‘Creepshow’ Season 4 Episode 1 Review – A Duo Of Absurd And Horrific Stories All About the Pains Of Grief And Regret

Samantha Sloyan as Lorna in “20 Minutes with Cassandra” – (Photo Credit: Michael Courtney/Shudder)

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Two years after its third season, Shudder’s Creepshow roars back to life just in time for Halloween. And right out of the gate, Creepshow‘s firing on all cylinders. This week sees a duo of tales all about grief and regret. The first explores the pain of missed connections and the ways we all allow our pasts to define our futures. And the second explores the ways past regret can haunt you far into the future. On the whole, they’re both pretty enjoyable stories. But everybody’s gonna be talking about “20 Minutes with Cassandra” far more than they’ll be talking about “Smile”. And that’s, perhaps, a good thing and a bad thing.

“20 Minutes with Cassandra”

Written by Jamie Flanagan and directed by Greg Nicotero, “20 Minutes with Cassandra” offers a very classic riff on how humans are worse than even the biggest monsters. When Lorna (Samantha Sloyan) opens her door to a stranger in need, she quickly discovers there’s more to the situation than meets the eye. For Cassie (Ruth Codd) may be being chased by a monster (Carey Jones), a monster that now has its eyes set on Lorna. But perhaps the real monster is what lurks underneath Cassie’s surface. The monster that lurks underneath the masks we all present to one another.

At its core, “20 Minutes with Cassandra” is a story about connections; attempts to connect, and woefully missed connections. It’s a story about two women desperately trying to connect. And it’s in that attempt at connection where the real horror lies. Because, like all people, Lorna and Cassie hide fundamental truths about themselves from one another. Small, little white lies that spiral out of control and cascade into thunderous, inescapable boulders.

For horror fans, it’s a fairly tame story. A bit of gore here and there, but nothing too extreme. As a piece of character-driven drama, however, it’s an absolute goldmine. Sloyan and Codd bounce off of each other remarkably well, with Codd’s Cassie quickly digging deep beneath Lorna’s skin. But the real surprise here is Carey Jones as the monster. The design is, as you might expect, a joy to behold. But it’s Jones’ vocal performance that truly sells the story’s emotional core. This isn’t a monster in the traditional sense, more of a creature forced into servitude. And Jones brings a ton of compassion and humor to the role. The one downside is that the vocal effect used on his voice frequently makes it a bit difficult to understand the dialogue – so, subtitles might be a must for this story.

Overall, “20 Minutes with Cassie” is a lovely little story. Equal parts emotional, absurd, and horrific. Creepshow at its very finest.

“Smile”

Written by Mike Scannell and directed by John Harrison, “Smile” delivers a much more traditional Creepshow affair. Scummy people getting their just desserts. While celebrating his recent award, photographer James (Matthew James Dowden) and his wife, Sarah (Lucie Guest), get led on an increasingly strange scavenger hunt. For a ghost from James’ past has returned to haunt him, and it’s not gonna let him get away with his sins that easily. It’s a cool premise, to be sure. But the execution is a bit clunky. Both a riff on ghost stories and a rumination on grief, “Smile” offers a very promising premise. The biggest problem, by far, is that there’s just not enough time to let any of the story’s meatier elements marinate before plowing ahead into the horror.

At its heart, “Smile” is this creepy piece of psychological horror. A story about a person’s regrets – the biggest mistakes of their lives – and the ways that regret can haunt them. But that emotional core is undercut by clunky exposition and uneven pacing. You simultaneously know exactly where the story is heading while also feeling kind of confused by the path it’s taking. It’s creepy enough, but there’s just not a lot here. Dowden and Guest both deliver solid performances, especially in the story’s final few minutes. And Scannell and Harrison do a respectable job exploring the story’s emotional core. It’s just that, as a cohesive whole, it all falls apart just a little bit.

Overall, “Smile” delivers a great idea with uneven execution; more enjoyable than not but certainly not perfect.

Final Thoughts

Like every episode of Creepshow, the stories in the season four premiere offer a bit of a mixed bag. The first, “20 Minutes with Cassandra”, has the possibility of becoming a new Creepshow classic. Horrific, emotional, and deeply absurd. It’s got a great cast and impressive effects, and it makes superb use of its absolutely delightful premise. On the flip side, “Smile” feels like a bit of a letdown after how good “20 Minutes with Cassandra” is. It’s just very pedestrian; a solid enough premise with disappointingly uneven execution. But still, that’s part of the fun of Creepshow. Every episode’s a game of Russian Roulette, and you’re never entirely sure what you’re gonna get.

As it is, Creepshow‘s fourth season is off to a great start with this first episode. A real treat for the Halloween season, and a promising start to another great season of thrills, chills, and delights.

Season four of Creepshow is available now on Shudder and AMC+. New episodes air on Fridays at 10 p.m. on AMC.