TV Review: Is Hulu Castle Rock Scary or Creepy?

I should tell you that I am scared of my own shadow. I purposefully go to horror movies to terrify myself, and wind up sleeping with a Virgin Mary statue for a month. Thus, I was excited by Hulu’s Castle Rock, and completely ready for some night-terrors. Yet, Castle Rock is not scary as much as creepy. Based off of Stephen King’s fictional, Maine town, where many of his  horrifying tales have taken place; the weird, daunting ambiance of Castle Rock is what captivates. I cringed, I wondered, and I got totally confused, but that is what building a mystery is all about.

At least, the first four episodes of Castle Rock are not scary as much as confounding. Yet, admittedly, the fourth episode certainly pushes you further into “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!” land, but that is typical of a series. The first three episode are about laying the foundation of the characters you will follow in this mystery like, Andre Holland’s Henry Deaver. Holland gives Deaver an elegance and a fractured heart. He waltzes with frustration through Castle Rock, and the prejudices/ pre-judgments about him. Accused of killing his adopted father, despite NO EVIDENCE, this town of crazy eccentrics truly judges Deaver as a threat. It is a fascinating watch because, by all means, the “normal guy”(Deaver) is the strange one of this town.

First you have Melanie Lynskey’s Molly Strand; whom uses every inch of her body to make Molly the most vulnerable and potentially most volatile character of the series. She adds a lightness to the show through her comedy, but you cannot help but feel there is a volcano inside her that is slowly erupting, especially because of her drug usage, stalkers tendencies, and ability to read minds. The same thing goes for, at least in my opinion, every character. Sissy Spacek’s Ruth  is Deaver’s adopted mother; whom has Alzheimer’s and is combatting her own rising volatility under the “care” of ex-sheriff Alan Pangborn (Scott Glenn). Unfortunately, for Deaver, Pangborn is like most of the town: not a fan of the returning attorney. Yet, this allows King and all writers of the series to give every dialogue a razored edge.

There is not one scene in Castle Rock that does not feel ominous, contentious, and like a strange homage to both the world and distinctly tense dialogues of Stephen King. This man has a  capacity to make every single scene/ word rot with intention. Just his name makes you over-analytical of this show. While Castle Rock’s pacing, again in the beginning, is like a slow burn, you, as a fan of King, are coming in ready for the fire. The minute I heard a Cujo reference I felt like Oprah. I am just waiting for the clown from IT to appear so I can be completely terrified. Yet, that brings to me to my next point.  While Castle Rock does give you the Shawshank Prison to introduce you to the mysterious, apocalyptic-esque prisoner (Bill Skarsgard) dragging Henry through this noir nightmare, it is all just a reference nugget. The show will bombard you with homages, but do not expect Carrie or Christine to be showing up. Hulu is aiming to make Castle Rock a home for new horrifying tales characters that honor King’s past while showing this guy can creep us out into the future. Castle Rock Is on Hulu with an episode premiering each Wednesday. 

/