80s Hysteria: A Tale of Satanic Panic and Teen Drama
Drenched in Suspense and Hysteria
During a seemingly normal night in the town of Happy Hollow, Faith Whitehead (Nikki Hahn) and her boyfriend Ryan Hudson (Brandon Butler) are attacked in her home and then kidnapped by men in white masks. The following night, after reporting their son’s disappearance, Ryan’s parents find the symbol of a bloody pentagram painted on the exterior of their home.
The Birth of a Satanic Metal Band
With rumors of potential cult activity spreading through the town, the members of local heavy metal band Dethkrunch, Dylan Campbell (Emjay Anthony), Jordy (Chiara Aurelia), and Spud (Kezii Curtis), decide to exploit the situation by rebranding themselves as a Satanic metal band. They see this as an opportunity to increase their popularity and create a buzz around their music.
A Time of Unbridled Hysteria
Set at the height of the Satanic panic that gripped America in the late 1980s, Hysteria! is quite effective at capturing how the mostly prude parents of that era were waterboarded with fears of their children "straying from the light" due to the explosion in pop culture involving rock and metal music, horror films, and basically anything that was not pro-Jesus.
A Nuanced Portrayal of the Era
As much as making fun of overly religious Christians is very easy and a low-hanging fruit, Hysteria! goes about its criticism of them in a surprisingly mature way. Despite their apparent insanity, characters such as Tracy (Anna Camp), Faith’s ultra-conservative and religious mother, and Dylan’s mother, Linda (Julie Bowen), are portrayed with nuance. The former’s Bible-fueled craze and fears come from her own trauma, and there is empathy behind how it is portrayed and written.
Uneven in Execution
Though its writing is somewhat strong, the acting sometimes lags behind. On one hand, actors such as Bowen and Campbell naturally play their characters very well, but then Hysteria! cuts to another character, such as Tracy, who Camp plays with over-the-top and exaggerated acting. Even the young actors suffer from this whiplash.
Spinning Too Many Plates
Hysteria! is also obsessed with its needle drops, which range from rock to first-wave black metal. Every five minutes or so, each scene transition becomes a cue to forcibly throw a rock or metal song in, and more often than not, it is not about whether the song elevates the scene but rather whether the song title vaguely resembles what the scene is about. These symptoms are largely due to how Peacock’s Hysteria! is the streamer’s obvious attempt at emulating the formula behind Netflix’s Stranger Things. If the show gets a second season, it would benefit from giving itself a personality of its own.
Conclusion
Hysteria! is a show that is both predictable and unpredictable, blurring the lines between comedy, horror, and camp. While it effectively captures the essence of the Satanic panic of the 1980s, it stumbles in its execution. With a more defined tone and a focus on character development, Hysteria! could be a compelling show. As it stands, it is an uneven but intriguing release that is worth watching for its nostalgic value and its attempt to critique the excesses of the past.
FAQs
- Is Hysteria! based on a true story?
No, Hysteria! is a fictional show. - Is Hysteria! available on streaming services?
Yes, Hysteria! is available on Peacock, a streaming service. - Will there be a second season of Hysteria!?
As of now, there is no official announcement from Peacock regarding a second season.