The Reel Review
The mayor of a very remote island off the coast of New England finds his plans to turn it into a popular tourist destination in danger after he discovers that a long rumored, supernatural curse on the island’s superstitious residents is real. Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root and Kate O’Flynn star in this horror/comedy series on Apple TV+.
Widow’s Bay is an entertaining blend of terror and ridiculousness from creator Kate Dippold (Ghostbusters, Spy, The Heat, Parks and Recreation, Mad TV). A lot of the scary parts borrow heavily (and cheaply) from such iconic films as The Fog, IT, Halloween, and Jaws. The series also leans into a myriad of horror tropes: a haunted inn, dense fog, a murderous clown, a spooky sea hag, supernatural human possessions and even human sacrifices. Rhys (The Americans) carries the series as the cringey, PR-obsessed new mayor, with Kate O’Flynn (My Lady Jane, Bridget Jones’s Baby), as his quirky assistant Patricia, the breakout star thanks to her scene-chewing performance in Episode 4. Betty Gilpin (Office Romance, The Hunt) stars in Episode 6, which tells the 1702 origin story of how the island became cursed.
The show’s sloppy, uneven writing and directing (four directors for its ten 40-minute episodes) are its weakest parts. The strongest is the colorful characters, which also include Dale Dickey (A Love Song, Winter’s Bone) and Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere) as the mayor’s staff. The show’s quirky, dry, character-driven humor lands way more often than it doesn’t, making for an entertaining, good time.
REEL FACTS
• Kate Dippold wrote the original screenplay for Widow’s Bay 20 years ago while auditioning to be a writer for Parks and Recreation. Her screenplay helped her land that job.
•Many of the outdoor coastal scenes were filmed in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Episode 6 was filmed at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, a historical site in Danvers, Massachusetts that was the home of one of the most famous victims of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.
• Widow’s Bay has been renewed for Season 2.
Video & Photo
