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I don’t know if y’all remember but I used to be so passionate about what I was watching on the Telly that I would sometimes just have to write about it. It’s been a really long time since I’ve done this but this particular show on Netflix just got me so hyped up I couldn’t resist. Btw this is a French show (there’s overdubs but I always prefer to watch foreign shows in the original languages using subtitles).

Brace yourselves for Marianne people it’s scary af. In fact, this show is not for the light hearted and I actually would encourage those of you who don’t like horror to steer clear of this series. It’s the type of scary that seeps into your dreams and puts you on edge to the point you almost think Marianne might be haunting you IRL.

A brief synopsis (taken from #google)

A famous horror writer who is lured back to her hometown discovers that the evil spirit who plagues her dreams is now wreaking havoc in the real world.

This is about as much as I can say without ruining the scares. It’s a pretty meta concept: horror writer is haunted by her own creation, or so we think.  What I think I loved most about this first season is the use of practical effects over CGI. This is something that’s always been more effective to me in creating a eerie, more realistic atmosphere.

This is a series! This fact threw me off a bit in the first episode. I just was so totally freaked out that I couldn’t imagine they could drag the scares out for 8 episodes. However, I soon learned that this story definitely deserves the extra time to really delve into the characters and most importantly our villain. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful and the location in a small coastal French town only lends to the story’s uneasiness.

I love that it uses classic horror elements like the stabbing violins, long, close tension building shots and the nice cheap scare here and there. My main issue with this was pretty much my same issue with every horror - where are the goddamn police?!

To be fair, there was some pretty decent involvement from the authorities, but you know you, it could’ve been a bit more realistic. However, when I think about it, that could also have just taken away a lot of the campy elements that make a good horror seem not so serious or self important, and just a touch silly. And I like that.

Speaking of camp, there’s nothing like a good creepy smiling face to really mess up your whole evening or week of evenings if you’re easily creeped. And this show is chocked full of the most unnerving facial expressions I’ve ever seen - the opening scenes in episode one hit me hard and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to push through it. And I LOVE horrors, so that saying a lot for me.

The thing is, I’m a horror fanatic, and it takes quite an effort to truly spook me. That being said, the scariest sub genre of horror for me is and always will be that of the demonic variety. I dunno, ghost stories don’t scare me because like my husband says, “If you get me ghost, I’ll be on your plane and you’ll have to deal with me forever.” Monsters aren’t scary because there’s usually so much CGI involved that it loses it’s grounding. Slashers? Bitch please - come at me bro. However demons be on some other s***. Like how do you even fight that?!

Another fun fact about Marianne is that it’s received the seal of approval from living horror legend Stephen King himself. From #businessinsider -

The legendary author tweeted, “If you’re one of those sickos - like me - who enjoys being scared, ‘Marianne’ (Netflix) will do the job.”

“There are glints of humor that give it a 'Stranger Things’ vibe,” he added. “It also has (I say it with all due modesty) a Stephen King vibe.”

So now that it’s officially October aka Halloween time, if you think you can handle it, check out this new horror gem. I absolutely can not wait to see where this goes in the next season.