Part Amity, part Wicker Man, Apple TV’s Widows Bay is a darkly comical folk horror that nails the humor. But what about the horror? Welcome to Widows Bay. There’s no Wi-Fi, spotty cellular reception, and Mayor Tom Loftus must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed because after decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true begin happening again. Leading the series is Matthew Rhys playing Tom Loftus.
Now, Rhys nails the comedy and frustration with his characters, creating a convincingly downtrodden but determined leader who just wants his community to thrive. So many times Rhys will start a sentence, but then give up halfway through. Sometimes because the person he’s speaking with isn’t listening, but also because most of the time they’re too intent on their own conjecture of what’s creating havoc on their island community. So, the setting for this is a New England island, isolated but not too remote. They have frequent tourists and visitors, but on the other end of the spectrum, some residents have never set foot on the mainland, and they will then give a variety of reasons for not doing so.
Now, as the show begins, an ominous, unseen, even undefined fog rolls in and starts the rumor mill that the evils or threats or whatever malevolence has returned and will end in ruin unless its needs are fulfilled. Now, Loftus is a skeptic and realist, so he doesn’t buy any of the townsfolk’s superstitions or unfounded concerns, which then leads to a whole lot of hilarious interactions and also some possible dire circumstances. Now, to support Rhys in the cast, there’s Stephen Root, Dale Dickey, Kingston Roomie Southwick, Kato Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Kay Cannon, and Ollie Hoskins. And while Rhys is funny on his own, the rest of the ensemble, they’re all sideways and quirky, creating their own layer of hilarity. And the conversations, actions, and especially reactions, they’re exaggerated and overblown to just the right degree to make them absurd but not stupidly annoying.
We can tell the actors know that they’re pushing that line towards ridiculousness, but they stay just on this side of normal to keep the characters grounded while not relinquishing their peculiarities. As 10 episode series has the first two episodes dropping at the same time, then followed by weekly releases. And they all sit somewhere in that 40-ish minute range. Now, I found this to be an easy binge as well as an engaging storyline. The whole question of whether the odd happenings are coincidences of an aging infrastructure on the island, or if there really is some evil looking to destroy, it creates enough interconnected plot lines to keep the show intriguing while not becoming overly distracted with some tangents.
And even though the majority of the show does stay focused on Loftus and that pursuit to figure out what’s going on, there are some episodes that delve into lengthy flashbacks or put the spotlight on one of the ensemble players. And these added needed depth to the characters, but also the lore that the show relies on. Even if everything is merely a fluke or a happenstance, the residents’ belief in them makes it real for them individually, which then leads to all sorts of interesting outcomes. Now, after a couple of episodes have solidified the characters and the overall story, the storytelling begins to rely less on comedy and introduces a lot more of the horror aspects. Now, that’s not to say that the comedy is forgotten, it’s just that the tension, anxiety, and dread, they become the prominent emotional devices that are utilized.
Sometimes this leans heavily on well-used horror tropes, but just like how the idiosyncrasies of the characters don’t become annoyingly absurd, the tropes here feel more like homages rather than just lazy writing. Especially when the plot includes twists to allow for wits and smarts to kick in. And then later, there’s running and screaming. With some of these areas though, I was disappointed that the show leaves some questions unanswered. Not that I need all of the answers, but a few times we have an opportunity to see a culprit, whether they’re a prankster or an actual viable threat, but the story chooses to keep their identity secret.
I know it’s not necessarily a deal breaker for the storytelling, but after a long mysterious interaction, not to get a little bit of a payoff of a face or a name, it’s frustrating. There’s also a level of predictability as the show reaches its conclusion. It doesn’t necessarily remove the stress or the apprehension for the characters or the story, but it’s obvious enough to figure out before any reveals. In the final episode, it also feels somewhat rushed. I appreciate the culmination of emotions and the fear that’s built, but it also feels as though the resolutions fall too quickly into place, creating this rapid succession of items to check off of a to-do list so that the credits can then just roll.
And I’m not certain that this won’t attempt also to continue on for another season. I think that would be a mistake. The story, while it does have the potential for continuation in certain aspects, would become more of a rinse and repeat situation rather than something fresh and unique like this season is. The writing is quippy and intelligent, using snark and wit to create relatable and realistic characters. The portrayals are each particular and individual, building a solid ensemble that touches on the entire emotional and personality spectrums.
The horror elements aren’t always freaky or terrifying, but the scenes build enough dread to create uneasy excitement. While the ending feels rushed with predictable outcomes and some dangling reveals, the mixture of comedy and horror, it’s balanced well, utilizing the isolated setting of the island and the deeply ingrained lore that the residents believe to craft a narrative that feels organic and conceivable while also sitting on the edge of madness. Matthew Rhys is perfect for this role, crafting an affable lead filled with equal parts ambition and consternation. He nails the flabbergasted persona, pulled in every direction by his sincere but inattentive staff and antagonistic community. Now, I had a lot of fun with this despite the shortcomings.
In In end, the humor and the horror, it won out over any flaws. There’s no sex or nudity, a lot of profanity, and a lot of violence. I give Widows Bay four out of five couches. This is satisfying as both a binge and a weekly watch, so definitely put this one on your watch list. All right, what are you binging right now?
Anything great that you can recommend to me? I am especially looking for dark and murderous shows, but really any suggestions are welcome. Let me know in the comments below. Enjoyed this review? Please don’t forget to share. Thanks for couchin’ with me.