The Duffer brothers new Netflix show does “something very bad” that Stranger Things didn’t

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The new Netflix series, ‘Something Very Bad is Going to Happen’, comes from the creators of ‘Stranger Things‘, but it makes a key mistake that ‘Stranger Things’ avoided.

Stranger Things, the hit sci-fi drama on Netflix, was created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer. It rapidly became a worldwide success, breaking viewing records along the way.

The brothers were involved in all parts of the show for its five seasons, but now that the main story is finished – except for the upcoming animated prequel, Tales From ’85 – they’re starting new work.

One upcoming show to watch is “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen,” a horror series created by Haley Z. Boston and executive produced by the creators of “Stranger Things.” However, despite also being a horror show, its eight episodes stumble in a way that “Stranger Things” avoided. Be warned, minor spoilers follow…

Stranger Things immediately grabs you in a way that Something Very Bad doesn’t

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen follows Rachel and Nicky as they travel to Nicky’s family’s large, isolated cabin in the woods for their wedding. However, Nicky’s family is deeply troubled, setting the stage for a disastrous event.

Strange events start happening even before the main characters arrive, beginning with them hearing stories about a serial killer, finding a baby alone, and meeting a frightening man at a bar.

Things get really strange once the group arrives at Nicky’s family estate. Her parents and siblings are eccentric, to say the least, and rumors circulate about something sinister lurking in the nearby woods. To make matters worse, there’s a local legend about a monster called the Sorry Man who targets brides.

Rachel has a strong feeling that disaster is looming, telling Nicky, “Something very bad is going to happen.” The episode concludes with her finding a wedding invitation that has a warning scrawled on the back: “Don’t marry him.”

The film starts strong with creepy images, a sense of dread, and tension built on the very real anxieties surrounding a special occasion.

Unfortunately, the show keeps going like this for two more episodes: the family behaves strangely, and there are lots of hints and warnings that Rachel probably shouldn’t go through with the wedding.

It gets tiring quickly to watch a woman constantly bullied, manipulated, and made to feel guilty, and many viewers might stop watching before the show improves in Episode 4. That’s when the series finally explains the central curse by flashing back to the past.

This is a major issue, especially when compared to Stranger Things. The first episode of its first season was a perfect example of a strong pilot – it skillfully introduced the town of Hawkins and its interesting characters, then immediately kicked off the main story with Will Byers’ disappearance. We also met Eleven, whose abilities were hinted at, and saw her begin to connect with Mike, Dustin, and Lucas by the end of the episode.

Holding back the most exciting parts until the fourth episode hurts “Something Very Bad.” It feels like a good story that’s been unnecessarily drawn out.

It’s a shame this series struggles at first, because once it finds its footing, it’s genuinely compelling. It’s reminiscent of the atmospheric horror shows Mike Flanagan created for Netflix, unfolding a creepy, central mystery while revealing a family’s hidden past. However, unlike Flanagan’s series, which featured more engaging characters, this show’s story is weighed down by less interesting people – specifically, the attendees at Rachel and Nicky’s wedding.

You can see hints of ‘Ready or Not’ in this movie, but while ‘Ready or Not’ kept a fast pace and was very exciting, ‘Something Very Bad’ moves much slower and isn’t as enjoyable.

Perhaps the story of ‘Something’ would have worked better as a film instead of a series. Alternatively, the creators could have taken a cue from ‘Stranger Things’ and streamlined the plot to reach the conclusion more quickly.

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2026-03-26 10:19