Comment Editor Lauren Penzer introduces us to From, praising the sci-fi horror series for its chilling mysteries, relentless gore, and exploration of human themes
Content warning: mentions of death, horror, entrapment and loss
As a lover of literary and cinematic horror – the more horrifying, the better – From is a show that automatically appeals to me for several reasons. Not only does the show broach dystopian and speculative genres of creative media, but the show presents a raw kind of horror that holds nothing back and takes no prisoners (or, takes many, I suppose). From is a hidden gem of a show that I wish I found earlier. But since there are now three completed seasons out in the world, it’s a great time for a newcomer to dive into this tale of mystery, horror, and speculation.
From is a hidden gem of a show that I wish I found earlier
To set the scene: FROM is a ‘science-fiction horror’ show, created by a quietly successful writer and creator named John Griffin, and starring an equally undiscovered and eclectic cast of characters. The show originally begins by following a nuclear family of two parents, a teenage daughter, and a young boy. The family is on a trip to distract from their parent’s marital problems, but they end up driving along a road that they will not come back from. The family approaches a fallen tree in the road, a murder of crows squawking overhead, and turns around, circling into a town. Continuing along the road, they seem to go in circles, passing the town again and again, unable to find a road out. The people in the town are standoffish and strange, and the town itself is a hotch-potch of the old and the new. The townsfolk warn the family that they need to get inside before it is dark, otherwise they will be in mortal danger.
What follows is a chilling and uncanny narrative in which the characters in the show, trapped together by chance, try to find a way out of this limbo they have found themselves in. The characters are under a rigid curfew, with the elected ‘Sheriff’ of the town working hard to keep them all safe, and alive. We learn that this place has existed for a long time, an uncountable amount of time, and that no one has found a way out. Many have been lost, and many more will be.
This show truly chilled me to my bones. The danger – and a true danger that it is – is so eerily human and uncanny that I am haunted by it still. I can’t describe too much without spoiling, and perhaps ruining the effect. You’ll have to see it – and then be able to unsee it – for yourself.
This strange, liminal environment forces this eclectic group of characters to stay and work together
But the show isn’t all gore and jump scares, eerie scores, and tension. From encounters many human and relatable issues; the show discusses familial issues, society, democracy, romance, and loss. This strange, liminal environment forces this eclectic group of characters to stay and work together, throwing obstacles and new challenges in their path every day. There are aspects of horror and gothic storytelling, but also of dystopia and sci-fi, making us constantly question what, how, and why?
I would recommend this show to anyone, but particularly anyone with a strong stomach for horror and gore, and someone patient. Without spoiling the plot of the later seasons, the mystery unfolds incredibly slowly; we are given one puzzle piece, and then two are taken away. However, the concepts that this show broaches and explores are worth any and all suspense that we must endure.
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