The Outsider

Since the Syfy channel cancelled Channel Zero, my favourite horror series ever, I've been in mourning. Maybe there is a monster running around out there feeding off my grief? I've tried other shows, American Horror Story, the new Twilight Zone, and I even managed to watch almost all of Castle Rock - I gave up two episodes before the end because, well, I didn't care. And Castle Rock had lots of things going for it, and lots against - both of them being Stephen King. Stephen King, for me, can be hit or miss. Some of my favourite horror movies are Stephen King adaptations. However, there are more bad ones than good ones. I'm very happy to report that The Outsider ranks among the very best of Stephen King's translations to screen. This HBO miniseries is outstanding. The musical score by Daniel Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans is brilliant and haunting - it's half the reason you should watch. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, after all, it's still horror. It made me forget about Channel Zero, at least for a little while. So, what's it all about? I don't really want to spoil it. There is a child murder and we follow the investigation. Things get weird fast and not everything is as it seems. That's all I want to tell you. The big names attached to this thing are Jason Bateman (Ozark) and Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline), but everyone in this is fantastic - big props to Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney (one of the most memorable characters to grace the screen in a while). If you are looking for something to take your mind off of COVID-19, try this. Catch it on HBO.