Slasher(2016-): Season 1

One thing that we’ve learned throughout the horrors slasher-genre is the extreme violence, flat characters with bad behavior and the mystery behind the killer’s mask. It all repeats in every slasher-story.  At one point, the main characters don’t even trust each other because of how they act in a certain situation. Scream, both TV-series and the film-series has been one of those examples, even though it tries very hard to eliminate the fact it’s a horror movie.

Slasher, that’s for the time being and available on Netflix, is trying to reinvent the most common things about the slasher genre. Even though it might be horrifying images and scenes, the violence is never constant. It more about the story first and the violence second.  This is an anthology series, which mean every season is separated from each other. Although, most of the actors return in new roles for every season.

The first season is far better than the third, which arrived this year may. The first one is provided with the right ingredients that a horror-series should have. The third season doesn’t. It should be the same aura around it as American Horror Story succeeded to maintain the same theme, but no. Aaron Martin, who wrote and was the showrunner for the first two seasons. The third season is deprived, and it would be a waste of time to go through that.

Every actor in this series feels off and doesn’t bring many emotions to the table. Neither of anyone in the cast is has the merit or the basic knowledge to pull off a good performance. One of the more believable performers is the killer – The Executioner. He doesn’t say much but at least he gives something thoughtful and trustworthy. As it’s revealed that the police officer Cameron is the killer, it sort lacks confident.  The strong impression that you might get from the beginning fades away when Cameron, Sarah’s love interest, is actually revealed as the killer.

Patrick Garrow who plays Tom Winston has a good criminal vibe. It has the look and performers to make it believable at the same time be emotional when needed. He is one of the better actors in the cast. Katie McGrath and Brandon Jay McLaren who plays Sarah and Dylan Bennett have limited chemistry between them and their relationship towards each other feels insulting.  Dylan Bennett, who is a journalist but doesn’t act like one, has no charisma to make him even likable. Sarah Bennett is written and acted with no emotions attached. McGrath and Brandon’s respective performance is underwhelming to drive the story forward. They act emotionless and keeps the season on the downfall.

Every time one scream, there is a threat rising or even something like an intense scene, the music volume increases to an extreme level. Most of the effects are decent, you can see the fake props if you look a little close. It’s not that hard to miss it. As it tries to test new ways for the characters to die, it showcases a minimum range of creativity as some of the murder-scenes are exaggerated and over the top for its own good.

This is a mediocre horror-series in the slasher-genre even though it’s not that much gory. Not many scenes in that category, so the title is slightly misleading. It has some entertaining and memorable characters. Scenes that advocate the horror-genres own structure, but the plot tends early on to be repetitive and predictable. The first season contains only eight episodes and it’s a light-weighted watch.