Apple Studios’ new dark comedy Widow’s Bay is the kind of series that’s difficult to put into a box. The term “genre-bending” is thrown around too casually nowadays because every film or series wants to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible. However, Widow’s Bay, by showrunner Katie Dippold and Emmy Award-winning executive producer and director Hiro Murai, is one of the few series that actually lives up to the term. It definitely leans horror and certainly embraces some supernatural elements, but it’s also laugh out loud funny in some of the smartest and most uniquely written ways.
With a genuinely stellar cast led by Matthew Rhys and including Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Kevin Carroll and Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay is the sleeper hit of the year.
Widow’s Bay is streaming on Apple TV+ now.
Widow’s Bay Official Synopsis
In “Widow’s Bay,” something lurks beneath the surface. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is desperate to revive his struggling community. There’s no Wi-Fi, spotty cellular reception and he must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed. He wants these people to respect him. They don’t. They think he is soft and cowardly. And he is. But Loftis is determined to build a better future for his teenage son and turn the island into a tourist destination. Miraculously, he succeeds: tourists are finally coming. Unfortunately, the locals were right. After decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true start happening again.
Blending genuine horror with character-driven comedy, “Widow’s Bay” features an ensemble cast led by Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Kevin Carroll and Dale Dickey. The supporting cast includes K Callan and Emmy Award winner Jeff Hiller.
Hailing from Apple Studios, “Widow’s Bay” is created, showrun and executive produced by Katie Dippold. Hiro Murai executive produces through his banner Chum Films alongside Carver Karaszewski, Claudia Shin and Rhys. Murai directs five episodes this season, in addition to directors Ti West, Sam Donovan and Andrew DeYoung.
Review – A Fresh and Creative Spin on Horror
The horror genre is enjoying quite the spotlight right now, with films like Obsession and Backrooms dominating the box office and countless horror films and series released throughout the year. Hollywood loves to ride a trend, and there’s nothing hotter than horror right now. The challenge with any trend is how to take advantage of it without being completely derivative and unoriginal. It’s easy to lean on the same tropes that have worked for others, and the current landscape of Hollywood doesn’t exactly lend itself to taking risks.
While Widow’s Bay isn’t necessarily a big risk, it’s certainly a unique approach to the trope of a creepy town with a dark secret. Matthew Rhys, who seems to have mastered the role of unsettling characters you kind of want to root for, plays Tom Loftis, the Mayor of a small island town with an unsavory history. Unlike many of the town’s residents, who are resigned to the dark fate of their island, Tom wants to usher Widow’s Bay into a modern era of prosperity. Tom refuses to be weighed down by the city’s superstitions and instead has eyes on turning Widow’s Bay into a tourist attraction in the vein of Martha’s Vineyard.
Matthew Rhys Anchors an Outstanding Cast
Rhys is simply masterful, playing the Mayor with the best intentions for his constituents and his son. He embodies the overall tone of the show, as a protagonist with a tinge of creepiness. As you want Tom to succeed, you wouldn’t be surprised at all if he suddenly flipped and started killing everyone (he doesn’t…yet).
Tom’s team of odd yet plucky underdogs includes Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), Dale (Jeff Hiller) and Rosemary (Dale Dickey), who all at least attempt to support his vision. In an almost Upside Down version of Parks and Rec, Tom’s team is hilariously incompetent, leading to some genuinely funny laugh out loud moments. Patricia in particular is a fascinating and layered character, who struggles making friends but wants to badly to be accepted. Having grown up on Widow’s Bay, her high school peers were murdered by a killer dubbed the “Boogey Man.” Patricia claims that she too was a near victim, but managed to be the only person to escape. Episodes 4 and 8 give O’Flynn the spotlight and she makes the most of it by delivering an emotional and memorable performance that make her one of the show’s highlights. Episode 4, “Beach Reads” is so masterfully written and performed, with some jaw dropping moments, that it may be the best of an overall very strong first season.
At first, Tom’s primary antagonist seems to be Wyck (Stephen Root), a boat captain who knows the depths of Widow’s Bay’s curse and disapproves of Tom’s efforts to lure tourists to the island. He has seen and experienced first-hand the mortal consequences of underestimating the island’s dark power and repeatedly warns Tom that he is courting disaster. Root is another highlight of the series, playing the jaded and grizzled veteran to perfection and walking the fine line between antagonist and mentor. Wyck ultimately does team up with Tom, as soon as Tom begins to accept the terrifying reality of the island, and the pair have cracking chemistry. As with the rest of the show, the dynamic is a nice twist on a relationship that is typically either friend or foe; Wyck is both which keeps both Tom and the audience guessing.
A Near Perfect Balance Between Horror and Comedy
What sets Widow’s Bay apart is that it takes all of these horror elements, builds up the tension, and then strategically releases it by inserting perfectly timed moments of comedy. The writing is so smart and the execution is perfect. Showrunner Katie Dippold is clearly very comfortable playing with humor and horror, having previously worked on the 2016 Ghostbusters as well as Haunted Mansion, and she and Hiro Murai, best known for executive producing and directing Atlanta, are a perfect team. They fully embrace the weird and awkward moments and turn them into hilariously relatable human stories.
For 7 episodes of Widow’s Bay, the series tells an enthralling story. It fails to fully reach its potential with the next few episodes (the season consists of 10 episodes), which extend the story and sets up the series for a second season. It’s the reality of the TV landscape that all creators face the pressure of hooking viewers for future seasons, and it’s to Dippold’s credit that a satisfying story arc is given through 7 episodes, but it’s disappointing that the season ultimately leaves you feeling like it overstayed its welcome; especially when the crescendo of the first 7 episodes would have been more than enough to keep people coming back.
Rating – 4.5/5 Pocky
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
