When it comes to horror series, there is the promise of the premise, and then there is the actual execution. So many movies and shows offer up similar plots, but it’s the tone, the characters, and the direction that determine whether that story is scary and memorable, or cheesy and forgettable.

October is nearing, which means a slew of new shows are looking to leave their mark on the scary season. One of those shows is Yaga, a Canadian production coming to AMC+ streaming service that earned a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. I watched the first two episodes. Here’s what you need to know.

Yaga is plagued by its slow pace and unlikable characters

Opener features a lack of scares and forced romance

Credit: Crave

The premise of Yaga is simple and promising: a billionaire’s son goes missing from his home on a bucolic island that holds secrets. There are so many places it can go! Especially given the title suggests a witch is at the heart of the mystery. Alas, the concept is compelling, but the execution is what makes Yaga a slog to get through right at the very start.

There is a very brief prologue, but it’s essentially a voice-over by the titular Yaga talking about all the things she is called and known for across time: being an old hag who lures children to her cabin, among other things. There is a quick shot of a person being burned at the stake. From there on, there is little that creates any tension or intrigue.

Much of that has to do with the way the two main characters are written and how much time we’re forced to spend with them.Yaga is a sort of buddy cop story, with the more straight-laced local police officer Carson (Clark Backo) being forced to work alongside the loudmouthed, aggressive Detective Rapp (Noah Reid). Rapp is a flirt and maybe a misogynist; he teases and pesters Carson immediately, which instantly sets up a dynamic that oscillates between annoying and exhausting. Rapp is not the least bit likable: he talks over people, he purposely gets them food and drinks they don’t want to see their reaction, and, for reasons unknown, chooses to defend billionaires. I suspect he’s supposed to have some bad boy charm and be some kind of renegade, but he’s just tedious.

What’s even more mind-boggling is that all the women he meets seem to enjoy him. In the first episode, he asks out three women while flirting with another. What’s worst of all is that Carson is written as someone who cares, who is charmed by this obnoxious man. Despite harassing her and then ditching her at a bar for another woman, she seems to enjoy his company that goes way beyond professional. Her entire character is defined by her relationship to him.

All of that makes for a hard watch, but what’s even worse is that there is so much time spent with these two characters that there isn’t much time for the actual mystery. The first two episodes, which total an hour, don’t cover a lot of ground. There is an incident with a chicken that is more uncomfortable than it is scary, a brief nightmare, and eventually a dead body. In between, Rapp flirts with a bunch of women while also calling them crazy.

One of those women is a professor, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, who apparently knows a lot of bones and writes books about the ways in which they are sexy. And that brings up my last complaint. On the heels of Heated Rivalry, it seems that the streaming service Crave, responsible for both these titles, wants to make Yaga some kind of erotic thriller. Unfortunately, there is neither eroticism nor thrills.

How you can stream Yaga

Series arrives ahead of Halloween

Credit: Crave

If you’re still curious, you don’t have to wait too long to check out Yaga. The first two episodes, which I saw, will premier on October 23, dropping on AMC+ in the United States and Crave in Canada. Each subsequent episode will be released weekly, with the series concluding on November 27.

It’s a curious release strategy for a couple of reasons. Firstly, that weekly release schedule takes the finale well past Halloween and even through the American Thanksgiving long weekend. As avid entertainment consumers know, that time of year is dedicated to Christmas films and major blockbusters. The scary movie season is over.

Secondly, each episode is roughly a half-hour in length. Waiting a week for an episode with such a short runtime doesn’t seem worth it, especially because Yaga isn’t a comedy. Based on the first two episodes, I’m not sure people will be eagerly awaiting each episode.

There are plenty of new horror series streaming soon

Enjoy gory slasher stories and paranormal frights

Credit: Amazon Prime

If you aren’t feeling Yaga, or you just want to watch as many scary stories as possible this fall, there are plenty of options available. Notably, Mike Flanagan, the horror master behind The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher, offers his chilling take on Stephen King’s classic Carrie. That series will stream in its entirety starting October 7 on Prime Video.

On Peacock, you can watch Crystal Lake, a Friday the 13th prequel series starring Linda Cardelini as Pamela Vorhees. The series promises a warm aesthetic, bloody thrills, and probably a few laughs. All episodes will be available on the streamer on October 15.

Lastly, on the heels of a lot of Emmy wins, including Best Comedy, it’s definitely worth checking out Widow’s Bay. The hilarious and genuinely scary series follows the mayor of a small island community that holds a mysterious past. It is absolutely worth every award it won.

Cast

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  Hudson Williams

  Henry Park

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  Carrie-Anne Moss

  Katherine

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