“Teacup,” Peacock’s new series executive produced by James Wan, is a tricky one to write about. Writer, producer, and showrunner Ian McCulloch (Yellowstone) draws very little from Robert McCammon’s Stinger, opting for a modern, minimalist interpretation of the horror western, one driven almost entirely by its central mystery. The eight-episode inaugural season is so structured around its enigmatic threat, purpose, methodology, and reach that “Teacup“ becomes a landmine of spoilers to dodge for the sake of preserving its many, many surprises. While that makes for a lot of setup and character dynamics to establish, McCulloch’s careful plotting and effective atmospherics pay off, resulting in an intense, rewarding inaugural season.
Set in rural Georgia, the series sees a disparate group of people forced together by a mysterious phenomenon in their surrounding woods. The type that leaves them without electricity, cell phone service, or a way to escape whatever it is that’s spooked the animals and has young Arlo Chenoweth (Caleb Dolden) acting strange. When the group realizes that the threat could come from anywhere, including one of their own, paranoia and mistrust only further complicates their bid to find answers and a way out of their dire predicament.
Of course, this particular group of survivors barely know each other outside of their immediate families and come with massive emotional baggage.
TEACUP — “Think About the Bubbles” Episode 101 — Pictured: (l-r) Adelina Anthony, Caleb Dolden as Arlo Chenoweth– (Photo by: Mark Hill/Peacock)
Characters take precedence in “Teacup.“ The early half of the season is spent getting acquainted with the ill-fated people trapped together. Arlo’s parents, James (Scott Speedman) and Maggie Chenoweth (Yvonne Strahovski), are still reeling from James’ recent infidelity when he wanders into the woods, setting in motion the horror events. It coincides with the arrival of the Shanley family, who are bringing their injured horse to vet Maggie for aid. Ruben Shanley (Chaske Spencer) doesn’t yet know that his wife, Valeria (Diany Rodriguez), was James’ mistress. The dual betrayal naturally will sow further division and factor heavily into the drama when the horror hits the fan. Then there’s wildcard McNab (Rob Morgan), a conspiracy theorist who might have some answers if he can learn to play nice.
“Teacup“ creates an intense pressure cooker scenario that gradually but steadily builds, but McCulloch and his team don’t skimp on the horror when the right moment presents itself. Special Effects Makeup Designer Carey Jones (“Fallout,” “The Walking Dead”) turns in fantastic work when it comes to the rather gruesome, stomach-churning demises. This series has conceived of excruciating ways for humans and animals alike to meet their end, and the imagery is strikingly grotesque. “Teacup“ spends so much time with the interior lives and personalities of its characters that those deaths hurt all the more when they arrive. It’s worth mentioning that this is also a show unafraid to kill its darlings, and the back half doles out some devastating losses.
TEACUP — “Think About the Bubbles” Episode 101 — Pictured: (l-r) Caleb Dolden as Arlo Chenoweth, Yvonne Strahovski as Maggie Chenoweth, Emilie Bierre as Meryl Chenoweth, Scott Speedman as James Chenoweth — (Photo by: Mark Hill/Peacock)
“Teacup” is a series that feels designed as a movie, with each episode resuming where the last episode’s story ended. It even looks like a movie; McCulloch has lined up impressive talent in front of and behind the camera, like directors E.L. Katz (Azrael, Cheap Thrills), Chloe Okuno (Watcher, V/H/S/94), and John Hyams (Sick, Alone), and production designer Patti Podesta (The Black Phone, Dark Harvest), who bring a cohesive artistry. This team knows how to build tension, right down to the minor details. The camera will linger on weapons that may or may not get used in a subsequent scene, as an example, leaving you on edge while you wait for it to come into play.
Not every element works, at least not yet. It takes a while for the series to find its pacing, even with most of the episodes running around 30 minutes. The budding romance between teen Meryl Chenoweth (Emilie Bierre) and Nicholas Shanley (Luciano Leroux) might offer some charmingly sweet reprieve from the oppressive sense of dread and foreboding, but it’s less interesting and fleshed out compared to the meatiness of James’ infidelity or McNab’s scene-stealing antics. To be fair, James and Valeria’s affair yields so much meaty subtext, creating layered meanings behind the characters’ interactions, that it’s a large part of what makes the final two episodes so emotionally resonant.
McCulloch wisely knows how much to reveal while building to a rewarding finale that only creates more excitement for the series’ future and its open possibilities, including genre. The inaugural season is self-contained, trapping its characters in a claustrophobic bubble of oncoming terror and interpersonal drama. It’s an intriguing world where you come to love the characters, warts and all. They’re all smart in their respective ways, and it all makes for a gripping reinvention of the modern western, one with a distinctly devastating horror twist.
The first two episodes of “Teacup“ premiere on Peacock on Thursday, October 10, followed by two episodes weekly through Halloween.
The post “Teacup” Review – Horror Mystery Series Creates an Intense Pressure Cooker Scenario appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
source https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3835026/teacup-review-horror-mystery-series-creates-an-intense-pressure-cooker-scenario/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=teacup-review-horror-mystery-series-creates-an-intense-pressure-cooker-scenario
No comments:
Post a Comment