In conjunction with Blumhouse TV, Into the Dark boasts quite a cool premise. Each monthly episode features a spooky 90-minute horror story centered on a major U.S. holiday. For instance, the most recent episode, Delivered, revolves around an aptly-set Mother's Day tale of terror. Next on the docket, a Father's Day vignette called Good Boy, due June 12, 2020.
With the series now well into its second season, let's assess how well the show is performing thus far. Here are the 5 Best & 5 Worst episodes of Hulu's Into the Dark, According to IMDB!
My Valentine (S2E5) 4.4/10 - Worst
Easily the most annoyingly unpleasant episode of Into the Dark so far belongs to My Valentine, a lame, heartless, superficial endeavor from writer/director Maggie Levin.
Confined to a neon-filtered concert venue for most of the duration, the film follows sexy popstar Valentine (Britt Baron), whose identity is stolen by ex-boyfriend Royal (Benedict Samuel) and given over to his new lover, Trezzure (Anna Lore). Upon confrontation, a wild explosion of violence ensues that is neither convincing nor scary.
Delivered (S2E8) 6.2/10 - Best
With the overall consensus suggesting that Season 2 is inferior to Season 1, it's good to see the most recent episode, Delivered, rank among the highest-rated episodes of the season thus far.
All credit must go to director Emma Tammi, who already proved her immense skill with the superb 2018 horror t The Wind. In Delivered, a very pregnant mother-to-be (Natalie Paul) comes to the frightening conclusion that someone in her life has a very sinister plan for her newborn. Lauded for its stark realism, the film ahem, delivers!
Midnight Kiss (S2E4) 4.7/10 - Worst
In one of the most listless and derivative slasher films of recent memory, a longtime pact of gay besties retreat to a lavish desert abode to share a Midnight Kiss come the New Year. What could possibly go wrong?!
The real question is, what possibly went right in the film? Not only does the film lack genuine terror, but like many of the feature-length Into the Dark episodes, it also feels woefully half-baked. At least Jason Blum and fellow producers mandated that real gay actors be cast in the film to represent the gay characters in the script. Sadly, that's about the only thing the film got right!
Flesh & Blood (S1E2) 6.2/10 - Best
It's no surprise that Flesh & Blood ranks among the upper quartile of Into the Dark episodes, according to IMDB. The film is directed by longtime horror veteran Patrick Lussier, who knows a thing or two about holiday horror having helmed the 2009 My Bloody Valentine remake!
The story tracks Kimberly (Diana Silvers), an agoraphobic teenager grieving her mother's unsolved murder. Confined to her house as Thanksgiving approaches, Kimberly begins to suspect her overprotective father (Dermot Mulroney) might have killed her mother.
Treehouse (S1E6) 4.8/10 -Worst
Westworld's Jimmi Simpson does his best to help navigate us through the vexingly sappy Treehouse, but the poorly-built structure comes crumbling down to the ground by the final act.
Simpson plays Peter Rake, a sleazy celebrity chef who returns to his old haunts following a slew of bad press involving sexual indiscretion. Upon returning, Rake must deal with the deadly consequences of mistreating the women in his past. The titular treehouse serves as a symbol of lost innocence, but also a place where Rake's comeuppance is served.
The Body (S1E1) 6.3/10 - Best
It comes as no real surprise that the inaugural chapter of Into the Dark still ranks among the series' finest hours. Pilot episodes tend to leave no stone unturned, and in The Body, corpses tend to roll in their grave as well!
With pitch-black humor to balance its genuine horror, the Paul Davis film follows a laconic hitman (Tom Bateman) tasked with transporting a fresh corpse across town on Halloween night. The logistical nightmare is met with cheers from Halloween patrons who think the corpse is part of the hitman's elaborate costume. Funny and frightening in equal measure!
Pooka (S1E3) 5.4/10 - Worst
Critically speaking, Pooka is the absolute cream of the Into the Dark crop. For general IMDB s though, it proved to be too much of a cerebral puzzle piece to decipher. Quite a shame!
The time-bending sci-fi mind-scrambler comes from superb Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo. In the simplest , the plot concerns an out of work actor who takes a job as a toy-mascot during Christmastime. Soon the Pooka costume is revealed to harbor a malevolent force that turns the actor into a coldblooded killer. The episode was so well -received that a follow-up, Pooka Lives, came out this past April for the annual Easter episode.
Down (S1E5) 6.5/10 - Best
Setting a 90-minute movie in a single location is an awfully difficult endeavor to keep fresh and engaging. Thankfully, the filmmaking experience of Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism, 13 Sins) allowed such a film to be one of the best of the entire series so far.
In Down, a pair of sexy coworkers get stranded on an elevator four floors underground on the eve Valentine's Day. At odds to begin, John (Matt Lauria) and Jen (Natalie Martinez) slowly cozy up to each other overnight. In the end, a deeply disturbing stalk-and-slash plot reveals itself.
Crawlers (S2E6) 5.5/10 - Worst
Pub Crawlers on Saint Patrick's day is the subject of Into the Dark's lackluster sixth episode of season 2. What should have been a fun, fast-paced, rollicking tale of boozy balefulness proved to be anything but. Sad!
Directed by Brandon Zuck, the film focuses on a trio of friends celebrating a night of drunken debauchery on St. Patty's Day. When it becomes clear their small college town has been overrun by body-morphing aliens, the trio must do whatever necessary to rid the extraterrestrial scourge.
A Nasty Piece Of Work (S2E3) 6.6/10 - Best
Not to editorialize too much, but A Nasty Piece of Work is truly the finest chapter of Into the Dark to date. It's creepy, funny, unpredictable, and wildly entertaining from start to finish. It's only real rivals are Pooka and Uncanny Annie!
With a perfect blend of dark humor and stark horror, the episode takes place at an upscale Christmas party. Steven (Warlock himself Julian Sands), the ruthless boss of a private equity firm, invites several employees to his abode to celebrate in what turns out to be a vicious contest for business promotion. The twists and turns, and violent ulterior motives are second to none!