The teaser for Netflix’s next horror series gives off an eerie and scary feeling, leading us to believe that the show will be excellent. It’s hard to say what exactly it is about this film that gives us the chills; the ominous atmosphere, the performances of Emily Deschanel and Madeleine Arthur, or the fact that it’s based on a true story of a cult. When it debuts on Netflix on September 2, Devil in Ohio seems destined to snag viewers and then promptly throw them back. In the preview, we meet Mae (Arthur), a strange young woman who has had “traumas” (as Deschanel’s Suzanne describes it) beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Mae finds herself in the hospital after escaping a horrific scenario, and there she meets Suzanne, a kind and kind mother who can’t help but take the youngster into her house while a more permanent foster family is found.
Although at first Mae seems to fit in well with the family, she soon begins to pick on Jules (Xaria Dotson), Suzanne’s fifteen-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, the authorities are making some frightening discoveries that point to Mae as the central protagonist in a case involving a Satanic group that has been terrorising the neighbourhood. The teaser ends on a cliffhanger, with viewers wondering what trouble Suzanne and her loved ones are in and whether or not Mae is truly as naive as she seems. The film adaptation of Daria Polatin’s 2017 novel of the same name, Devil in Ohio. To help get the show picked up for a full season, Polatin collaborated with Netflix.
A large ensemble cast including Stacey Farber, Tahmoh Penikett, Samantha Ferris, Keenan Tracey, Bradley Stryker, Ty Wood, Djouliety Amara, Marci T. House, Jason Sakaki, and Evan Ellison will join Deschanel, Arthur, and Dotson in the play. The clip has an oppressive atmosphere that reminds us of a true crime film crossed with a thriller. All four of the show’s directors, John Fawcett (Orphan Black), Brad Anderson (Titans), Leslie Hope (Lost in Space), and Steve Adelson (12 Monkeys), have previously been credited for establishing the mood for comparable works, and they undoubtedly bring some of that vibe to the eight episodes of the series.
Meanwhile, as viewers of the acclaimed series Bones and the more recent Netflix release Animal Kingdom will attest, Deschanel is no stranger to the role of drama’s primary proponent. Deschanel seems like she’ll excel as the lady who is only trying to do the right thing in the Netflix series because of her talent at adding the heavyweight to a moment. Be ready for some serious binge-watching once it debuts on September 2.