi embraces Lovecraftian horror when marines face Cthulhu in Jerome Chen’s “In Vaulted Halls Entombed.” It’s creative bite-sized shorts via stunning animation.

Evil (Season 3)

“Evil” Season 3 continues the series’ unpredictable streak. It picks up where season two ended when a newly ordained David (Mike Colter) and a married Kristen (Katja Herbers) kiss. In season three, the two will have to explore this development and grapple with David’s new role within the Catholic Church. The series’ ability to subvert expectations and conventions of a biblical Good vs. Evil procedural never ceases to amaze; there’s zero guessing about what zany new encounters with evil are in store for its protagonists. The creature designs behind the series’ demons also never fail to impress. If you thought the well had run dry on horror rooted in Catholicism, this zany horror show will convince you otherwise.

Chucky (Season 2)

CHUCKY — “Chucky Actually” Episode 208 — Pictured in this screengrab: (l-r) — (Photo by: SYFY)

Series creator Don Mancini and team upped the ante for season two of “Chucky,” and it’s apparent in every facet of this infectious series that they all had an absolute blast in the process. Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) undergo tremendous growing pains thanks to their ongoing battle with Chucky and the authorities at their Catholic boarding school. It makes them more resilient, mature, and ready to beat Chucky at his lethal game. Season two also introduced a ton of Chucky-on-Chucky violence, but Tiffany’s (Jennifer Tilly) complex arc this season surprised the most. Mancini continues the evolution of his franchise in unexpected ways while demonstrating no shortage of creativity behind Chucky’s gnarly kills. Here’s hoping Season 3 is on the way next year.

From

EPIX introduced a captivating and nightmarish mystery box series from the minds behind event television series like “Lost” and “Alias.” “From” wastes no time establishing the horror; an opening sequence sees a quaint town rushing to shutter all windows and doors before nightfall. We then see why when a young girl hears a tapping at her second-story bedroom at night by an older woman claiming to be her grandmother. The aftermath is shockingly gory. Cut to a family of four traveling by RV, who soon find themselves trapped in this strange town. They’re the latest among residents who’ll have to adapt to survive both the monsters lurking in the dark and the bizarre phenomena that plague this mysterious place. Propulsive thrills, endless questions, and complex characters combine for a captivating modern horror fairy tale with sharp teeth. We can’t wait for season two.

Honorable Mentions…

The gory, pitch-black superhero show “The Boys” may not qualify as horror, but it’s adjacent enough thanks to its bloodletting and remains at the peak of quality TV. And the animated spinoff “The Boys Presents: Diabolical” ran the gamut in styles and genres, ensuring we’ll sign up for whatever this unhinged universe throws us next.

An insightful account of the genre’s history with queer representation, Shudder’s “Queer for Fear” docuseries was fascinating on its own, but candid conversations with talking heads like Osgood Perkins elevated it to poignant heights.

“Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” went full throttle on ’90s slasher homages to an entertaining degree.

I’d also be remiss not to bid farewell to the enduring “The Walking Dead“; but thanks to a slew of upcoming spinoffs, it’s not truly goodbye.

Meagan Navarro

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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Editorials

Silly, Self-Aware ‘Amityville Christmas Vacation’ Is a Welcome Change of Pace [The Amityville IP]

Published

6 mins ago

April 30, 2024

Joe Lipsett

Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”

After a number of bloated runtimes and technically inept entries, it’s something of a relief to watch Amityville Christmas Vacation (2022). The 55-minute film doesn’t even try to hit feature length, which is a wise decision for a film with a slight, but enjoyable premise.

The amusingly self-aware comedy is written and directed by Steve Rudzinski, who also stars as protagonist Wally Griswold. The premise is simple: a newspaper article celebrating the hero cop catches the attention of B’n’B owner Samantha (Marci Leigh), who lures Wally to Amityville under the false claim that he’s won a free Christmas stay.

Naturally it turns out that the house is haunted by a vengeful ghost named Jessica D’Angelo (Aleen Isley), but instead of murdering him like the other guests, Jessica winds up falling in love with him.

Several other recent Amityville films, including Amityville Cop and Amityville in Space, have leaned into comedy, albeit to varying degrees of success. Amityville Christmas Vacation is arguably the most successful because, despite its hit/miss joke ratio, at least the film acknowledges its inherent silliness and never takes itself seriously.

In this capacity, the film is more comedy than horror (the closest comparison is probably Amityville Vibrator, which blended hard-core erotica with references to other titles in the “series”). The jokes here are enjoyably varied: Wally glibly acknowledges his racism and excessive use of force in a way that reflects the real world culture shift around criticisms of police work; the last names of the lovers, as well the title of the film, are obvious homages to the National Lampoon’s holiday film; and the narrative embodies the usual festive tropes of Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies.

This self-awareness buys the film a certain amount of goodwill, which is vital considering Rudzinski’s clear budgetary limitations. Jessica’s ghost make-up is pretty basic, the action is practically non-existent, and the whole film essentially takes place in a single location. These elements are forgivable, though audiences whose funny bone isn’t tickled will find the basic narrative, low stakes, and amateur acting too glaring to overlook. It must be acknowledged that in spite of its brief runtime, there’s still an undeniable feeling of padding in certain dialogue exchanges and sequences.

Despite this, there’s plenty to like about Amityville Christmas Vacation.

Rudzinski is the clear stand-out here. Wally is a goof: he’s incredibly slow on the uptake and obsessed with his cat Whiskers. The early portions of the film lean on Wally’s inherent likeability and Rudzinski shares an easy charm with co-star Isley, although her performance is a bit more one-note (Jessica is mostly confused by the idiot who has wandered into her midst).

Falling somewhere in the middle are Ben Dietels as Rick (Ben Dietels), Wally’s pathetic co-worker who has invented a family to spend the holidays with, and Zelda (Autumn Ivy), the supernatural case worker that Jessica Zooms with for advice on how to negotiate her newfound situation.

The other actors are less successful, particularly Garrett Hunter as ghost hunter Creighton Spool (Scott Lewis), as well as Samantha, the home owner. Leigh, in particular, barely makes an impression and there’s absolutely no bite in her jealous threats in the last act.

Like most comedies, audience mileage will vary depending on their tolerance for low-brow jokes. If the idea of Wally chastising and giving himself a pep talk out loud in front of Jessica isn’t funny, Amityville Christmas Vacation likely isn’t for you. As it stands, the film’s success rate is approximately 50/50: for every amusing joke, there’s another one that misses the mark.

Despite this – or perhaps because of the film’s proximity to the recent glut of terrible entries – Amityville Christmas Vacation is a welcome breath of fresh air. It’s not a great film, but it is often amusing and silly. There’s something to be said for keeping things simple and executing them reasonably well.

That’s a lesson that other indie Amityville filmmakers could stand to learn.

2.5 out of 5 skulls

The Amityville IP Awards go to…

Recurring Gag: The film mines plenty of jokes from characters saying the quiet part (out) loud, including Samantha’s delivery of “They’re always the people I hate” when Wally asks how he won a contest he didn’t enter.
Holiday Horror: There’s a brief reference that Jessica died in an “icicle accident,” which plays like a perfect blend between a horror film and a Hallmark film.
Best Line: After Jessica jokes about Wally’s love of all things cats to Zelda, calling him the “cat’s meow,” the case worker’s deadpan delivery of “Yeah, that sounds like an inside joke” is delightful.
Christmas Wish: In case you were wondering, yes, Santa Claus (Joshua Antoon) does show up for the film’s final joke, though it’s arguably not great.
Chainsaw Award: This film won Fangoria’s ‘Best Amityville’ Chainsaw award in 2023, which makes sense given how unique it is compared to many other titles released in 2022. This also means that the film is probably the best entry we’ll discuss for some time, so…yay?
ICYMI: This editorial series was recently included in a profile in the The New York Times, another sign that the Amityville “franchise” will never truly die.

Next time: we’re hitting the holidays in the wrong order with a look at November 2022’s Amityville Thanksgiving, which hails from the same creative team as Amityville Karen <gulp>