Netflix's Scariest Show Yet? Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen Review (Spoiler-free)

The often mistaken trope of horror films is that they must scare. It is not uncommon to hear non-genre fans speak of disdain of classic 1980s slashers because 'they are not scary'. Many horror films are indeed nightmare-inducing, but many are either melancholic dramas or laugh-out-loud comedies dressed as horror, which is an excellent way of storytelling and filmmaking in its own right. However, every now and then there comes along a piece of horror so bone-chilling and dark that it is nigh on impossible to not want the lights on at bedtime for the foreseeable. In this case, the rightful claimant to such statements does not belong to a film, but to the Netflix miniseries 'Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen'. 

Behind the brains of the series is Haley Z. Boston, who also happens to be one of the key writers and creators behind the criminally underrated and Lynchian-like 'Brand New Cherry Flavour' (2021) - almost a cinematic yin to Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen's yang. Both are chaotic and off the wall in their own right, forming a formidable edge that many contemporary horror series seem to be lacking. Joining Boston is Axelle Carolyn, Lisa Brühlmann and Weronika Tofilska, with each of them taking turns in the directing chair, fashioning an unholy trinity of suspense and dread to be reckoned with. 

The series opens with Camila Morrone as Rachel Harkin, as she walks down the aisle at her fiancé's family's palatial-like cabin in a snowy forest. At the end of the altar is her adoring better half, Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco) waiting to say 'I Do'; however, this supposedly quaint scene of family, love and nuptial bliss. is far from innocent as a brief but telling montage of the last five days plays before cutting to the after party, revealing an endless bloodied hallway and cries of utter horror. This is when the episode truly begins. 

Flashback to the beginning of the 'five days' we were teased with; the nearlyweds are in the car naively joking with one another, but underneath it all is an innate tenseness. Talks of a local murderer, unusual rest stops and quiet roads. The brooding intensity is abundant, it in fact feels like at any moment something awful will erupt, but the viewer is unable to put their finger on exactly what, who, why, when or where the dread is oozing out from. It is this intrinsic gut feeling of omnipresent angst that Rachel also begins to sense as they get closer to the Cunningham's intimidating grounds. The feeling of building panic is exasperated by Rachel's emotive palette, which comes to replicate ours sat in front of the screen. It is easy to deny an odd slight at the beginning, but as the introductory episode reaches its conclusion, we like Rachel feel the namesake - something very bad is going to happen. 

The series' timings of strange happenings make it out of the question to not slam the 'next episode' button the second it arrives, which speaks volumes considering the show has a total of eight episodes, amassing hours of suspense, terror and trepidation. How exactly Boston manages to force the viewer into a nervy trance is through some of the cleverest set designs in recent years, alongside the series' many uncanny instances that alert your sixth sense that something is very wrong; and lastly the leading performance by Morrone, whose acting chops far surpass her years in the field. 

It is revealed that Nicky's proposal of getting wed at the charming Cunningham's cabin was slightly glossed over, considering that the cabin is an imposing mammoth and far from the smaller means that Rachel grew up with. Creeping in here is the harsh truth that not only has the pair grown up with entirely different budgets, but also with very opposing senses of family, particularly when comparing Nicky's over coddling mother and Rachel's orphan-esque upbringing. It is within these dynamics, i.e. Rachel's isolating childhood and humble expectations v Nicky's spoiling from parents and imperial lifestyle, that the series works to manifest its atmosphere into a corporeal manifestation. Whatever feeling, sense and metaphor is being explored, the show aims to visually replicate it. Considering this, as the majority of the runtime occurs at the cabin, the house itself becomes a main character, with its intricate structure and complexity acting as an enigma and force of horror.

As the episodes add up and the viewer spends an ample amount of time within the walls of the cabin, we still are unable to make full sense of the cabin's structure, with its infinite hallways whose turns seem to lead to only more hallways, along with its atrium centre that creates a maze-like floor plan and unbelievable dark lighting that even floor to ceiling windows cannot compete with. The sheer magnitude of its baffling architecture is deliberately an antagonistic force that emulates the aura of lingering horror that lies in wait for Rachel. 

Adding to the ubiquitous setting is the film's various eerie events that act as a glaringly obvious warning, akin to the bad omens in 'Creep' (2014) or 'Speak No Evil' (2022) that are screaming at the characters to leave. However, as slowly unveiled, escape is not necessarily on the cards for anyone. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is very close to exemplary horror. Of course, subjectivity is a tricky field, but considering the show has racked up 28 million hours watched amongst its subscribers across one week, it seems that this experiment in lingering dread is already a horror staple. 

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