You can’t escape your own monster in Hulu’s horror anthology series Monsterland
by Trevor Davies
Monsterland is Hulu’s upcoming horror anthology series that’s based on the 2013 novel ‘North American Lake Monsters: Stories’ by Nathan Ballingrud. It’s a collection of tales that tackles the darker aspects of the human psyche, and takes a closer look at the monsters, real and imaged, that exist both inside ourselves and without.
The synopses for the anthology and each episode is as follows:
Encounters with mermaids, fallen angels, and other strange beasts drive broken people to desperate acts in Monsterland, an anthology series based on the collection of stories from Nathan Ballingrud’s “North American Lake Monsters”.
- Episode 1: Port Fourchon, LA – A down-and-out waitress questions her choices. Directed by Anne Sewitsky, written by Mary Laws, and starring Kaitlyn Dever and Jonathan Tucker.
- Episode 2: Eugene, OR – A lonely teen encounters an unwelcome guest. Directed by Kevin Phillips, written by Scott Kosar, and starring Charlie Tahan.
- Episode 3: New Orleans, LA – A New Orleans socialite wrestles with her past. Directed by Craig William Macneill, written by Mary Laws, and starring Nicole Beharie.
- Episode 4: New York, NY – A wealthy CEO suffers for his sins. Directed by Eagle Egilsson, written by Wesley Strick, and starring Hamish Linklater.
- Episode 5: Plainfield, IL – A suburban lawyer debates life and death. Directed by Logan Kibens, written by Emily Kaczmarek, and starring Taylor Schilling.
- Episode 6: Palacios, TX – A disgruntled fisherman makes the catch of a lifetime. Directed by Nick Pesce, written by Mary Laws, and starring Trieu Tran.
- Episode 7: Iron River, MI – A neglected daughter longs for another life. Directed by Desiree Akhavan, written by Emily Kaczmarek, and starring Kelly Marie Tran.
- Episode 8: Newark, NJ – A grieving couple struggles to say goodbye. Directed by Babak Anvari, written by Mary Laws, and starring Mike Colter and Adepero Oduye.
Let’s take a look:
This looks like a solid entry for the month of horror to me – dark, twisted, and with plenty of scares.
What do you think?
Monsterland will premiere on Hulu on 2 October.
