Camila Morrone in “A Very Bad Feeling”

Netflix

Camila Morrone in “A Very Bad Feeling”

Emotions run high, the white dress, the guests, the rings, the vows, and the anxieties. Lots of anxieties. Netflix released “A Very Bad Feeling” on Thursday, March 26. This horror series on the theme of marriage is produced by the Duffer brothers, known for creating the phenomenon “Stranger Things.” Is this enough to attract viewers, and does it succeed in captivating them? Opinions differ.

Take a young bride with a dramatic past and a wealthy, kind future husband. Place them in a luxurious, creepy chalet villa filled with stuffed animals. Add a completely neurotic extended family, and you have the ingredients for the new Netflix series. Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco star in this psychological (but not only) thriller set in a snowy and eerie atmosphere.

Due to time constraints, we have not seen the entire first season, which consists of eight episodes, so it’s impossible to provide a complete and honest critique. However, our initial impression is somewhat mixed. We were visually captivated by the direction, the icy landscape, and the many eerie elements of the setting, such as the stuffed hunting dogs that nobody should look in the eyes. We were also terrified by the skillfully executed jump scares, to the point of lowering the sound or looking away multiple times to spare our nerves.

A Masterful Horror Series

What everyone seems to agree on is the horror potential of “A Very Bad Feeling.” With flashbacks and flash-forwards of blood trails, dreadful family stories about a killer roaming the woods, and ghostly figures haunting the dark corridors of the house that isn’t well-lit enough, yes, it’s chilling.

The Guardian describes the series as “so hellish it will prevent you from sleeping,” Indiewire praises the direction, which “will delight horror and gore fans,” while Screen Rant heaps praise on this “exciting and terrifying series that will leave all viewers shaken.”

The flawless performance of Camila Morrone, recently seen in Season 2 of “The Night Agent,” as well as the performances of other actors like Adam DiMarco (“The White Lotus”), Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Gus Birney, are also commendable. However, where opinions diverge is on the pacing of the series scripted by Haley Z. Boston.

Scattered Puzzle

Some, like Time, feel that the series takes too long to truly get going. “I had to resist the urge to speed it up to 1.5x to finally find out what happens,” jokes the journalist, lamenting the fact that it takes until halfway through the series to start “understanding a bit of what we’re watching.” This sentiment is echoed by Variety, which believes that horror in general, and this particular plot, might not lend themselves well to the format of a fragmented TV series: “The essential tension required to truly scare is extremely difficult to sustain over several hours.” The Hollywood Reporter agrees and also notes that the secondary characters are not sufficiently developed, stating “it’s strange that in a series that seems long, it doesn’t take the time to delve into its characters.”

For Screen Rant, however, this disjointed and slow-paced narrative is a way to “keep the viewer on edge because they never know who to believe or trust.” Indiewire also loved that “each episode that brings the spouses closer to the altar is filled with creepy twists and smart existential reflections.”

Some preferred the initial eerie, misty, and suspenseful episodes where one wonders “What’s happening?” Others favored the following ones, during which Rachel and the viewer start piecing together the puzzle. Some, like IndieWire, Screen Rant, or Écran Large, loved it. Others, like Télérama, or The Wall Street Journal, hated it. We’ll leave it to you to form your own opinion. Just not while eating and with the lights on at least.

Karla Crome, Camila Morrone and Gus Birney in “A Very Bad Feeling”