‘Hysteria!’ Review: Peacock’s Satanic Panic Mashup Is a Halloween Treat
What marks the devil? Is it a hulking figure with burnt skin and massive horns? Is it a personal enemy or unseen force? What is hell, if not a high school hallway, haunted by inner and outer demons that can only be escaped when you walk out the door?
It might be all of that, as it is in Peacock’s “Hysteria!” created by Matthew Scott Kane. In the 1980s bliss of suburban Michigan (portrayed with welcome specificity for a show not set in New York, L.A., or Chicago), a the high school quarterback has disappeared (a girl too, but no one seems worried — but that’s already tempting spoilers), a bloody pentagram left in his wake. Dylan Campbell (Emjay Anthony) gets mistaken for a Satanist by the popular Judith (Jessica Treska) because he plays in a heavy metal band with friends, so they pose as Satanists to become popular. But as fear of the occult grips the town of Happy Hollow, the innocent teens become prime suspects, and a powerful force takes root that threatens everyone.
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For the most part, “Hysteria!” threads multiple genres with tight precision; there’s classic horror in the supernatural elements, pieces of procedural and murder mystery DNA in the ongoing investigation, and a richly imagined teen drama tying it all together. Kane and co-showrunner David A. Goodman’s storytelling is so confident it’s almost conspicuous, from assembling the narrative puzzle to striking, stylish editing, to a cast that feels entirely equipped to handle the assignment, from its most seasoned vets to promising breakouts.
In the former category there’s Julie Bowen as Dylan’s terrified mother, Bruce Campbell as the surprisingly rational and genuinely funny chief of police, and Garret Dillahunt commanding his every scene from the moment you hear his voice. In the latter, there’s Anthony’s gawky and innately likable Dylan, Kezii Curtis as the laugh-out-loud hilarious Spud, and Chiara Aurelia’s fearless Jordy. Nolan North does an excellent job grounding the more outlandish subplots, while Anna Camp sinks her teeth into Tracy Whitehead, the conservative mother of one of Dylan’s classmates (a little over the top at times, but it feels true to the character). There is truly not a weak link in the ensemble, which is a rarity even for the best shows.
The storytelling gets rockier toward the end, with “Hysteria!” hurtling toward an epic finale and floundering under pressure. It’s hard to maintain equal stakes across the board as everything unfolds, which means some plotlines get the promised culmination and others fizzle out with a joke or quick fix. Everything wraps up in some fashion, with potential for future seasons, but with varying degrees of fulfillment.
Unlike most Hollywood fare which can outwardly scorn religion, “Hysteria” balances its villains’ violent evangelism with a community that genuinely seeks comfort from the church. Jamie Flanagan plays Father Mathis, a calm and empathetic leader who spares compassion for those fearing the devil as well as those who may already be in his grasp. Unfortunately, this is one of the story elements sacrificed for the ending, but it’s a notable effort nonetheless.
For the real specter in “Hysteria!” — and this is not a spoiler, but a direct note from Kane and Goodman — is fear; fear of growing up, fear of raising children who worship the devil, all of it wrapped up in fear of the unknown. Fear is what fuels any widespread panic, feeding off collective hysteria and growing into an uncontrollable monster. But when it’s all made up and streaming on our TVs, we call that horror — and it makes for a hell of a watch.
Grade: B-
“Hysteria!” Episode 1 is now streaming on Peacock, with new episodes on the platform weekly and airing on USA.
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