REVIEW: “Scream Queens” is scarily good blend of comedy and horror
By Claire Alongi,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–
“Scream Queens” is exactly the over-the-top horror comedy one would expect from the creator of “Glee” and “American Horror Story.” It is worth the watch, if you’re ready for one wild ride.
The new Fox show follows college freshman Grace, played by Skyler Samuels, as she goes to pledge to the sorority Kappa Kappa Tau, home of the ruthless Chanels…and a dangerous mystery. But Kappa isn’t just the usual group of obnoxious and spoiled mean girls a la Regina George. There’s murder lurking around every corner of their sleek modernist house and hiding under every designer hand bag.
A mysterious person dressed as a red devil is picking off the Chanels, their pledges and other students one by one in various gruesome ways.
Show-runner Ryan Murphy has gathered an impressive ensemble cast to round out this twisted college tale, including Ariana Grande, Keke Palmer, Abigail Breslin, Nick Jonas and more. All the actors take up larger-than-life stereotyped versions of their characters, whether it’s Emma Robert’s delightfully awful Chanel Number One, Niecy Nash’s absolutely hilarious officer Denise or Lea Michele’s nerdy history major with a neck brace.
To heap on some campy comedy, “Queens” frequently relies on old horror classics like zooming in on faces during high pitched screams and jump scares. But it’s certainly not all laughs. Murphy isn’t subtle with his jabs at our material and internet obsessed culture.
The show also does not shy away from the macabre, and the grisly attacks (you’ll have to watch to find out who bites it) include, but are not limited to, backstabbing and mutilation by spray tan machine.
The writing is fast, and dances dangerously back and forth between funny and offensive, sometimes staying a little too long in the overly offensive territory. However, the show is aware of its brusque humor and lets its viewers know how self-aware it is when Jamie Lee Curtis’ Dean Munsch tells Chanel Number One that “out in the real world, people just don’t talk that way to other people. It’s not normal.”
Overall, “Scream Queens” is an enjoyable show that seems to find a balance of murder, laughs and teen soap opera. The two hour premiere certainly demonstrates it has promise as a fall show to watch, especially when there are multiple mysteries to solve: anyone could be the killer, and you never know who’s going to be next on the chopping block.
“Scream Queens” airs Tuesdays on Fox from 9 to 10 p.m.
