The Contending’s Ben Morris weighs in on AppleTV’s Widow’s Bay, which deftly blends tension, horror, and comedy.
I have started to appreciate horror over the last few years. Two big reasons for that are the creativity that the genre has been experiencing recently as well as the focus on creating a mood that gradually elevates the scares without overly relying on shock violence. Watching the teaser for AppleTV’s Widow’s Bay, I was immediately intrigued by the unsettling feeling it was invoking while simultaneously confused by how it could be a comedy. The later trailer did make that part a bit clearer, but I wondered if a show like this could really work. Not only did it meet those expectations, but it surpassed them. Widow’s Bay effectively builds dread over each episode as well as creates a compelling narrative with a wonderful cast. Plus, it’s very funny to boot.
Widow’s Bay is an island community that has been stagnant for years, and Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is desperate to try to increase tourism. He is aided and stymied by his staff Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) and Rosemary (Dale Dickey), whose sarcasm about how she can’t do anything right makes for some great one-liners. He is also dealing with being a single father to his teenage son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick), who has been rebelling of late, sneaking out to smoke pot with his friends. Plus there’s a Chief of Police Bechir (Kevin Carroll), who has one foot out the door and doesn’t want to deal with any weirdness. Then there is old timer Wyck (Stephen Root), who believes the island is cursed, that Loftis is a fool, and that bringing more people here will just get them killed.
The mystery of the island is an interesting combination of broad horror tropes and stories as well as an overall sense of something being wrong. The community is well aware of the serial killers the island has had over the years, while there are also tall tales of witches and cannibalism. Loftis trying to convince everyone that things aren’t that bad and that these are just legends is a large part of the beginning of this series, letting us get to know some of the terrors while teasing bigger things to come. While the mystery of the island is central to the show’s story, it is not one of those shows where we are going to be debating online for years what is the secret to Widow’s Bay. We are given enough details of what is happening so we can focus on seeing the characters’ reactions and how they navigate the rules of the world rather than solving the mystery.
The way Widow’s Bay builds its tension is very effective in that we know something is going to happen but what and when is never clear. When it does come it is worth the wait. I had to pause an episode and, even with screeners for every episode, I needed a day between episodes.
Now this is called a horror comedy, and I will say this is horror first, comedy second. When the joke comes you never quite see it coming but it is usually a weird aside or dry comment of something terrible they are discussing. But what was so impressive is that when the jokes happen they never get rid of the tension or feel out of place. They either add to the awkwardness of the situation or you get a quick laugh and then we are back to the uneasy feeling or action. The show never loses a beat.
The cast is great overall. Matthew Rhys as Loftis is our entry point as someone who doesn’t believe but he is seeing things he cannot explain and it is weighing on him, that maybe Wyck is right but he doesn’t want to admit it. He is not the mayor ignoring the problem; he is trying to find real solutions for his community, and for his son. Stephen Root is very good at balancing Wyck’s intensity of his what would appear to be insane beliefs with a sense of also being someone who can also handle himself. While these two butt heads for good reason, there is still a sense that they both have some degree of respect (very buried at times) and share a sense of sadness about their lives. They give a good back and forth where you can see the other’s viewpoint yet give some good insults.
Now as good as Stephen Root and Matthew Rhys are as they bicker over their viewpoints and insult each other and eventually work together, Kate O’Flynn was a standout for me. When we see her she seems to be just Tom’s assistant, loyal (with a bit of a crush) but high-strung and feeling disconnected from people. She has some trauma from her past that is still with her but it is the way a lot of the town reacts to it that is continuing to create a sense of isolation for her. But she shows a great deal of resilience as well, and is able to put her foot down and challenge those around her. She is brave, willing to do something stupid or out there if she feels it is right, while still dealing with her doubts. I do not know if she is going lead or supporting at the Emmys but I will be hyping her all season.
There are a few minor things that do not get as much focus. Bechir and Evan have arcs but they are on the backburner compared to the three core cast. Evan’s rebellion is explained, but who he is as an individual isn’t given a lot of time. He is pretty much the angsty teen character. Bechir is dealing with wanting off the island even without the horror aspects but just not quite given the same time and detail as the rest. He doesn’t get the screen time to get to where the rest of the cast is and, while he still works, I wish we had more detail about who he is and his past. Where we ended was set up very well and, while it took a bit of a route I was hoping wasn’t going to happen, it still worked really well. Overall this was everything I was hoping for and then some. Great tension-building that keeps the horror threat feeling real and dangerous, a great ensemble that gets to tackle a lot of issues and isn’t just there to be cannon fodder, and some straight up laugh-out-loud moments.
Widow’s Bay streams exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning Wednesday, April 29.
