Apple TV’s new horror series is scarier because it’s also funny

Kate O’Flynn views comedy and horror as “kind of the same thing”. They’re both at their best when they’re surprised – a laugh or a scare that comes out of nowhere is the most affecting. That’s why, for the star of the new horror-comedy hybrid Widow’s Baymixing genres makes perfect sense – they reinforce each other. “You’re never on firm ground,” she says. “You lose your guard, and you’re ready to laugh, cry or scream. Everything is at your fingertips.”

Widow’s Baywhich begins streaming on Apple TV on April 29, tells the story of the island located off the coast of New England. It has a small country town charm and is definitely haunted. There have been countless legends and ghost stories since the city’s founding, along with a possible curse that no one born on the island can leave without dying. The town’s mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), is determined to revitalize the island and turn it into a tourist destination to rival Martha’s Vineyard. But in doing so, he ignores the very obvious signs that something is wrong. In the first episode, for example, a sinister fog hangs over the city, but all Tom can think about is visiting New York Times Travel writer.

The show is the brainchild of showrunner Katie Dippold, who has Proven track record in comedywrite loops for Food TV and Parks and recreation And movies like the heat and 2016 Ghostbusters Reboot. She’s always been a fan of projects that successfully blend genres, the problem is that they’re rare. “A lot of times, I’ll watch a new horror comedy, but I’m not getting the comedy or the horror,” she explains. You cite An American werewolf in London As a personal favorite he pinned this blend. “I think about it all the time because it’s horrifying, but then they go very hard into comedy,” she says.

with Widow’s BayHer goal was to ensure that the two genres “could feed off each other, never letting the comedy undermine the story or the tension. I never wanted to have a moment where something scary happens and the characters don’t interact honestly. If you’re honest, you’ll find the comedy in the end. That was the rule and a very difficult challenge.”

Over the course of 10 episodes, Widow’s Bay It almost turns into a horror anthology of sorts. There’s the overarching story of the city and its sordid history, but each episode explores different subgenres tied to specific characters and stories. In one episode, Tom gets a crash course in all the different curses that have befallen Weddo Bay when he stays at a haunted hotel where time moves differently. Later, there are episodes that evoke everything from midsummer to Friday the 13th To a large collection of Stephen King. That means lumbering assassins, sea witches, strange rituals, and yes, even a killer clown at one point. As things progress, the island’s mysteries deepen and the tension builds, Diebold says the comedic elements are designed in a very specific way. “We hope it’s relatable and feels good,” she says.

For the actors, the task was similar: to deal with the hybrid nature of the show in a way that felt cohesive and complementary. And they tell me that doing so often means not thinking about genres as separate things. “I think Katie has built a very real world with very real people with very real problems,” Reese says. “The most important thing is not to get in the way of it. It relieves you from the pressure of playing any genre.” Stephen Root, who plays Tom’s rival, a local fisherman who believes a lot in curses, adds: “It’s not a comedy or a drama or a horror game. It’s playing the truth of the situation and letting it unfold. Hopefully the audience will follow along because they’re interested in the characters.”

Diebold believes that having a background in comedy can prepare you to do great work in the world of horror. After all, two of the most popular directors in the genre in the past few years — Jordan Peele and Zack Krieger — started out sketch comedies before they made films like no and Weapons. “There’s a sense of play in those movies,” Diebold says. “I don’t mean that the scary parts are funny. I really enjoy when horror has an air of fun.”

In the end, the goal of both types is the same: to get a visceral reaction from the audience. They often approach it differently, but the results can be almost identical. As O’Flynn points out: “When I’m scared, I laugh like crazy. It comes out as laughter. I think that’s the tightrope of hysteria.” And for Diebold, when it comes to crafting the world and its story Widow’s BayIt wasn’t necessarily very different from her previous work.

“When I see a good scene in a horror movie in the theater, I always laugh,” she says. “It’s almost like a well-constructed joke. Writing a good joke and crafting a good horror scene are two very different things, but there’s a similar energy.”