Creepshow’s third season has been an erratic one. While the episodes have been fun, they have also felt uninspired and lacking. It’s only two episodes in, but there has not been a memorable show yet. Regrettably, the latest episode keeps with the trend. The stories are interesting to a degree, but they seem to be missing that certain flair that has made the series so popular.
“The Last Tsuburaya” revisits a familiar horror anthology premise. For whatever reason, the art world is a popular one in horror. An obscenely rich man named Wade Cruise (Brandon Quinn) purchases the last painting of a famed artist. Tsuburaya was a tormented soul who would paint horrifying pictures. His only surviving heir gets the last painting before receiving an outrageous offer.
Though a number of characters are introduced in the opening moments, none aside from Wade end up having any bearing on the plot. The problem is each of them is given enough time to seem like they will be important. This gives the ending an unsatisfying feeling. Wade is ridiculously evil to a comical extent. His motivations are goofy, but they do make sense in the over the top way that Creepshow is fond of using. He is equal parts amusing and cringe inducing and will be the deciding factor for how much viewers enjoy the installment.
The second story is also in a familiar setting. Elmer (Nick Massouh) is a meek prisoner with a fondness for spiders. Unsurprisingly, he is the cell block’s favorite whipping boy. When the warden decides changes are going to be made, Elmer and his eight legged friends decide to take matters into their own hands.
The standout moment of “Okay I’ll Bite” is the creature design near the end. The monster rivals the beast from the first episode. There is a nice build to the reveal and it is shot in a way to maximize how awful (in a good way) it looks. The rest of the story is cut and dry. As is par for the course in Creepshow, there is no doubting who the good guys and bad guys are. Jackson Beals stands out in an odd role.. It is hard to tell whether the character has been beaten down by life or whether the actor is phoning in the performance. It is just another part of an uneven season.
New episodes of Creepshow premiere on Shudder each Thursday
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