Alice Oscura, Featured Writer
Disclaimer: The following contains minor spoilers and subject that can be triggering to some readers.
Released August 20th on Netflix, Terror Tuesday: Extreme is a Thai horror anthology series consisting of eight episodes. Each episode has an approximate runtime of roughly 45 minutes. The inspiration came from a popular call-in radio show called “Angkhan Khlumpong” in Thailand, where listeners would call in and relate their allegedly true and frightening supernatural experiences.
Right off the bat, I can tell you that I was truly expecting much more from this series. As the series states, each episode is based on a supposedly real-life experience shared by listeners of the Thai radio show. And while that perspective might be clever marketing-wise, the stories themselves don’t appear to live up to the hype created by the tagline “based on real events”. The majority of the eight tales are not that terrifying but seem more disturbing from a psychological angle. The main observation here is that they seem to have the appearance of hallucinations in the minds of people who may have experienced something extremely traumatising in their lives. The supernatural element simply comes from the fact that Thai culture and history are intermingled with their main religion which is Buddhism and lore that incorporates their belief in spirits and ghosts.
The first two episodes start the series with much promise and are among the best of the lot. Episode 1 “Our Little Sister” deals with the main protagonist’s grief and guilt after a tragic accident that claimed the life of her little sister. The acquisition of a doll as a coping mechanism ends up destroying whatever vestiges of sanity remain as the spirit of the doll appears to become corrupted. Episode 2 “The Wedding Dress” tells the disturbing secret behind a cursed wedding dress. You might be wondering: What’s so scary about a wedding dress? But trust me, wedding dresses can be an extremely creepy concept, especially when someone’s greatest desire doesn’t come to fruition. Episode 3 “Ode to My Family” is inherently one of the darkest of the eight episodes. In this episode, a dysfunctional family is forced to move into a remote and outdated house that turns out to be haunted. The situation turns from unsettling to grim really fast after a room that was once sealed with a warding charm is opened. This breaks the protective ward and releases a darkness within that quickly begins to consume the new inhabitants of the house due to their negative energy.
Episode 4 “The Vow” is one of the weakest episodes. The premise and acting are bland and uninspiring. A couple is forced to reveal their darkest secrets to one another when they cross paths with an avenging goddess. The concept was all but lost on me. Episode 5 “Spectral Class” is about a teacher who’s up for a very important evaluation and tries to impress her superiors by encouraging a student to return to classes after missing school for a few days. The student is considered a lost cause by her superiors as his father is a drug addict and his grandmother is even worse. The teacher’s world is turned topsy-turvy once she meets the missing boy’s father and grandmother. The story has an element of dark humour, but it becomes particularly brutal, culminating with an ending that’s jaw-dropping.
Episode 6 “Girl Next Door” is another one that completely loses me. The plot involves a drug addict who moves into a haunted apartment with detrimental circumstances. What’s the most disturbing about this one is the fact that it deals with dark themes like drug addiction and suicide. It’s a sad story, but the execution is extremely messy, like it’s unsure of what it wants to be. Is it a ghost story or a precautionary tale with a sad ending? I still don’t know.
Episode 7 “Dear Granny” is another story that ventures into the dark humour zone. However, it is very violent and plays out almost like a dark fairy tale. A grandmother suddenly goes missing on her birthday while out fishing with her daughter. The granddaughter seems to have an already strained relationship with her mother and is coping with feelings of abandonment. When the grandmother suddenly returns home, she soon begins to realise, to her horror, that something else disguised as her grandmother has come home to roost. And finally, Episode 8 “Viral Curse” takes the opportunity to showcase the Terror Tuesday radio call-in show. A single mother struggles to manage her laundromat business and raise her precocious six-year-old daughter. Her life further deteriorates when she takes advantage of a temptation that presents itself and is caught. The episode encompasses the theme of the fears of motherhood, including the fear of embarrassment from the judgment of failures.
In conclusion, I wasn’t impressed and so wanted to be because Asian horror has a reputation of being no holds barred. There’s no word as yet if the series has been granted a second season but based on the mixed reviews it has been receiving online, the prospect is highly unlikely. I would still recommend it as a suitable watch for fans of the genre, if you’re into anthologies, or if you simply want to pass the time.
Dark Alice Score: 5.5 out of 10
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Dark Alice has an old soul and a curious mind. I believe that anyone can be a hero and that the good guys should always win! I dislike cruelty to animals and think that they have far superior qualities to humans. My motto is there is no future without the past. I also have a weird penchant for Paranormal TV shows even though the slightest sound makes me jump. I enjoy writing reviews and throwing in fun facts to pique the readers’ curiosity. My ultimate goal in life would be to become a published writer one day. Read More