Netflix’s newest horror series, “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,” released on March 26, showcases one of the most intense and thrilling atmospheres the streaming platform has created.
This series starts with bride-to-be Rachel (Camila Morrone) and her fiancé Nicky (Adam DiMarco) heading to Nicky’s parents’ house for their wedding. However, from the beginning, Rachel feels like something bad is going to happen.
Unable to shake her sense of dread, Rachel learns from her father — whom she doesn’t talk to yet got mysteriously invited to the wedding — the true story of her mother’s death. This is when her father informs her of the curse set upon her bloodline; if Rachel fails to get married by sundown to Nicky on her wedding night, she will die the same way her mother did.
While this exploration of Rachel’s curse happens within the first half of the show, the second half grapples with what this curse might mean for her or Nicky’s family. If Rachel does not marry Nicky, his own bloodline will be cursed with the same fate. This dilemma forces Rachel to make the hard decision, knowing that if Nicky is not her true love, then she will die.
Themes of marriage, commitment and dread encapsulate this series, speaking to a sense of uncertainty many might feel when it comes to love. The series navigates the complex meaning of “true love,” questioning whether the term can really categorize feeling the closest love bond with another person. At the same time, the validity and guidelines of the term are examined throughout the show.
Within marriage, the show conveys how difficult it can be to commit to someone for the rest of your life. Based on the confusing and often unknown ideals of “true love,” Rachel forces herself to discover what it might mean and whether Nicky is really her “true love.”
Throughout the series, Rachel feels like an inadequate partner, amplified by her accusation that Nicky’s family is trying to kill her. I felt that this self-conscious view of herself within their relationship and life showcased Rachel’s character through a more realistic lens. Her character is portrayed as flawed, an aspect I can relate to.
I understood her feeling of inadequacy, which prevented her from believing in the validity of their love. As she reflected on her life experiences with Nicky, she analyzed every little imperfection in herself. Rachel’s self-reflection and harsh personal analysis is very relatable as well as integral to the flawed human experience.
What made this series so intense and thrilling was the exploration of this already dense subject under the pretense that the answer is detrimental to Rachel’s fate.
The final moments counting down to sundown become increasingly chaotic as Rachel and Nicky get into countless arguments. Nicky’s sister Portia (Gus Birney), who took over the wedding planning, threatens to hold off the wedding completely as the couple’s fighting continues.
The series is produced by the Duffer Brothers, who created “Stranger Things,” and clearly brought the same energy to this new series and created an intense, unsettling atmosphere.
The introduction of the supernatural added to the unsettling nature of Rachel discovering her curse. The addition of supernatural influences' muddles Rachel’s sense of normalcy, and in extension my own when watching. I felt that I began to believe the same idea as Rachel that the family likely were going to use her in some supernatural ritual.
Yet the subversion of this expectation was quite refreshing; for example, many horror movies such as “Midsommar” and “Get Out” have already showcased cult families trapping protagonists in their evil rituals.
The series felt like a long horror movie, building up Rachel’s background and wrapping the story up with a concrete ending. I found the way they approached the supernatural elements of the show and the story more enjoyable than other horror story structures that I’ve found tend to overcomplicate the ideas they are trying to present.
“Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” blends psychological and graphic horror together, resulting in one of the best horror series I have ever watched. While Rachel’s story seems to conclude in the final episode, I look forward to seeing whether the show will possibly continue with other thrilling stories.
