Review: 'Widow's Bay' on Apple TV is pure suspense

These days, almost no TV show falls squarely into one specific genre. But Widow’s Bay on Apple TV might be the perfect example of a series pushing the boundaries, officially described as comedy and horror.

The show is mysterious in nearly every way. It shows its creepy factor early and often without tipping its hand about what kinds of spooks might be coming. The Widow’s Bay island is cursed, but that’s the extent of the information viewers get to go on for the first few episodes.

More than horror, comedy, or any other genre, Widow’s Bay is pure suspense. If you’re the kind of person who needs to have concrete details early on, you might be a little annoyed by the vagueness, but there’s enough intrigue, jump scares, and witty banter to keep the episodes rolling. Especially early on, I wasn’t sure why I was hooked, but I couldn’t stop watching, even though I don’t like horror. Spoiler-free, here’s why you might want to add the show to your watch list.

How do comedy and horror fit together?

Even without many plot points to cling to in the first couple of episodes, Widow’s Bay’s hook is its mastery of genre. The show’s tone is complicated, being a mix of funny quips, bone-chilling scenes, and occasionally sentimental moments.

The humor isn’t slapstick or corny. The characters deliver an authentic sense of humor, the kind that comes from coping with anxiety and nerves. Most of the time, it comes out as a natural last gasp of dealing with circumstances they’re stuck in and don’t have a way to escape. These are believable characters.

Even in the most serious situations of real life, humor finds a way to creep in as a release valve. That’s how the comedy largely manifests itself on the show, too.

Matthew Rhys is a great actor and already a versatile one. In Widow’s Bay, he’s a chameleon. He has a great sense of humor and comedic timing, but can also flash anger, creepiness, tiredness, disbelief, and every other emotion instantly in a facial expression. The supporting cast is great, and becomes better over the run of episodes, but Rhys carries the show.

An ode to other shows and styles

It’s hard to separate the visual style of Widow’s Bay from its tone and content. But the show’s look constantly gave me deja vu to other movies and shows across its various episodes.

There are shots of old videotapes that invoke Lost finding remains of Dharma. There are moments seemingly with nods to Severance and Stranger Things. Of course, because of the seaside town, it’s hard not to get whiffs of Jaws throughout the series, too. Whether these shots are intentional or not, they give off a familiarity that’s welcome.

Importantly, Widow’s Bay sticks to 30 or 40-minute episode lengths. This smooths over most of the show’s flaws. It’s not a perfect series. There are occasional times of filler or when jokes don’t quite land, and it feels corny or awkward. But with shorter runtimes, Widow’s Bay never feels like a slog or chore to get through.

Is Widow’s Bay on Apple TV worth watching?

People wanting or expecting another Serverance or Pluribus will likely be disappointed by Widow’s Bay. There’s mystery here, but it’s not at the same level of depth as those other shows. The mythology here feels top-down, more surface-level as it digs down, rather than those other shows, which are seemingly exposing more complete arcs from the bottom up.

That doesn’t mean Widow’s Bay isn’t worth watching. In fact, if you’re intrigued by the first episode, then you’ll be rewarded with a story that continues to fill out. I’m already anticipating a second season.

The creepy factor is turned way up, which makes for a suspenseful watch, but they’re only brief bursts. Shorter 30 to 40-minute episodes mean you’re never sitting in terror for long stretches.

Even people not into scary movies or shows might want to tune into Widow’s Bay. It straddles the line of multiple genres enough that its mystery and comedic outlets make it tempting for a wide audience.

Widow’s Bay premieres April 29 on Apple TV.