News Siren Head Siren Head: Zach Cregger & Brian Duffield Working on Horror Movie Based on Internet Phenomenon NINE. EIGHTEEN. ONE. CHILD. SEVENTEEN. REMOVE. VILE. By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 1, 2026 Image: Warner Bros. Studios Comment 0 Share New Share Image: Warner Bros. Studios After the success of Backrooms, it’s no surprise that horror-related internet sensations are getting picked up and turned into movies. I must confess, however, that I didn’t guess that Siren Head would be next, or that horror heavyweight Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) would be attached to the project along with Whalefall writer/director Brian Duffield. The Hollywood Reporter, however, broke the news that Warner Bros. just picked up the rights to that project in a bidding war before everyone left town for the Fourth of July weekend. At present, it’s believed that Cregger and Duffield will co-write the script for a Siren Head movie, which Duffield will also reportedly direct. Siren Head originated in 2018, when creature designer Trevor Henderson posted an image on Instagram of a giant-sized being with long, spindly arms and legs. Where the head should have been are two giant bullhorn sirens. Henderson included the following in the caption: She was on vacation with her husband and they were scoping out graveyards on the way, as you do, when she saw it. Rising out of the old cemetery, big as an old (macabre) telephone pole. Was this some kind of bizarre art piece the authorities hadn’t gotten wise to yet? Even as she stepped out of the car, the megaphones on its “head” screeched to life. “NINE. EIGHTEEN. ONE. CHILD. SEVENTEEN. REMOVE. VILE.”. A buzzing, doubled voice screamed random words at her. At this point, it jerked into motion, striding down the hill towards her. The image became an internet sensation, with folks creating fan art, videos, video games, and more. It ran (please forgive me), so six-seven could ramble. An elaborate mythology also developed around Siren Head, which reportedly will be the source from which Cregger and Duffield will draw to craft their story. This project is still in its early days, so no news on casting, including on who will play Siren Head.[end-mark] The post <i>Siren Head</i>: Zach Cregger & Brian Duffield Working on Horror Movie Based on Internet Phenomenon appeared first on Reactor.

Movies & TV Watchlist The Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Movies and Shows Streaming This July The best additions to ever-growing streaming libraries for July 2026 By Matthew Byrd | Published on July 1, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share July is that special time of year when romantic notions of summer excursions meet the brutal reality of the thermometer. It’s hot out there, y’all. The good news is that those of us who wage war against the sun like a cartoon supervillain can stay inside and enjoy a surprisingly strong slate of genre releases coming to streaming this month. If you’re looking for the best genre new releases this month, we’ve got you covered elsewhere. But if you need a little help sorting through the hundreds of movies and shows added to every streaming service each month, you’ve come to the right place. From the good kind of summer ticks to games of death and Arthurian legends, here are the best sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies and shows streaming this month. The Tick (2016) (Netflix — July 15) The addition of The Tick to Netflix is kind of a big deal to some longtime fans. The cult classic Prime Video series has long been considered one of the great unsung comedies of the (relatively) modern streaming era. Before The Boys did its thing, The Tick dissected the superhero genre with a fundamentally silly wit that may be familiar to those who grew up on the other Tick shows (or have seen any of the Deadpool movies) but which is otherwise a breath of fresh air to those who remember that superheroes are supposed to be fun above all. There is genuine hope this show’s Netflix debut may stir up enough interest for a revival. Sliders (Tubi — July 1) Sliders is, at the very least, the perfect sci-fi show for those who prefer their genre entertainment to be as ‘90s as humanly possible. The series follows a group of people who are able to move (“slide”) between parallel versions of Earth. Though they are primarily using that technology to try to find their way back to their version of Earth, they naturally must do what they can to help the inhabitants of other universes along the way. The (largely) episodic nature of the series allowed its writers to have a ton of fun exploring the various possible versions of our planet that could have come to pass if only something had gone slightly differently. And while Sliders’ first two seasons are undoubtedly its best, the show remains an often underappreciated attempt to explore the depths of an incredible concept. The Long Walk (HBO Max — July 10) Horror fans really have been eating well in recent years. The only downside to this golden age for the genre is that some truly great works sometimes fall through the cracks. And while The Long Walk was a modest box office success, this movie will almost certainly find the larger audiences it deserves on streaming. Set in a dystopian future (which, I’m told, is different from a dystopian present), The Long Walk follows a group of teenage boys who must participate in a brutal annual event. Basically, they have to keep walking until only one of them remains. Though based on the novel by Stephen King (technically Richard Bachman), The Long Walk makes several changes to its source material that ultimately result in one of the rare “game of death” stories that are worth the trauma. Every Hunger Games Movie (Netflix — July 14) Speaking of games of death, we’ve got a new Hunger Games movie coming out later this year: the prequel film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. And while there is plenty of time to re-watch the original Hunger Games movie before that prequel release in November, the addition of those movies to Netflix this month is a good enough reason to volunteer as tribute. Along with the first four Hunger Games movies, Netflix users will also have the chance to give The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes a second (or quite possibly first) look. Though met with a mixed (largely negative) reception at the time of its 2023 release, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has held up surprisingly well and may just be the most complete “movie” of the series. Interestingly, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was also directed by The Long Walk director Francis Lawrence. One supposes there are worse things than being Hollywood’s go-to name for games of death movies. The Wild Robot (Prime Video — July 26) One of the greatest animated films of the last several years, The Wild Robot may have been produced by DreamWorks, but it really is the closest thing we’ve gotten to a golden age Pixar movie in quite some time. The film follows a robot named Roz who must survive a harsh island with help from its various animal inhabitants. You can probably tell from that description that this movie is going to tug at your heartstrings, and you wouldn’t be wrong. It’s a lovely, lovely movie, especially if we’re talking about its wonderful visuals that you will almost certainly have to admire through tears. Every Evil Dead Movie (HBO Max — July 1) In celebration of the release of Evil Dead Burn on July 10, HBO Max is adding every Evil Dead movie released so far to its library. That’s pretty excellent news given that there has never been a bad Evil Dead movie and there are no signs that Evil Dead Burn will break that streak. However, I’d like to spotlight the unlikely black sheep of the Evil Dead franchise: the original film. Evil Dead II is rightfully considered to be one of the greatest horror movies of all-time, but since that sequel is a soft reimagining of the original film that changed the series’ tone and lore forever, the debut movie sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. That’s a shame, because 1981’s The Evil Dead remains one of the most powerful and visceral horror experiences ever crafted by devious hands. It’s also one of the movies that helped solidify an indie horror boom period in the early 1980s, which is especially important to consider as we appear to be on the cusp of another, similar period at the moment. Paprika (Tubi — July 1) It’s not entirely fair to call director Satoshi Kon’s works (which include Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, and Millennium Actress) love-or-hate affairs. They’re all widely acclaimed for their wonderful animation and complex themes. It’s just that you do need to steel yourself to really enjoy their often bleak, heavy, and complex subject matter. Well, the addition of Paprika to the always-wonderful Tubi library offers the perfect chance to bite the bullet and dive into the wonderful, weird world of Satoshi Kon if you haven’t already done so. For those who don’t know, Paprika revolves around a stolen machine that allows therapists to enter their patients’ dreams. Yes, this has been widely cited as one of the likely inspirations for Christopher Nolan’s Inception, but comparisons aside, Paprika remains an emotionally and intellectually challenging tribute to the wonderful power of animation. The Green Knight (Tubi — July 1) Now, The Green Knight most certainly tends to be a love-or-hate affair. This David Lowery film was practically defined by its divisive reaction when it was released in 2021. And while the reception to The Green Knight has certainly veered towards the more positive side of the divide in the years since its release, there is never a bad time to either challenge your initial read or simply see what all the fuss was about. This adaptation of the 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” achieves the remarkable feat of dissecting and re-imagining those classic legends while also offering one of the most effective portrayals of such a legend that we’ve ever seen on the screen. At the heart of this incredible revisionist fantasy is Dev Patel giving the kind of performance that will once again force you to ask why he is not one of the most in-demand, indisputable leading men in film today. Talk to Me (Netflix — July 1) As Backrooms and Obsession send studios scrambling for the next YouTuber turned filmmaker sensations, it’s important that we both pay homage to and keep an eye on the works of Danny and Michael Philippou. The twin brothers helped kick off this exciting era of new creators with the release of their surprise 2022 horror hit, Talk to Me. Talk to Me’s premise revolves around a severed hand that can supposedly summon spirits. The hand soon becomes the centerpiece of a party for a group of kids who treat it like an especially effective Ouija board, and… well, I’d better not say more here if you haven’t already had the pleasure of discovering this one for yourself. For now, it’s enough to say that anyone who found themselves gripped by the absurd, violent creativity of Obsession’s premise absolutely owes it to themselves to check out Talk to Me.[end-mark] The post The Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Movies and Shows Streaming This July appeared first on Reactor.

News Tempest Victoria Aveyard’s Tempest Picked Up for TV Adaptation Before Publication The novel is an adult pirate fantasy and Aveyard’s first foray outside of young adult books By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 1, 2026 Victoria Aveyard headshot: Lucas Passmore Comment 0 Share New Share Victoria Aveyard headshot: Lucas Passmore Victoria Aveyard, author of the popular Red Queen and Realm Breaker young adult series, has her adult fantasy debut, Tempest, coming out this September. And even though the book has yet to hit the shelves, Deadline reports that Chernin Entertainment has picked up the rights to adapt it for television. Tempest, which is the first installment in The Lyrian Sea duology, is a pirate fantasy. Here’s the book’s blurb, per Goodreads: Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate. But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane. With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star. Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all. But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor. This isn’t the only adaptation Aveyard has in the works. Back in 2021, Peacock picked up the rights to the Red Queen books, with Elizabeth Banks on board to direct and act in the series. That project, Deadline reports, is still in development and hasn’t fallen completely to the wayside. The Tempest adaptation is obviously in its early days; there’s no news yet on who will direct, showrun, or star in the television show, or if/when it makes its way to production. [end-mark] The post Victoria Aveyard’s <i>Tempest</i> Picked Up for TV Adaptation Before Publication appeared first on Reactor.

Books Reading the Weird Keep Your Hands Inside the Car: Matthew MacDonald’s “How to Deal with Fallen Gods” The first god’s arrival was an event, now they’re just another fact of life… By Ruthanna Emrys | Published on July 1, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share Welcome back to Reading the Weird, in which we get girl cooties all over weird fiction, cosmic horror, and Lovecraftiana—from its historical roots through its most recent branches. This week, we cover Matthew MacDonald’s “How to Deal with Fallen Gods,” first published in the May 2026 issue of Cosmic Horror Monthly. Spoilers ahead! Understand the fallen gods may feel confused or scared, in a world so different from their far-off home. DO NOT intervene in their activities. They won’t respond, and you may be harmed. * * * The unnamed narrator’s (UN’s) first god sighting: Leaving Pilates class, they saw a fallen titan. A small crowd had gathered. They and UN lingered until night fell to hush their excited voices. Still, the titan did not stir. Confronted with the same sight now, UN would simply scramble over its body and go about their business. * * * Everyone’s first question was Why are they here? UN’s friend Tiff thinks that the gods are all about humanity. But they don’t speak to us, UN counters, or even seem to notice us. Nor does UN buy the Facebook claim that some woman saw a god playing with her six-year-old. UN scoffs at Tiff’s conviction that the gods have an epic purpose or that they want to show us something, “a magical artifact from another dimension” or simply a message. What UN thinks, with more anxiety than they intend to betray, is that the gods aren’t moving toward us but away from wherever they started. Here’s just where they ended up. Not innocent, nor likely ever to be at peace again. * * * The first ever sighting of a fallen god was on a lake, by a fisherman. A bronze-skinned “thunderous mass” with flowing blond locks lumbered clumsily out of the water. He was later identified as Forseti, the Norse god of justice, peace, and truth, but like all the earliest visitors, he wandered aimlessly, alone. Later, people would spot gods in groups; given that their interactions with each other and the world were minimal, those clumpings may have been coincidental. Soon a subreddit would be dedicated to deity identification. UN likened their neighbors’ enthusiasm to a “slightly unusual game of Pokémon Go.” UN themselves couldn’t shake a foreboding sense of movement deep in the earth, “in a place that never shifted.” * * * How to speak to a god: Use a calm voice, a comforting tone. Experts think the god will understand, but probably won’t respond. DO NOT offer worship or sacrifice. * * * The gods damage roads and buildings, disrupt traffic, crush the unwary. When a god falls and is dragged off to a warehouse, its “psychic weight” lingers. * * * UN and Tiff argue about the gods before Pilates class. She claims that she locked eyes with Freyja and saw a blank emptiness, as if the god couldn’t remember why she was there. UN tells Tiff she’s crazy. She shrugs off the comment. A minute later, she asks, “Do you think they’re becoming more human?” * * * UN tries to live a normal life now that the “initial frenzy” has passed. They take detours around god sightings, but get to work and Pilates on time. And they resolutely push aside the feeling that “substances that should never meet and mix are slowly seeping together.” They’ve had an encounter they haven’t shared, even with Tiff. While walking along the river, they were the first to sight a white-bearded god curled around his weathered shield. UN wanted to run but was frozen in place. The god’s unearthly black eyes burned with accusation. A question rang deafeningly in UN’s mind, would continue ringing after they’d fled: “For what purpose did you make me?” * * * Thousands flock to the “Greater Midlands” since the arrival of the gods. One should take pictures from a safe distance, for gods prefer to avoid humans. But encounters do occur, which can be disturbing to both the mortal and deity. Here are newly revised guidelines: DO NOT use “bear spray, noise canisters, or other irritants.” DO NOT climb trees. DO NOT make eye contact. Above all, don’t worry, have fun. Follow these tips, and you can safely enjoy your stay! What’s Cyclopean: “…the great limbs of a titan, body the size of a fallen redwood” sure sounds cyclopean to us! The multisyllabic vocabulary remains implicit, though: “Our eyes met, and it was like all the florid and archaic adjectives from an H. P. Lovecraft novel washed through me in an instant.” Weirdbuilding: They are not here to share a cosmic message. They are not here to play with our toddlers. They don’t want our worship or sacrifices. “Their needs are not human needs.” Madness Takes Its Toll: Tiffany has a “crazy” experience meeting a god’s eyes. UN scoffs, but hides some craziness of their own. Ruthanna’s Commentary If I had to nail down one systematic difference between early 20th century cosmic horror, and early 21st, it would be how you’re expected to react. In the wake of World War I, we expected that worldshaking events would shake the world. The lives of anyone who knew would have to change. That’s what worldshaking means, right? People leave their jobs for the front lines, or take on new work to support the war effort. The horror comes from that disruption—or from being one of the few who know, and trying to protect the tissue of normality that allows the ignorant to remain so. In the 21st century, that tissue is a group effort. We all know, but we aren’t permitted to be shaken. There’s the economy to think of, after all. It started after 9/11, with Bush telling us to get out and shop. Twenty-five years later, people are shocked by the idea that a life-threatening pandemic would change their lifestyles for more than a month or so. You certainly can’t cancel Pilates class for an interdimensional incursion. To be fair, the gods coming out of the Greater Midlands lake are safer than an airborne virus. They’re largely ignoring humans, causing some incidental danger via property damage. Oh, and completely undermining everyone’s understanding of how the universe works and humanity’s place in it. But you certainly can’t expect to stay home for that. Besides, it’s a helluva tourist draw. Putting aside my thematic cynicism, what sells this kind of thing is the little mundane details, and I love how those are handled here. Reactions move from awe to gossip to Pokémon Go. I would 100% be torn between awe and nerdy entity ID. You could add them to Merlin alongside your favorite birds! My household would be very excited by the early appearance of an obscure Frisian/Norse deity: Forseti is not one of the stars of Ragnarok, but his name—“the presiding one”—is the title for the modern Icelandic president. Which is probably also what “president” means, I just realized, shut up. (Household would also be eagerly looking out for Nehalennia, hometown fave who has an old Roman temple near us.) The newcomers stagger around unprotected by divine auras, collapse, get carted off by Waste Removal. Don’t call 911, it’s not an emergency. And don’t, for pity’s sake, climb a tree. Bears can climb trees after you; gods can knock them down. Stay in your car. Pretend it’s a safari. Giraffes and rhinos, Horus and Tlaloc, same difference. Don’t forget to buy a t-shirt! And yet, the existential questions aren’t entirely avoidable. Meet a visitor’s eyes and your experience will be, as Tiffany suggests, crazy. Craziness, in this case, describes the old madness of the god-touched, visions and revelations terribly inconvenient to one’s schedule. For what purpose did you make me? Maybe that’s the classic fantasy trope of gods created by human belief, the lack of which now drives them from Olympian heights. Or maybe they’ve been made by a more recent desperation, for something to break through that tissue-veil of normality in a way we’re allowed to recognize. In which case they never existed at all before emerging. That might be preferable to some of the alternatives. Because if they’re not simply losing power in the face of modern disbelief, and if they’ve been around all this time—what’s driving them into exile? A stampede is dangerous in its own right, but sometimes the danger following behind is worse. Our narrator imagines a drifting oil tanker, out in the fog, coming nearer with its load of toxic spillage. Not a predator, not something that cares about us any more than the gods do, but some disaster beyond imagination or control. And when that disaster arrives, how will we ever get to Pilates? Anne’s Non-Commentary: Anne has been dragged away to a mysterious island and will return after July 4th. Unless, of course, the lake in which the island sits becomes infested by wayward deities. Next week, we wrap up Good Stab’s gospel in Chapters 21-22 of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.[end-mark] The post Keep Your Hands Inside the Car: Matthew MacDonald’s “How to Deal with Fallen Gods” appeared first on Reactor.

Movies & TV Widow’s Bay 10 Reasons You Should Watch Widow’s Bay A second season is on its way, but in case you need convincing… By Alex Brown | Published on July 1, 2026 Image: Apple TV Comment 0 Share New Share Image: Apple TV There’s a not insignificant chance that if you’ve been on social media at all the last month or so you’ve heard the good news about our Lord and saviour Widow’s Bay. It is currently about 40% of my personality (another 40% is still being occupied by Heated Rivalry). If you haven’t yet tried this show, here is my pitch for why you should.  It’s [insert quirky comedy] meets [insert weird horror] Parks & Rec meets Twin Peaks. Schitt’s Creek meets The X-Files. Northern Exposure meets Gravity Falls. Ted Lasso meets Courage the Cowardly Dog. The Good Place meets Eerie, Indiana. To do horror comedy right, you have to expertly balance scares with laughs. Sometimes what you end up with is a story that leans too heavily on one or the other so it becomes a horror story that is occasionally funny or a comedy with some scary bits. Widow’s Bay deftly walks the horror comedy tightrope. Even the scariest moments have humor weaving through them. Often, the humor is the horror—consider the Sea Hag or the Boogeyman.  Katie Dippold, the creator of Widow’s Bay, came up with the idea originally as a spec script for Parks & Recreation, a show on which she was a writer and co-producer. The Parks & Rec vibes are strong, especially in episode 5, “What to Expect on Your Trip.” As has been repeatedly pointed out, Dippold is also the person behind the infamous meme of the Babadook at the wine party, and that is really the perfect description of what this show is. It’s genuinely funny and actually scary. For my fellow wee babies who don’t handle horror well, be prepared to watch some of it with your hands over your eyes. Image: Apple TV The cast Matthew Rhys! Kate O’Flynn! Stephen Root! Dale Dickey! Kevin Carroll! Jeff Hiller! K Callan! Hamish Linklater! Chris Fleming! Betty Gilpin! This is Rhys’ first time as a lead in a comedy and he plays the straight man so well. There’s an old joke about how if a Black person realized they were in a horror movie the first thing they’d do is leave, and Carroll plays the sheriff exactly like that. He has noped out of the whole thing before the show has even started. No ma’am. Kingston Rumi Southwick is a relative newcomer, but he is very talented. He brings depth and heart to Evan, a character who could easily be written off as a stock teen character. Something else I appreciate is how everyone looks like real people. It’s not to say no one is hot—do not even get me started on my weird little obsession with Matthew Rhys—but that no one looks plastic or fake. No one looks like they wandered off a catwalk or out of a studio executive focus group. The cast look like they could be your neighbors or coworkers. You need a show like this to feel crunchy and grounded or else it becomes too fantastical. (Yes, I said “grounded” about a show with a clown killer.) The crew With directors like Hiro Murai, Andrew DeYoung, and Samuel Donovan (all of whom have strong TV directing careers), as well as Ti West (who did the X film series), you know a show is going to be good. There are folks like music supervisor Toko Nagata (who also worked on some Mike Flanagan properties) doing perfect music cues and composer David Fleming creating incredible horror movie music homage instrumentals. And then you have everyone else on the crew, far too many to list here, banging out hit after hit in cinematography, editing, effects, casting, set and art design, costuming and makeup. Of course, I can’t forget the writers room doing their craft at peak performance. Every single person on that set worked their ass off. Image: Apple TV The details This is a show practically designed for multiple viewings. Every time you’ll pick up some little thing you never noticed before. Lights flicker ominously, strange faces appear in mirrors, unsettling artwork hanging on the walls. Some of my favorites: Rhys does a slightly different accent from everyone else; the newspaper article about a priest who got eaten by a whale and whose death was called a “sacrifice;” the way Patricia’s mug moves off the book; that Tom’s wolf calendar has a car crash as the photo for July. “Dead baby. Dead baby. Lesbian.”  This show is eminently quotable. The entire cast deserve their own personal Emmy for line readings. “Except for the teeth.” “I know you asked me to be supportive, but I have my qualms.” “Once again, I’d like to remind everyone that it is not mandatory that you speak.” “Alright, fuggos, let’s go.” “There’s no rush to the augmentation of the soul, folks.” “These jackrabbits had six kids, and some of them have a few of their own, but you know what they say, ‘A family that swims together, drowns together.’” Tom: “Have you ever heard of the trolley problem?” Ruth: “You mean back in ‘42 when we tried to build one and all the workers disappeared?” “Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. RUN.” “Old woman. Possibly damp. Faster than old woman should be!” “It’s perfectly safe to drive by the old hospital. You just can’t stop.” “Can’t do anything right today.” “I was just about to show Arthur the witch trial. Great source of pride. We caught ‘em. We burned ‘em.” “But he got bit by an animal and became that animal.” Image: Apple TV So. Many. Horror. References. Widow’s Bay is a love letter to horror movies. Jaws, Halloween, The Witch, The Village, Evil Dead, The Blair Witch Project, The Wicker Man, The Exorcist, several Alfred Hitchcock movies, and at least half of Stephen King’s backlist, among many others, pop up in one way or another. Sometimes it’s through shots or costume choices, sometimes it’s a specific moment in those movies, and sometimes the reference is a commentary on a trope, such as Final Girl Scream Queen Patricia’s slasher episode. It’s clear that the folks working on this show have a deep appreciation for horror, as well as a critical eye for its weaknesses. Ladies, ladies, ladies Many of the women on this show are middle aged or older. There are a couple teenage girls, but for the most part, the show reflects on what it’s like to be older and facing down societal pressure. We see women who are lonely and are haunted as adults by the consequences of choices they made as children, and women who defy social norms and thrive in that. Women are often discussed (usually by men) in terms of what they aren’t—young, mothers, married, etc.—but the tone always implies that the audience should bristle at this condescension. Horror movies are filled with mothers defending their children or hot young women being chased by monsters. When we get single, childless women in their forties, they’re often the villains or treated like pathetic, miserable cat ladies. Widow’s Bay revels in older women being exactly who they are, flaws and all. Image: Apple TV Dudes, man One of the key themes of the show is “frightened men who will do desperate things,” and all the implications that brings. Fatherhood, in all its joys and terrors and cruelties, is a central theme. We see a lot of fathers and father figures trying to navigate masculinity and toxic societal expectations. So much of what Tom is trying to do on the island is wrapped up in his complicated relationship with his son, Evan. It’s thrilling to see how the writers keep peeling back layers to reveal more about them as people and as father and son, thus shifting our understanding of everything that came before. Tom starts off the season as the mayor in Jaws, veers into being the father in The Shining, and becomes something much more interesting by the end. My only complaint is that the show is heavy on cishet white dudes and light on BIPOC and queer characters. I hope they diversify the cast next season. The lore I won’t get into this too much so as to not spoil anything, but what I love about the lore is how thoughtful it is. At first, it seemed like this show was going to be a season of random monsters of the week. But by the end of the season we can see how each creature not only furthers the plot of the season arc, but offers a ton of character development for the character dealing with them. The monsters are tailored to that character as much as they are to revealing bits and pieces of the island’s lore. I really hope in the second season we get episodes where Rosemary, Dale, Bechir, and Evan get their own lore encounters. And speaking of a second season… Image: Apple TV We’re getting a second season! If all of the aforementioned reasons aren’t to try the first season, maybe knowing it’s already so beloved by fans that Apple TV is fully invested in making more of it. This show is so damn good. It’s going to be very hard to bump it off the top spot in my Best TV of 2026 list, and it’s definitely in the top five of the 2020s. It’s firing on all cylinders (pun intended). Bonus reason: Patricia. Patriciaaaaaaa. P A T R I C I A. Patriciapatriciapatriciapatriciapatricia. No, I will not be elaborating. Bonus bonus reason: If I had a nickel for every time Hamish Linklater played a community leader who encountered a malevolent entity on a rundown New England island town, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.[end-mark] The post 10 Reasons You Should Watch <i>Widow’s Bay</i> appeared first on Reactor.