Hysteria! – Series Review | Peacock

HYSTERIA! on Peacock is a new supernatural horror series that takes place in the 1980s during the Satanic Panic era. The series has 8 hour-long episodes and a stellar cast. Watch all episodes on Peacock now and read our Hysteria! series review here!

HYSTERIA! is a new Peacock horror series with 8 episodes that are all released on the premiere day. The episodes are each around one hour long so while it is bingeworthy, you can make this one last for a while.

The story plays out in a small town during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Obviously, it isn’t accidental when we hear reasoning that sounds eerily similar to the present-day USA. It’s funny but also very creepy as it points out that some form of the Satanic Panic is ever-present.

Continue reading read our Hysteria! series review below. Find all episodes on Peacock from October 18, 2024.

Small-town Satanic Panic

Hysteria! plays out in the late 1980s, when a beloved high school quarterback suddenly goes missing. A drawing of a pentagram quickly leads to the small town going into a full fit of “Satanic Panic” and several teenagers are ready to rebel.

Well, okay, mostly a heavy metal band (consisting of three misfit high schoolers) is trying to get their break and see an opportunity. Realizing they can capitalize on the town’s very sudden fear and interest in the occult, they lean into pentagrams and being Satanists.

After all, many teenagers are drawn to whatever is forbidden and in this town, anything remotely occult (or simply un-Christian) is seen as dangerous. Of course, the quarterback disappearing isn’t the only bad thing to happen to this village.

So, while bad things are happening, the heavy metal band “Dethkrunch” is building their reputation as Satan-loving teens. Also, they are claiming to be an actual Satanic cult.

And yes, of course, there is also a girl that a certain band member wants to impress. This also makes things move faster and escalate in crazy ways. Unfortunately, a sequence of murders, kidnappings, and other “supernatural activity” now leads the town directly to Dethkrunch.

A very dark horror-comedy

While Peacock’s Hysteria! is definitely a horror-comedy, it does get pretty dark. Not only are teenagers killed violently, but the parents (and some kids) are also desperately afraid. They are terrified of losing their children and several of these scenes are played very straight.

Sure, we know that it’s crazy and neither heavy metal music nor horror movies are dangerous, but they see kids dying and need someone to blame. Going after the Satanic Cult made by a heavy metal band that uses the same iconography that shows up near dead bodies is a no-brainer.

What makes this Peacock horror series work so well is the cast.

The best casting!

The three band members of Dethkrunch are played by Emjay Anthony (Krampus), Chiara Aurelia (Cruel Summer, Luckiest Girl Alive), and Kezii Curtis. They are perfectly cast with Chiara Aurelia portraying the smartest one of the bunch. She’s awesome!

As two of the other key high school girls, we have Jessica Treska (Sharp Objects), Nikki Hahn, and Milly Shapiro (Hereditary).

Among the adult characters in Hysteria!, you can enjoy Modern Family’s Julie Bowen (Totally Killer) and True Blood’s Anna Camp (Creepshow). I adore both these women and their comedic timing, though they are also very dark in this horror series.

Also playing key adult characters are Garret Dillahunt (Army of the Dead), Nolan North (Love, Death & Robots), Jamie Flanagan (The Midnight Club), and the always wonderful Bruce Campbell (Black Friday) as the Police Chief who tries desperately to appeal for reason.

Watch Hysteria! on Peacock now!

The new Peacock horror series is produced and written by Matthew Scott Kane (Stitchers) and David A. Goodman (The Orville). Other writers on the episodes include Hakim Hill, Maisie Culver (Day of the Dead), Jamie Flanagan (Midnight Mass), and Dani Parker (The Fall of the House of Usher).

All eight episodes of Hysteria! will drop on the day of the premiere as a nice way to ring in the Halloween season. Of course, I would say that the Peacock series Teacup is also doing a great job of getting us all in the mood for Spooky Season.

If you enjoy a good horror comedy with excellent casting and a story that feels eerily relevant, then you have to check out Hysteria! on Peacock. Also, if you just want an entertaining series perfect for Halloween, this would be a solid choice for most horror fans.

Stream Hysteria! exclusively on Peacock starting October 18, 2024.

Details

Creator: Matthew Scott Kane
Directors: Wendey Stanzler, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Alonso Alvarez, Shana Stein, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Writers: Matthew Scott Kane, David A. Goodman, Jamie Flanagan
Cast: Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, Bruce Campbell, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis, Nikki Hahn, Garret Dillahunt, Nolan North, Elijah Richardson, Milly Shapiro, Allison Scagliotti, Jessica Treska