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Review: What We Do In The Shadows & The Twilight Zone (2019)

New TV Reviews (Early 2019)

What We Do In The Shadows (2019)

For those that enjoyed the film, the new TV reboot is an absolute success. It may not have any of the same stars on-screen but original creators, Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clemant (gotta love both of them), are at it once again with producing, writing and directing duties. The show, taking place in the same universe as the film, takes the same formula and transports this new family of vampires to New York City. The humour is both similar and fresh enough to appeal to fans of the original and newcomers alike. The core cast is fantastic - playing similar caricature-esque archetypes while also imbuing the world's lore with some new surprises, such as with Colin Robinson, the 'Energy Sucking Vampire' - 'we all know one of them'. There have only been two episodes released so far and therefore everyone still has time to jump on-board with this additional sure-to-be-hit by FX.

The Twilight Zone (2019)

It is always difficult to review an anthology series without discussing each episode, however, here, I will try to give my initial opinion on the first two episodes that have been released so far. Firstly, Jordan Peele stepping into the lofty shoes of Rod Serling and acting as this iteration of the show's executive producer couldn't be a more perfect fit. Peele, as we know, is an acolyte of the social horror/thriller genre and he clearly understands the draw and foundations that The Twilight Zone the TV behemoth that it is. Though there are bound to be some weaker installments of the show, one can be confident that with Peele spearheading it behind the scenes, there will equally be many stellar episodes that come out.
So far, the two episodes released are 'The Comedian', starring Kumail Nanjiani and 'Nightmare at 30,000 Feet', starring Adam Scott. Both episodes very much the feeling of classic Twlight Zone. The Comedian revolves around a struggling comedian who learns that he must make his sets more personal to connect with his audience. Along the way he learns that, in doing so, he must sacrifice things closest to him... Nightmare is a retelling of the very famous episode starring William Shatner as he is tormented by a creature on the wing of the aircraft that only he can see. This re-telling similarly contains a threat to the plane that only Scott's character can see... It is fun that the show clearly has a substantial budget and the stories are told with high production value, including the big-name stars that star in the episodes. However, both episodes lose steam partway through and 'Nightmare' specifically really does not stick the landing (no pun intended...). Overall, I am intrigued by the show and look forward to more episodes as I know soon enough there will be episodes that are must-sees.





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