There’s always been a strange tension between horror and television. Stretch a story too long, and the fear fades. Reveal too little, and the audience drifts. Netflix’s new series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen walks straight into that challenge — and for a while, it struggles to find its footing. But just when it starts to feel like it’s losing grip, the show flips the tone entirely and becomes something far more intriguing than it first appears.
Created by Haley Z. Boston and backed by the Stranger Things creators’ production banner, the series arrives with quiet expectations but a bold title. And while it doesn’t immediately deliver on that promise, it slowly builds toward something that’s messy, strange, and oddly compelling.
A Wedding That Feels Wrong From the Start
At the centre of the story is Rachel, played by Camila Morrone — a psychology grad student who already seems uneasy about her upcoming wedding. She’s set to marry Nicky (Adam DiMarco), a soft-spoken and somewhat oblivious partner, at his family’s remote cabin in upstate New York.
Right from the beginning, there’s a quiet sense of dread.
Rachel hasn’t met Nicky’s family before. She’s walking into an unfamiliar environment, surrounded by people who immediately feel… off. And the show leans heavily into that discomfort.
The cabin itself feels less like a home and more like a stage for something unsettling. Snow-covered isolation, long silences, and strange behavior from the family create an atmosphere that keeps hinting something is deeply wrong — even if it doesn’t say what.
The Cunningham Family: Eccentric or Something More?
As Rachel meets the Cunningham family, the unease intensifies.
Ted Levine’s Boris spends his time preserving dead animals, turning taxidermy into a disturbing hobby that says more than words ever could. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Victoria drifts through the house in cryptic moods, speaking in ways that feel deliberately confusing.
Then there’s Portia (Gus Birney), who seems overly involved in wedding planning to the point of intrusion, and Jules (Jeff Wilbusch), whose hostility is impossible to ignore. Adding to the tension is Jules’ wife, Nell — who also happens to be Nicky’s ex.
It’s the kind of setup horror fans instantly recognize: the outsider bride, the strange in-laws, the isolated setting. Everything feels like it’s building toward a conspiracy.
Rachel begins to suspect exactly that.
Whispers behind closed doors, a missing wedding dress, a replacement gown with unsettling history, and even a family portrait with a blank space waiting to be filled — all these details stack up into a mystery that feels intentionally obvious.
And that’s where the show starts playing its game.
A Slow Burn That Tests Your Patience
For nearly half of its eight-episode run, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen holds back its true intentions.
It leans heavily into familiar horror cues — jump scares, eerie silences, and visual tension — but doesn’t immediately deliver answers. Even reaching the cabin takes time, as the early episodes stretch out what could have been tighter storytelling.
This is where the show risks losing its audience.
The pacing feels deliberate, but also frustrating. The mystery is clear, yet the narrative refuses to confirm or deny it. Instead, it keeps layering suspicion without payoff.
At times, it feels like the series is more interested in maintaining tension than progressing the story.
Then Comes the Shift — And It Changes Everything
Just when the slow build begins to wear thin, the show pivots.
Without giving away spoilers, the second half of the season introduces a tonal shift that redefines the entire experience. What begins as straightforward psychological horror starts leaning into dark comedy, absurdity, and a more self-aware style of storytelling.
It’s unexpected — and surprisingly effective.
The characters, who initially feel like archetypes, begin to reveal more complexity. Rachel is no longer just the anxious bride. Nicky isn’t simply clueless. Their relationship becomes the emotional core of the story, raising questions about compatibility, expectations, and what it really means to commit to someone.
This shift doesn’t just change the tone — it reframes the entire narrative.
Performances That Carry the Chaos
A big reason the second half works as well as it does is the cast.
Camila Morrone gradually transitions from nervous outsider to a more layered character, while Adam DiMarco subtly evolves from passive partner to someone whose role in the story becomes more complicated.
But it’s Gus Birney’s Portia who truly stands out.
Her performance walks a fine line between unsettling and strangely comedic, becoming more exaggerated as the story unfolds. What could have been an annoying character turns into one of the show’s most memorable elements.
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Ted Levine also bring a quiet intensity to their roles, grounding the more chaotic elements of the story.
Where the Show Struggles
Despite its strong second half, the show can’t fully escape its structural issues.
The biggest problem is timing.
By the time the real themes of the story emerge — particularly those involving relationships and emotional compatibility — there isn’t enough room left to explore them deeply. The show spends too long setting up a mystery that isn’t the real focus, and not enough time developing the ideas that actually matter.
There are also moments where the narrative feels messy rather than intentionally chaotic. Certain developments arrive abruptly, leaving viewers unsure whether they’re meant to be surprised or confused.
A Story About More Than Just Horror
At its core, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen isn’t just about fear — it’s about relationships.
The show ultimately asks a simple but powerful question: how well do we really know the people we choose to spend our lives with?
Through Rachel and Nicky’s relationship, it explores ideas of compatibility, expectation, and emotional baggage. Their story becomes less about surviving a strange family and more about understanding each other.
It’s an interesting direction — one that feels better suited to a more focused narrative.
Would It Have Worked Better as a Film?
That question lingers long after the final episode.
The story has a strong central idea and a compelling twist in tone, but its pacing often works against it. Compressing the narrative into a film — or even a shorter series — might have allowed the stronger elements to shine more clearly.
Instead, the show stretches itself thin in places and rushes in others.
And yet, despite those flaws, there’s something undeniably engaging about it.
The Verdict That Emerges Naturally
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is a show that almost gets in its own way.
It starts off slow, hides its true strengths for too long, and occasionally feels uneven. But once it finds its voice, it becomes something refreshingly different — a mix of horror, dark humor, and relationship drama that doesn’t quite fit into one box.
It may not be perfectly structured, but it’s memorable in the moments that matter.
And sometimes, that’s enough to keep you watching — even when the path getting there feels longer than it should.
