The creators of Stranger Things’s new dread-suffused drama sees a happy couple head off for an idyllic wedding – a poorly-lit cabin in the woods. The results are chilling
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hen I heard the Duffer brothers, creators of Stranger Things, had a new series on Netflix, I knew I had to watch – but I was not eager. I believe identical twins who make moving pictures are inherently creepy, even when those productions aren’t called Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. My nervous system won’t let me enjoy horror, and I don’t understand people who do. Is life not scary enough?
The first episode (out Thursday 26 March) – is that a working title or what? It’s like calling Mrs Doubtfire “Heartwarming Drag Act”, or Free Willy “Pelagic Marine Predators Do Not Belong in Captivity” – places us four days before the wedding of Nicky (Adam DiMarco) and Rachel (Camila Morrone), the central event of the story.
They’re in the car, driving to Nicky’s parents’ vacation cabin in the woods, which is to be the snow-covered setting for their wedding. But things get eerie. They find a baby locked in a car by an empty bar. Rachel goes to look for the parents and use the bathroom, where a man watches her pee. The song You Are My Destiny by Paul Anka plays in a distorted way. A higher-spec sound system would alleviate this dread, but I understand that can’t be a priority at rest stops.
