"An innocent game of “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board” goes wrong when the five teen girls who played start dying off in the exact way that was predicted, forcing the survivors to figure out why they’re being targeted - and whether the evil force hunting them down is one of their own."
I Say...
That's about the size of it.
Horror Type...
Teen-Horror-Drama, Supernatural, Body Horror, Thriller
Main Players...
Liana Liberato as McKenna Brady (21st C. Nancy Drew-Type)
Haley Ramm as Violet Simmons (Shy New-Girl You Love to Hate)
Brianne Tju as Alex Portnoy (True-Blue BFF Who Shoots First & Asks Questions Later)
I liked...
I liked...
- the strong female characters--good, bad, and whoo-boy-hella-bad--who drove the plot along by taking action every step of the way (even when they made bad choices, they were still actively choosing, which I really enjoyed)
- that the male characters were sensitive and supportive of the gals while still being active players
- the series' creativity and imagination--it went places I wouldn't have thought to go in a million years
- that good and evil were in a battle, yes, but were presented as nuanced and not so easy to pigeon-hole
- that each episode spanked along at a brisk 22-25 minutes, delivering a tightly-plotted tale that kept me hungry for more
- that the horror was played for genuine scares and the show didn't degrade into smarmy camp like some TV-horror shows do
The Meh...
- as a parent it does make me roll my eyes at how most adults in the series are either pretty useless or just not around (but, to be fair, it is written for teens, which I knew going into it, and the adults have to be weak so that the kids can be active protagonists, I geddit, I geddit)
- some episodes were a little too brisk in the first season and would've benefitted from a slightly longer format (or maybe just more episodes, as we get in season 2)
- now and again, there's some lazy writing. For instance, in one episode, the old "you have to wait 48 hours to report a missing person" nonsense reared its ugly head--this simply isn't true and I really wish writers would stop trotting out this irresponsible twaddle. Please, if you seriously suspect someone's missing, REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY!
Would I recommend it...?
Totes! I found Light as a Feather a unique, engaging horror series, in the vein of Stephen King's It or Netflix's Stranger Things, only these kids are old enough to drive cars, instead of having to ride bikes. As this excellent IndieWire review says of the first season, "Light as a Feather is Hulu’s teen horror adventure with a mystery as engrossing as it is grotesque, and just creepy enough to scratch that Halloween itch without keeping you up at night." If you're of an extremely delicate disposition, you may wish to look away from the body-horror elements when they arise (I seem to recall there always being a sign that it was coming and that there was ample time to avert my gaze, when I needed to). (Yes, OK, even I needed to, toward the very end of season 2. I'm watching this stuff all by my lonesome, gimme a break.) (Sheesh!)
Miscellany...
- the second season finale may also have to serve as a series finale (some websites report that the show has been cancelled). It did wrap things up in a satisfying way, but also left a few threads that could easily be woven into another season. Hulu, if you're reading this, PLEASE GIVE US A THIRD SEASON! (I'll be your best friend!)
- the series is based on the book by the same title by Zoe Aarsen
Ratings...
My Grade: B+
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=50%, Audience Score=81%
Details, Schmeetails...
I Watched Light As A Feather on Hulu (it's also available for purchase on Amazon)
Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)
This concludes Day 20 of
Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...
IF YOU DARE
