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Grotesquerie

Grotesquerie

Despite strong performances, this American Horror Story-esque outing goes for provocative but ends up, whether intentionally or not, as camp

6.8

TV Show

United States of America
English
Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery
2024
JOE BAKEN, JON ROBIN BAITZ
Courtney B. Vance, Lesley Manville, Micaela Diamond

TLDR

Good for Ryan Murphy fans, bad for everyone else.

What it's about

A detective and a nun pair up to solve a series of grotesque and religiously themed murders, all while battling personal demons of their own.

The take

I suppose fans of horror mysteries with overt Catholic and covert erotic undertones (aka every Ryan Murphy fan ever) will love this, but everyone else will have a hard time digesting this overwhelming series. Maybe you can tell from the name alone, but Grotesquerie seems to prioritize the shock factor more than anything else, which might’ve worked years ago when TV and streaming were a lot less diverse and welcoming to horror. But these days, it’s easy to feel like you’ve seen just about everything, so without the aid of surprise by its side, Grotesquerie feels like any regular detective series. Niecy Nash somewhat elevates the show as she expertly combines her no-nonsense humor with layered drama. Then there are solid character actors like Courtney B. Vance and Lesley Manville to look forward to. But for the most part, Grotesquerie feels like a parody of Ryan Murphy's productions past. If you’re looking to binge something good for the Halloween season, maybe it’s best to just wait for the real thing. American Horror Stories will be rolling out soon anyway.

What stands out

The gore, but I still can’t decide if it’s because it’s gross or not as well made as it could’ve been.

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