A Preview of ‘Shining Vale’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say that stories about broken families that start over in a new town… have become quite cliché and stale in nature. For they always feature a guilty parent that is eager to make amends for their mistake and the kids in the family are always angry and resentful for having their lives uprooted, and if by chance this plot is accompanied by a horror element, then you can absolutely guarantee that their lamentations are all for naught. Since the evil usually claims everyone or leaves the family further shattered and if it isn’t a horror story… then you can bet on an unsatisfying ending that wraps everything up in a haphazard manner.
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Which really does leave one to wonder, if this is a style of story that can find anything new to offer its audience or if cliché is its fate, and believe it or not… it most certainly can, and for proof… then look no further than the new horror/comedy series, Shining Vale. For this brand-new series on STARZ provides a refreshing take on this style of story, and we here at Nerds That Geek have had the honor of seeing this series early and thought it would be fun to explain how this show livens this type of story up, and why it is worth watching… in a spoiler free manner of course, and the first reason this show is worth checking out, is because it makes you extremely comfortable.

For this story revolves around the Phelps family, and when we meet them in this tale, they are moving into their new home in the wonderful town of Shining Vale. An out of the way berg that will allow for the family to reconnect after infidelity nearly ripped them apart. And of course, once they settle into their new abode, strange surprises begin to surround the family, which really is a familiar plot. One that helps you to lower your guard, so you can enjoy a story you’ve likely seen before with A-list stars leading the charge. But the comfort is the trick here since it lulls you into a false sense of security. One that is shattered by some stunning twists and turns that outright catch you off guard and engage you, and keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. Because there is so much more to this story and this house, and its characters than meets the eye, and its wonder doesn’t end there.

Because there was mention of this being a comedy in addition to a horror story and the humor here does not disappoint. In large part because the story uses relatable humor to make us laugh, but it also holds nothing back when it comes to the jokes, allowing for some rip-roaringly hilarious moments to take place. The kind that motivates you to hit pause to get the laughs out, so you don’t miss a single moment of what’s to come and in addition to the jokes, this is also a wonderful homage to the horror genre as well. For there are little winks and nods to classic films such as The Shining, among others, and it doesn’t hurt that when the show opts to lean into the scare factors, it does so in such a raw and visceral manner that you quickly find your pulse racing in anticipation of quite the fright.

However, we would be foolish to not circle back on another point we made earlier, one regarding the cast. Because the actors are critical to selling key moments to an audience and the A-listers here make that happen. Because this show features Courtney Cox, and Greg Kinnear, and Mira Sorvino and they are simply electric on screen and their incredible resumes and skills allow for the jokes and the scares to work seamlessly here and the best news of all, is that we don’t have to wait all that much longer to enjoy this amazing series. For Shining Vale makes its two-episode debut on Sunday March 6, 2022, at 10:20 p.m. EST and we here at Nerds That Geek cannot wait for you to experience this incredible new show. One that manages to reinvent a tired sub-genre, in the most dynamic way imaginable.

As an added bonus, here is a sneak-peek clip of the show’s series premiere for you to enjoy. If it doesn’t load, please click here to view it.

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