Helstrom

Helstrom isn't terrible, but nor is it particularly good. It suffers from the curse of the Netflix/Hulu format - 10 long episodes dumped for streaming, that forces producers to fill the long minutes with needless back cuts, dreary prologue and stuffy detail. As a result the story drags painfully to a predictable, tiresome conclusion signalled several episodes in advance. It doesn't help that the underlying story is basically an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the acting is patchy - Sydney Lemmon is remarkable, Tom Austen is lost playing a character so dull and uptight that nobody could ever have made them interesting. It's not all bad, though. The cinematography is incredible, the soundtrack is great, the wardrobes are sublime (Ana's clothes), the sets... well... All in all, there are good bits in Helstrom, but the whole is a lot less than the sum of its parts.

I just finished binge watching and it got better with each episode. Easy to follow and understand. Great acting. It had a Prodigal Son/Evil feel but it is it's own show. I wish there was a season 2 following straight after because I'm excited to see the next season. Well here's hoping for that season 2!

At first I found this show ridiculous, especially the two main characters. But things become more interesting after one episodes or two. The plot is richer than I expected. Psychology discussions are rather good for a TV show. There is action, mystery. It is not about social justice or social commentary (at last!), it is about what a TV show is supposed to be: a story. Then cinematography, wardrobe, locations are interesting. Good production design. The female lead is a bit too much at times but can also be interesting at different periods. As a whole, this is a better than average show, dark, sometimes innovative.

We need more shows like this one! If Evil can get a second season then this one deserves more. Love the premise, love the execution. Bingeworthy content that kept me interested throughout. I really hope we don't lose another promising dark / supernatural series...too many good ones have fallen before their time.

I admit I don't know much on the original source material, so I can't speak to its overall accuracy. In general I think the show has its moments. I appreciate that it doesn't shy away from the brutality of its content and stays relatively true to the horror and fantasy elements of it. The show is pretty simple in its execution which I think is fine. The Helstrom siblings are interesting and seem to give a decent performance with the mostly average script. The side characters feel pretty two-dimensional.

The real quality in the show lies in the members of the Helstrom family themselves who, thankfully and rightfully so, carry the show. I know the show won't be renewed and this is a one time thing, but it's mostly decent and I think worth your time.