We have been streaming some Halloween/ scary films and series over the last few weeks. One regular for me is the collection of American Horror Stories - which are the short single episodes in addition to the longer series. Ryan Murphy really has the genre pegged in terms of twisting up the storylines. But what I continue to find amazing, is how he constantly resets the specifics of it over and over. Each series has a different look and cinematography. The writing styles adapt to the concept whether it is Slasher, Gothic, Vampire - whatever.
I was just reflecting on what it means to be a Villain in one of the Seasons. And the way they are written. There is almost always more than a single killer with plot twists and layered characters. These are some that really still frighten me:
Freak Show (Season 4) was just bizarre from the get-go, set in a traveling carnival in 1952. It was a splash of color and blood at every turn. Jessica Lange is the eerie owner Elsa Mars, but we have bearded ladies, demented ringleaders, of course mad clowns. But for me it was the introduction of Finn Wintrock as Dandy Mott, a dangerously disturbed rich boy who took cruelty to a new extreme.
Hotel (Season 5) was set in a fictional setting of the Hotel Cortez in LA which took inspiration from a real place, the Cecil Hotel which was constructed by an architect as a maze where murders and crime took place before discovering them all. The series was of course opulent and involved time travel which featured real serial killers from history. At the center was Lady Gaga as the Countess with her carnal vampire instincts. Hordes of beautiful men and lusty sex. But for me it was Sarah Paulson's portrayal of Sally McKenna, also called hypodermic Sally as an addict of drugs, sex and men who was brutal and surprising by the saga's end.
Roanoke (Season 6) sprawled over centuries and lacked focus to hold my attention. But going back to witchcraft trials in early Colonial Days gave it a unique Appalachian backdrop for something new. Kathy Bates has been a fixture on this series and played many outstanding roles. But I think her Agnes Mary Winstead was absolutely her most memorable. Seeing her wield both a rifle and hatchet in peasant outfits was a sublime meeting of Sweeney Todd and Hocus Pocus.
Cult (Season 7) to me was the most devastating of all the iterations. It was set in real time after the 2016 election and bought into the massive political fears that continue to this day. It was rooted in fear and violence which to me were so much more real than gore. And it showed the mental issue of wanting to conform and fit in with such a complexity. Evan Peters has been in almost every season, but here he was just diabolical. As he took on a handful of serial killers over the years and then melded them all into his own role of Kai Anderson and infected the soul of our entire culture. His blank stare was soulless. Absolutely haunting.
If you have favorites of you own, please let me know. There are so many great actors in compelling roles it is impossible to sort through them all.