A mundane collection of supernatural stories
Horror anthology series are popping up more often than Dungeons & Dragons gameplay videos. Shudder has brought out Creepshow. Hulu has Bite Size Halloween (and Bite Size Halloween, Jr.), and also Monsterland. The series, based on Nathan Ballingrud’s “North American Lake Monsters: Stories,” the series takes big swings at morality and justice, and produces mixed results.
Monsterland is presented in its trailer as humans interacting and discovering gothic beings like mermaids and angels. That occurs in the series but is largely just a method to show that humans are often the monsters themselves. The individual episodes feel long or unfinished. This is a shame because the cast is super talented and the visuals are mostly very well presented.
The series consists of eight episodes, covering topics like obsession, jealousy, mental health, and grief. Some of the prosthetic work is exceptional, but like the tone of the writing, the photography is also widely different. Some are bright and vibrant while others are primarily shot in shadows.
The cast includes some amazing actors who deliver performances superior to the writing. Kaitlyn Dever pulls some great moments out of her role as a single mom at the end of her rope. Taylor Schilling tears at the heart strings as a woman suffering bipolar personality disorder. Nicole Beharie portrays a woman literally facing her own demons. Her scenes opposite Marquis Rodriguez make their mother-son dynamic tangible. Mike Colter and Adepero Oduye make for a sympathetic couple grieving for their lost daughter. Kelly Marie Train is an excellent lead as the girl stealing her friend’s wishes and dreams. Joy Osmanski pulls double duty as a disinterested mother and wicked witch.
Monsterland comes across as Goosebumps for adults, which puts it far behind other anthology series. Viewers should check the cast list for individual episodes for some of their favorite actors but temper expectations. Unfortunately, the series misses more than it hits, but for those who have binged other series and need a fix, this would provide a mediocre fix.