A Review of ‘Deadhouse Dark’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘My Empire of Dirt’

​What’s truly fascinating about horror movies and shows in this particular day in age, is how incredibly intelligent and complex they have become. Because for a good horror story to truly resonate with the audience now, it needs to have a well-written story. One that features dynamic and relatable characters that help to explore a plot that is rife with commentary on our modern world or the human condition as a whole. And of course, above all else, it needs to feature top-tier special effects, the kind that leave us nauseous and in awe of the work that went into creating a living nightmare and what makes this so incredibly fascinating… is that it speaks to how far the genre has come.
 
Because there was a time, where horror in any capacity, was supremely simple in nature. Wherein the genre’s stories focused heavily on the power of fear and the creative minds that told these tales of terror, did whatever was necessary to prey upon our most primal ones to elicit a powerful response out of the audience. But clearly, our inherent curiosity and desire to know what motivates our emotions, is what allowed for the genre to evolve and leave simple scares behind. But there is still merit to simply experiencing raw fear when watching a scary story and those elements are still present in the stories we enjoy today and for that matter… some of the creative minds out there are eager to see if simple horror stories can still work in this day and age, as evidenced by the new Shudder series, Deadhouse Dark.
 
For this anthology themed horror show, offers up six unique vignettes that are brief in nature and heavy on the raw power of fear. The kind that vary in what type of fear they put on display. For example, the opening vignette ‘Dashcam_013_20191031.MP4’, and the later entry, ‘The Staircase’… remind us of the fact that we truly fear the unknown and the unexplainable, since we thrive on knowledge and comprehension. And being immersed within two stories where logic is defied and the impossible takes place, absolutely unsettles the viewer since we are waiting for an explanation of some kind, one that never comes, and it is quite refreshing to enjoy a pair of stories that focus on the unknown and leave your imagination running wild.

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‘Dashcam_013_20191031.MP4’

But there was mention of variety in regard to the fears put on display in this series, and it makes sure to up the terror ante by also preying upon our collective fear of our fellow man. For each and every one of us worry about finding ourselves in a situation where the greatest monster of all decides we are to be their next victim and this anthology elicits fear in regard to that, by showing us how people become prey. Since ‘No Pain No Gain’ takes the time to remind us that sometimes we let bad people in without knowing, when we are vulnerable, and that could lead to all kinds of trouble. Whereas ‘A Tangled Web We Weave’ helps to remind us that sometimes the evil that men do is hiding in plain sight, behind kindness, and that made both of these entries quite worthwhile, since their twists definitely take you by surprise and stun you. 
 
But to ensure that the audience doesn’t totally get lost in something outlandish and unfamiliar, since 'in your face' vignettes about raw terror are rare these days… it makes sure to ground the viewer in some familiar concepts. Since ‘Mystery Box’ and ‘My Empire of Dirt’ are stories that remind us of our fear of death. Something that a great deal of horror stories are exploring these days, but these two vignettes handle it differently by plunging us into a pair of situations where the characters experience it in the raw. Which allows for us to experience the immediate and devastating impact of losing a loved one firsthand in 'Box', while 'Empire' holds nothing back in helping us to understand the terror that comes about from facing our final days, and that makes these two vignettes the most chilling of the bunch since they really do resonate with the viewer on a primal level.
 
In the end, all of these explorations and vignettes simply make this a unique and refreshing horror anthology. One that genuinely harkens back to days gone by where the mere thought of encountering a ghost or a vampire, was far more frightening than the origin of the spirit or the reasons why that bloodsucker opted to leave humanity behind and that decision storytelling wise, makes this a fun watch for certain. Simply because it does a perfect job of getting under your skin and igniting your imagination and that’s no small feat in this era of information, where we are taught to use logic over emotion and hopefully, this unique series gets a second season down the line. Just to see how much farther this series can push the envelope, when it comes to what scares us the most.
 
‘Deadhouse Dark’ is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.    

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