Netflix's ‘Something Very Bad is Going to Happen’ Review: A Masterclass in Dread

Picture Credit: Netflix

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen is made by an esteemed and acclaimed creative team, and it shows. The 7-episode limited series is a masterclass in establishing a chilling, foreboding atmosphere.

After wrapping up Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer have more time to pursue other projects. Of course, they have The Boroughs coming up. But before that, there’s Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, a seven-episode series they executive produced. It’s a creepy and paranoia-driven paranormal thriller created by Haley Z. Boston (Brand New Cherry Flavour). Other high-profile names include acclaimed Baby Raindeer director Weronika Tofilska.

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen follows bride Rachel (Camila Morrone, known for Daisy Jones & The Six) and groom Nicky (Adam DiMarco, known for The White Lotus) as they travel to Nicky’s parents’ vacation cabin, nestled away in snowy woods, where they’ll hold their idyllic winter wedding. For this series, the strangeness begins way before they step foot in the secluded woodland cabin. Their journey presents plenty of eerie moments, setting the tone for a show that favours atmosphere and psychological horror over visceral terror. It captures the creepy dread of classic Stephen King stories, and shares DNA with Lynch’s supernatural horror Twin Peaks.

When they arrive at the cabin, and the big day draws closer, Rachel experiences a looming sense of trepidation, almost like something very bad is going to happen when they tie the knot. Something doesn’t feel quite right: Is it the eccentric family? Or something a little more occult at work? Either way, there’s a requisite wedding to plan, and Rachel powers through navigating both inexplicable strangeness and a strange family.

Camila Morrone shines as Rachel, delivering a performance of high emotional range. This is particularly important, given that the show is portrayed entirely through her perspective. We as viewers buy into her fears and anxieties, even when the fear manifests itself mentally as opposed to real, tangible threats. Meanwhile, Adam DiMarco offers up a solid performance as Nicky, although it always felt like the writers put shackles on his character. On his own, the character has little charisma, but he comes alive when paired with Rachel. Of all the supporting cast, Gus Birney (The Mist) shines as excitable, baby-voiced perfectionist Portia, who brings a much-needed energy to the series. Also heightening a brilliant cast is the wonderful Jennifer Jason Leigh, who plays matriarch Victoria Cunningham.

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As the title suggests, this is a plot that lingers and keeps you guessing. It presents a story that persists on dread and uncertainty, occasionally veering into David Lynch levels of eerie and strangeness (but never delving too far into that territory). It’s dark and grim, unsettling and macabre. The horror element is a masterclass in getting under your skin through psychological terror, fuelled by the paranoia of our protagonist, Rachel. Both narratively and visually, the level of unease and foreboding gives it a similar feel to classics like The Wicker Man (1973) and modern masterpieces like Get Out (2017).

It holds back on jump scares and gore in favour of character-driven storytelling and atmosphere. That said, when those moments of horror do arrive, they’re that much more shocking. It’s not entirely melancholic — there are a few comedic moments spread out. These are very much in the realm of dark comedy; I never laughed out loud.

The wedding theme can lend itself to cliches and overused tropes. This series takes certain cliches and embraces them, notably something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. It cleverly weaves tropes into the plot and links it to the occultism occurring, but some are thrown in for good measure, such as having the bride run around in a torn wedding dress. For the most part, however, the series uses these cliches with confidence, offering unique takes.

Of course, atmosphere is one thing, but the story itself raises interesting questions about love, relationships, marriage, and the concept of soulmates. The latter is the show’s core theme, explored through the lens of occultism and witchcraft. The ‘magic’ system established is deliberately hazy; it’s clear that supernatural activity is at play, but the writers instead focus on the human emotion. On the rare occasions that the supernatural is in effect, it relies on showering rather than telling, keeping things vague.

MVP

Camila Morrone — She leads the show excellently, offering a performance of high energy and superb emotional range.

Verdict

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen is, incidentally, very good. The story itself is just okay; nothing stands out as outstanding. However, the show comes into its own thanks to a brilliantly chilling and unsettling atmosphere. The cast is terrific, notably Camila Morrone. In the first scene, we see Rachel walking down the aisle of the Cunningham household. We know that the wedding takes place — it’s about the journey rather than the destination. I wouldn’t call this show a slow-burn, and that’s fine. Despite a chaotic finale, the ultimate ending leaves a little to be desired. Given that the title promises ‘something bad,’ I had expected something less enigmatic and speculative to occur before the credits rolled.

We’ve been seeing a trend at Netflix with the streamer favouring limited series as its core content strategy in recent years. Of course, long-form serialised dramas are still a huge part of the streamer, but with limited series like Adolescence, Baby Reindeer, and The Queen’s Gambit, and so on, the short-form format is paying dividends. Something Very Bad is Going to Happen is yet another top-tier limited series at Netflix.