A wickedly satirical look at the nature of fear and panic, “Hysteria” offers plenty of scenery-chewing, headbanging, nostalgic-fueled fun.
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Let’s face it; I was never NOT going to watch an 80s-inspired, heavy metal horror series starring Bruce Campbell that skewered the insanity of the Satanic Panic.
Fortunately, Hysteria delivered everything I wanted and more—and it’s a hell of a good time.
The oft-quoted, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist,” comes from The Unusual Suspects, paraphrased from a poem by Charles Baudelaire. It’s often interpreted as failing to believe in the literal existence of the mythological creature known as Satan.
However, it’s really about the ways in which insidious evil creeps up on unsuspecting and well-meaning people while they are distracted and vulnerable. The point is that evil works in the world by disguising its operation. It’s never quite what you think it is, and it doesn’t look how you expect it to look.
Evil isn’t pentagrams and goth makeup. Evil lives in fear, ignorance, prejudice, and the influence of master manipulators.
Set in 1989, Hysteria explores this idea as it was portrayed during the modern-day witch hunts of the 1980s and 1990s.
Photo by: Mark Hill/Peacock
An irrational and dangerous panic fueled by misinformation, religious fervor, and the media landscape reminds us how often history repeats itself—even when we’re confident such evil could never thrive amidst an “evolved” society.
It’s a serious subject matter, but Hysteria plays it with a light hand, focusing on fun rather than thought-provoking social commentary.
With that said, it’s not the indulgence in camp I expected. This horror-infused show plays it pretty straight for the most part, delivering some solid scares and heaps of atmospheric flair.
Hysteria is an easy, breezy watch that I gleefully binged in a single night.
I was hooked from the first episode; more accurately, I was hooked from the first few minutes.
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The seduction began immediately as Belinda Carlisle’s dulcet tones played over a cassette tape, the dreamy soundtrack to two teens fooling around in the bedroom of a well-manicured suburban neighborhood home. The romantic moment is interrupted when a man wearing a horrifyingly creepy bird mask kicks the door in and attacks the teens. The girl, Faith (Nikki Hahn), escapes. But another attacker is waiting outside to kidnap her in a compelling scene somewhat reminiscent of the shocking opening of Scream.
Faith survives and is returned to her ultra-religious mom, Tracy (a deviously scenery-chewing performance from the brilliant Anna Camp of Pitch Perfect and True Blood fame).
Unfortunately, the boy, the school’s beloved star quarterback, is missing.
His disappearance, along with the pentagram painted on the garage door of his parent’s home, sets off panic in the sleepy little town of Happy Hollow.
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This newfound obsession with the occult inspires a lonely, lovelorn teen named Dylan (Emjay Anthony).
Dylan is an aspiring musician in an unpopular band with his best friends Jordy (Chiara Aurelia) and Spud (Kezii Curtis). They can’t pay people to go to their shows. But Dylan suggests a rebrand, giving their band an edgier style and marketing themselves as a Satanic heavy metal band called Dethkrunch.
The tactic generates significant buzz among the student body, including Dylan’s crush, a beauty with an apparent dark side named Judith (Jessica Treska). Dylan’s efforts to impress the popular Judith led to him promoting the band as a secret Satanic cult and even carving a pentagram into his hand.
But just when Dylan is finally getting everything he always wanted, the quarterback is found murdered in a ritualistic-style killing, and the entire freaked-out town now suspects Dethkrunch of the brutal crime and bringing the Devil to Happy Hollow.
Tracy’s unhinged holy roller rhetoric fuels the hysteria.
Meanwhile, Dylan’s mother, Linda (Julie Bowen of Modern Family in a riveting performance), is experiencing extreme fear and stress. As her condition worsens, her family fears she may be possessed by the evil gripping the town.
With the plot thickening and the town coming apart at the seams, police chief Ben Dandridge (the incomparable Bruce Campbell in a surprisingly serious role) tries to keep everyone calm and get to the bottom of what’s happening.
Creator Matthew Scott Kane has delivered a thoroughly entertaining ode to the good, the bad, and the ugly of the decade of decadence.
Photo by: Mark Hill/Peacock
It boasts an outstanding ensemble cast with a stellar cast of young newcomers, including the wonderful Milly Shapiro, who unnerved the world in her star-making role in Hereditary. They hold their own among talented industry veterans who never fail to deliver.
Icons like Camp, Bowen, and Campbell are every bit as good as you expect them to be.
The lack of comedic material for funnyman Campbell may frustrate some, but Campbell is excellent as a caring and concerned officer, playing the role with endearing sincerity that’s difficult not to love.
The eight-episode series ends with a bang, effectively tying up the many plotlines while leaving the door open for a compelling sequel. Though it’s meant to be widely accessible, sidestepping a deep arthouse exploration of fear and paranoia, it remains impactful and relevant in a modern landscape of “fake news” and fear-mongering.
With a killer combination of heartfelt (but not schlocky) teen drama, slick writing, a soundtrack full of bangers, stylish editing, and an ultra-cool retro aesthetic that’s sure to delight children of the 80s and those with a nostalgic bent, it’s eight hours of unbridled entertainment.
Bottom line: This devilishly fun series deserves your attention. Hail, Hysteria!
Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 4
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