With so many quality movies and TV shows premiering this year, it’s a great time to be a horror fan. Writers and executive producers Matthew Scott Kane (Stitchers) and David A. Goodman (The Orville) will bring more thrills and chills to the small screen with their eight-episode series Hysteria!
Up top, I’ll start by quelling any fears or irritations about the legendary Bruce Campbell being credited as a “special guest star.” The horror icon appears in 7 out of 8 episodes, making him more of a supporting character. However, expect to see Campbell fighting evil by the book in this series, one that isn’t bound in flesh. Kane said “We didn’t hire Bruce to be Ash Williams. Everyone that came onto the show, we used against type.”
The sudden disappearance of high school quarterback Ryan Hudson (Brandon Butler) puts the fictional town of Happy Hollow, Michigan, on edge. The giant pentagram spray-painted on Ryan’s house points to devil worshipers. This is the late 1980s, the era of “Satanic Panic,” when Americans believed Satanic cults were coming for their children via heavy metal music and television, even the Smurfs.
Dylan Campbell (Emjay Anthony), guitarist in struggling metal band Dethkrunch, gets the (bad) idea to play into the adults’ growing fear of Satanism, which in turn, gives their kids another way to rebel against them. His bandmates/best friends, Jordy (Chiara Aurelia) and Spud (Kezii Curtis) are wisely hesitant to embrace, or more like exploit, the town’s occult mania. Still, they’re trying to get noticed and eventually record a demo, so pretending to worship the devil appears to be their only hope.
It all gets out of hand once Dylan’s crush Judith (Jessica Treska) starts paying attention to him for the first time. She seems like the archetypal popular blonde but quickly proves that she’s looking to explore her dark side by cozying up to a boy she genuinely believes is a cult leader. His eagerness to impress her and prove himself to their douchey jock classmate Cliff (Elijah Richardson) only gets him into trouble. Soon, this fake cult becomes much bigger than Dylan. Unsurprisingly, the members of Dethkrunch are prime suspects in Ryan’s vanishing and every other strange thing happening in town.
Dylan’s mother Linda (Julie Bowen) worries about her son’s occult rebrand, which happens around the same time she begins experiencing hellish visions that her husband Gene (Nolan North) tries to understand. Stoking the collective outrage is Happy Hollow’s resident church lady Tracy Whitehead (Anna Camp). She makes it her mission to get everyone to be as afraid and angry as she is, including her teenage daughter Faith (Nikki Hahn), whom she believes in falling into a life of sin.
The man tasked with solving Ryan’s disappearance is Chief Dandridge (Bruce Campbell). This character goes against law enforcement stereotypes; he’s not a bumbling fool, a dismissive authoritarian, or an alcoholic cop with rage issues. He’s just a level-headed police chief trying to keep the peace in his town. While he’s confronted with strange occurrences and an angry mob of parents, Dandridge still gives the accused heavy metal band members the benefit of the doubt. For a while, at least.
With roughly nine main characters, Hysteria! has a few subplots that connect to the overall premise. The first two episodes feel like a lot to take in but still manage to be a fun watch. Episode 5 might be the most dramatic and suspenseful of them all (other than the finale); it explores more of Tracy and Faith’s rocky mother-daughter relationship as well as Tracy’s past experience with what she believes was a demon.
True Blood fans will recognize Anna Camp as Sarah Newlin, the vamp-hating, delusional wife of Fellowship of the Sun’s leader Steve Newlin. There are some similarities between Tracy and Sarah, notably their penchant for fear-mongering. But as a single mother in the ’80s, Tracy goes out of her way to scare her daughter into behaving the way she deems appropriate.
The talented ensemble cast of Hysteria! make it easy to root for their characters. All of the teens share a yearning to belong and be seen for who they are or, in Faith’s case, just to be normal. Emjay Anthony (aka Max in my favorite Christmas horror movie Krampus) portrays Dylan as a confused, naive teenage boy who makes awful decisions out of desperation but still has a good heart.
The overall heavy metal aesthetic of the series promises a soundtrack full of bangers, which music supervisor Jen Malone (Atlanta, Wednesday) definitely delivers with the likes of Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, and Iron Maiden.
While most of the characters have killer ’80s looks (blowouts and mall bangs for days!), there are a few whose style could be from any time period, namely the main trio of teens. Even with the decade-appropriate lack of technology, I expect a lot of viewers will criticize the hints of modern flair throughout the series.
Set against the backdrop of Satanic Panic, Hysteria! is a coming-of-age thriller that dives into the dangers of false narratives, parental fear, teenage rebellion, and religious fanaticism. It strikes a nice balance of humor and horror with plenty of angst and drama, creating a tone that feels like Stranger Things Season 4 meets Midnight Mass. Although I felt the pacing was off at times, it’s still a fun binge for the Halloween season.
All episodes of Hysteria! will premiere October 18, 2024, on Peacock. USA Network and Syfy will simulcast the first episode on the same day, followed by episodes each Friday on USA Network.
