Netflix's Twisted & Gory Horror Will Leave You Reeling

Every horror lover needs to check out Netflix’s Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, a top-notch series that will leave you reeling long after it’s finished. Horror has become a staple on TV, and streaming services have jumped at the chance to leave viewers with chills and thrills. One of my favorite additions in a long time is the Netflix show Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.

The Duffer Brothers get most of the attention for co-producing the Stranger Things follow-up. However, an equally important individual on the creative team is Haley Z. Boston, the brilliant creator, writer, and showrunner behind the Netflix horror show. Boston told Tudum that she wanted to tap into the visceral terror of marrying the wrong person.

Luckily, the Netflix original show tackles the complex topic in an extremely satisfying way. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen includes a well-crafted storyline packed with fun twists and shocking reveals. It makes a promise from the get-go that something very bad is going to happen, and it follows through. While I can’t reveal the specific “very bad” thing, I can tell you it’s worth the wait.

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen’s Story Is Almost Perfect

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen starts with a seemingly straightforward premise. The story centers on a young woman named Rachel (Camila Morrone), who agrees to marry her boyfriend Nicky (Adam DiMarco) at his family’s remote cabin. However, her paranoia grows as the ill-fated wedding approaches, leading her to believe something sinister is at play.

Despite the simple concept, Netflix’s horror show never lets the viewer get too comfortable. There’s always another twist. There’s always another character reveal. The plot forces the audience to decide who they can and cannot trust, and it’s never easy. Pretty much everyone’s acting sketchy.

What’s more, each member of the Cunningham family had a distinct personality and way of speaking that left an impression. Some, like Portia, were bolder and more obnoxious, while others, like Victoria, had a more regal air. All of them kept secrets and spoke in cryptic ways. Plus, they had traditions that were, well, extremely odd, to say the least. This made it easy to empathize with Rachel. These strange people she just met are increasingly erratic, keeping secrets, and trying to get her alone? I would have tried to run away through the snowy woods, too.

Despite the incredible story and character developments, the Netflix series wasn’t without a couple of issues. The show set up a few weird story elements that they completely forgot to address.

Namely, why did Nicky lock Rachel in a giant chest at the end of the bed before sex? I cannot stop thinking about this extremely weird moment from the pilot. Also, where has Rachel’s dad been this whole time? And, how does Portia’s arm randomly heal? These questions keep Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen from being a complete and total masterpiece. Still, they are extremely minor complaints in the grand scheme of things.

Netflix’s Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen Blends Together Many Forms Of Horror

The Duffer Brothers’ new show on Netflix is creepy, twisted, and all things spooky. The strength of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen lies in its ability to draw on both horror tropes and techniques without feeling derivative or boring.

On the narrative side, the Netflix series weaves together a cabin-in-the-woods, a creepy family, a spooky seance, and other horror tropes that would spoil major twists. I appreciated that the series draws inspiration from Gothic authors such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Shirley Jackson. What’s more, it feels like an homage rather than a ripoff because it makes enough changes to feel unique.

Rather than relying solely on a single scare tactic, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen also incorporates visual horror. The Netflix original includes some jump scares, but they’re infrequent enough to remain impactful. Atmospheric horror persists throughout the entire show. Low lighting and shadows help create the feeling that something could be lurking around any corner.

The opening scene of the show sets the immediate expectation that the Netflix series will be filled with blood and gore, and boy, does it follow through in the best way.

The creative team throws in moments of shocking gore and body horror. The narrow and long hallways in Nicky’s family’s house induce a feeling of claustrophobia and inescapability. Isolation from the outside world, minus the bar, increases these feelings. The Netflix show occasionally even uses fakeouts, creating uncertainty about when fear is warranted and when everything’s safe.

It takes an incredible creative team to incorporate different forms of horror so seamlessly without making it feel overwhelming or non-cohesive. Luckily, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen makes the balancing act into an art form. Plus, the horror show also incorporates humor and absurdity. Adding some levity to the otherwise horrifying story makes the dreadful moments even more effective.

The Duffer Brothers’ New Netflix Show Is A Masterclass In Cinematography, Scoring, & SFX

As incredible as the story is in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, I was even more enthralled by the technical achievements. The series blends a realistic film style with elements of expressionism and includes a couple of episodes in a naturalistic found-footage style.

Cinematographers Bobby Shore and Krzysztof Trojnar brilliantly broke all the rules of formalism and structuralism, picking and choosing which elements of these to include. The camera lingers and cuts away at all the right moments. They make good use of tilting, rolling, and panning, enhancing the surreal feeling. The cinematographic choices all feel strategic.

On top of that, lighting heavily influences the mood of each scene. For instance, the bar features heavy shadows, dimness, and neon colors. Later, the more dramatic moments use candlelight. In both of these examples, the scene would have felt entirely different in different lighting. I found this kind of intentionality and thought in every frame.

The Duffer Brothers’ Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen will go down in history as one of the best Netflix horror shows of all time.

Additionally, Grammy Award-winner Colin Stetson tackled the score for Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Horror movies are notoriously difficult to score because they require an understanding of unconventional instruments and chord structures. Luckily, Stetson has experience composing for horror and thrillers, with The Menu and Hereditary being standouts. His experience with the genre paid off, as the original soundtrack of the horror series heightens the story without overshadowing it, which is exactly what a score should do.

Moreover, the opening scene of the show sets the immediate expectation that the Netflix series will be filled with blood and gore, and boy, does it follow through in the best way. The VFX makes these moments look shockingly realistic. Just a tip, I would not recommend watching Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen while eating because some of the gore is stomach-churning.

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen Is Among The Best Netflix Horrors

Rachel wears a veil while looking worried in Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen

Taking everything into consideration, Netflix needs to make space for Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen alongside its all-time greats. Not only is the series award-worthy, but it also ranks highly on the list of the best Netflix horror shows.

Just like Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, there’s something truly special about the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things follow-up. The show has all the wonderful bloodiness of The Fall of the House of Usher. It features the same grittiness and lingering dread of Archive 81. Like Marianne, Netflix’s 2026 horror show raises questions about what’s supernatural versus paranoia.

It’s as if the show collected all the strengths of its predecessors. Even with the minor narrative issues mentioned previously, The Duffer Brothers’ Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen will go down in history as one of the best Netflix horror shows of all time.

All eight episodes of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen will release Thursday, March 26, 2026, on Netflix.