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  • Film Probe

Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021) | Review

The 10th season of American Horror Story is a double feature, split into two parts, two stories. Firstly, Red Tide, which focuses on a family living near the sea in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Secondly, Death Valley, where a group of friends go camping to escape the demands of technology but they find themselves in an extra terrestrial playground.


American Horror Story never fails to amaze me, each season is able to completely mould into something uniquely individual. Each actor who transfers over to the new season, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Finn Wittrock, Lily Rabe, Francis Conroy and more. All the cast bring distinct performances time and time again. Red Tide (EP01-06) follows an innocent young family moving away from the city and nearer the sea, Harry, a screenwriter with writers block is approached by the locals to indulge in their unconventional lifestyle. The first six episodes of this season were the most intriguing, I found the Red Tide storyline to be better written and acted than the second feature. Although Red Tide had some story holes and the final episode (EP06) was overdrawn, I thoroughly enjoyed the development and general idea behind the ‘black pill’. Red Tide had enough original story whilst incorporating classic ideologies of the vampire genre.


Death Valley was an interesting risk for season 10, considering we’ve seen aliens before in AHS: Asylum (S2) I expected more, this season was nothing in comparison. The story was interesting but lacklustre, the feature ended with barely any climax or reveal. The four episodes followed present day and the 1960, how the events of the past effect the future. I enjoyed the scenes in the past but as soon as it came back to the present day it was weak. Death Valley was a poor excuse for an American Horror Story season, if you take anything away from this review- watch the first six episodes for Red Tide and finish there. I wouldn’t recommend Death Valley, the writing was unoriginal and sadly there were some terrible acting chops displayed which were distracting and took me out of the fantasy. When the iconic cast is so well developed and talented enough to carry these flawed characters why throw in new faces, I wish they’d developed Ride Tide further.


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