Widow's Bay - 2 Thumbs Up! (And It's Been a While for That Rating)

 

So we have a 7-day free trial of Apple TV and wanted to catch up on some shows, and then started watching a new one.

It's called Widow's Bay, with Matthew Rhys - and it is brilliant!

There are a few kinks to work out, being a new show -  but it has some truly original elements within in it, which may, in fact, shoot it into superstardom?

Provided a few kinks are worked out. 

For example, it's a bit predictable at times - at least for me, a studier of movies as a once-aspiring screenwriter for many years.

In fact, if I can figure out what's gonna happen within the first 10 minutes, I lose interest.

However, there are just enough twists to keep this intriguing, mostly the slow-burn history of the island's inhabitants and spooky history. 

However, that's another kink that needs to be worked out - as much I like slow-burn mysteries and backstories on each character, it's almost a little too slow, asking us to assume the pasts of the characters without enough information yet. 

What is it about?

So the basic premise is, the mayor of a Northeastern Island (Matthew Rhys) is trying to turn his town into the next Martha's Vineyard beach-vacation town, but there is just one problem with that - either the town is genuinely cursed or town simply believes it is, based on superstition - or both.

The island has genuinely seen more than its share of tragedy, as well as super creepy people being drawn there (including 2 serial killers) - but that could be explained away by the town's isolation, geographic location on a rocky coast with turbulent waters, many incidents happening by self-fulfilling prophecy.

-OR-

Ihe town truly is cursed.

-OR- 

Both are true.

Regardless, mishaps abound, preventing this island from becoming the next Martha's Vineyard at every turn, whether brought on by paranoid superstitious belief or genuine bad ju-ju, that's for you to decide (and again, it may be a combination of both.)

Yes, it starts on the premise of a story we've heard before - a cursed coastal town where the residents can't (or won't) leave - but with new twists and more humor.

Imagine  Doc Martin (British)/Best Medicine (American), any of Stephen King's spooky Northeastern coastal stories, and David Lynch's Twin Peaks all had a baby, PLUS made its own mark on the world, and you've got Widow's Bay.

Katie Dippold is the show's creator, but the magic here, at least in the first 3 episodes, is the Director, Hiro Murai.

(Hiro Murai is an up-and-coming director, with only a couple of streaming movies under his belt, who may best be known as music-video director, directing Childish Gambino's critically-acclaimed "This is America" video.) 

It's a fine line between copying former director's work and paying homage to your influences - bit Murai nails it!

Not sure how to convey this without also giving a spoiler alert, but I'll try?

So the scene in which Patricia is trying to give a party, which we all realize is too good to be true, and yet can't explain - gives us little split-second, blink-and-you'll-miss-it hints about what's really going on in the room (hint: watch moment on the dance floor, and even if you miss that, watch the mirrors) -  and yet we still aren't fully prepared with the truth of what is really going on at that "party."

Also, the lighting, the ambience, the quirky camera angles and dialog (done before, but kept consistent), the quality of acting - excellent. 

Genuine jump scares in here, too, so be prepared for THAT.

Overall, 2 thumbs up on this one (and it's been a while).

Hope they don't cancel it before it's found it's footing/audience (which has become a huge problem in recent years with both network and streaming shows, but particularly streaming!)

Thus, give it a try?

You might surprised - either in a good way, a spooky way, or both? 

_________________

PS - I have recently read a few articles about why people with anxiety disorders or even PTSD often like watching horror movies, which seems contradictory.

In fact, I've heard people say "If you really have PTSD, wouldn't you avoid horror movies?"

So the oversimplified answer is - "It depends on the personal triggers - if the premise hits too close to personal trauma, yes - but if the premise is absurd and unreal, then no, it's a good distraction from your own anxiety"

For example, I personally don't like gory "slasher" types of horror movies, unless they're particularly clever or absurd.

I prefer supernatural spooky stuff instead.

However, I've noticed other people with PTSD are the same (although some do avoid sad or scary altogether).

However, research supports the reason why many with anxiety disorders or PTSD actually love scary movies.

The oversimplified answers - which are own personal answers - are these, supported by research:

1) It's an innate, unconscious or semi-conscious effort to "retrain" the brain's neuroplasticity to deal with fear or a safer, more controlled environment, and thus "desensitize" the brain to not overreact to normal life stressors."

2) Similarly, they provide enough stimulation to distract from personal anxiety. People with high anxiety have a hard time distracting themselves for long unless that activity provides enough stimulation to fully distract from worry.

For me, as much as I love movies, sometimes regular movies don't provide enough stimulation enough to distract me for long unless they are thought-provoking or thrilling, so I have to watch them in increments.

Thus, my go-tos are reading, hiking, strategy-style/time-management video games, supernatural movies.

Also, as much as exercise is a serotonin-boost, unfortunately it's not the best distractor for the mind, because exercise isn't the best mind distractor unless you're you're watching something stimulating/distracting while you're exercising!

(Hiking works because nature can be its own form of distraction/stimulation.)