By Robert Scucci
| Printed 18 seconds in the past
They are saying that brevity is the soul of wit, and Two Sentence Horror Tales messes with this sentiment by reworking microfiction right into a bite-sized horror anthology sequence with blended outcomes. In the event you’re unfamiliar with the idea, you could find a extra literal model of this sort of microfiction on the r/TwoSentenceHorror subreddit for some nice examples of the style finished proper, in addition to some hilarious takes from a few of its extra unhinged customers.
Utilizing the same framework for every episode within the sequence, Two Sentence Horror Tales performs out like a teen scream model of Black Mirror within the sense that every self-contained episode explores numerous horror and sci-fi subgenres, leaning into how know-how and the supernatural can have profound results on human interactions dwelling throughout the fictions which can be established.
As a jaded horror fan, Two Sentence Horror Tales is underwhelming. Nevertheless it’s a fantastic gateway sequence for a youthful viewers who might not essentially wish to decide to the whole run, as every episode is a one-and-done expertise through which their mileage might differ.
Narrative Framework Impressed By Reddit
Although Two Sentence Horror Tales was impressed by microfictions instructed on Reddit, every episode is an unique work utilizing the format that had already been popularized on-line. Every episode within the sequence begins with a gap sentence on the display screen, and upon its conclusion reveals the second sentence that brings every part round full-circle.
For instance, the “Teatime” episode involving a babysitter being laid low with an evil little woman who turns her topics into creepy dolls begins with the sentence, “Of all my toys, I really like this doll one of the best…,” concluding with, “She solely cries a bit after I damage her.”
What occurs in between these two sentences is a full episode that performs with the premise, offering the viewer with a 20-minute horror story that dietary supplements the 2 sentences in Two Sentence Horror Tales.
A Combined-Bag Idea Regardless of Its Ambition
The issue with Two Sentence Horror Tales is that on this case, brevity really is the soul of wit.
Microfiction works nicely as a subgenre as a result of it leaves every part to the viewer’s creativeness, which as a rule is scarier than what performs out on-screen in an try to brighten what merely doesn’t should be embellished in most situations. Season 3’s “Enamel,” for instance, facilities on werewolves and vampires. The surprising revelation after Cara has cause to imagine that her girlfriend is an other-worldly being is that … her girlfriend is an other-worldly being, leaving little to the creativeness as a result of it’s all explicitly spelled out for you.
In different phrases, did we actually want 20 minutes of buildup to inform us what we just about already know? Embellishment of microfiction fully undermines what makes the style so interesting within the first place, and makes you surprise why episodes like this even exist.
Streaming Two Sentence Horror Tales
Nevertheless, there are some absolute bangers discovered all through Two Sentence Horror Tales’ three-season run that may make you wish to poke by way of the catalog as a result of despite the fact that its narrative framework leaves loads to be desired, a number of the tales are genuinely unsettling and value your time. If I needed to advocate a single episode to drive this level dwelling, it will be Season 3’s “Crush,” which tells a disturbing story about senile twin sisters dwelling in squalor who hate one another, however solely till they discover a widespread enemy who’s attempting to disrupt their lives for his personal profit.
Whereas Two Sentence Horror Tales is probably not for everyone, it’s a fantastic, low-stakes introduction to horror for youthful audiences who desire a buffet-style exploration of assorted subgenres in a single place. Like I stated earlier, consider this horror anthology sequence as a watered-down model of Black Mirror geared towards children who desire a good scare, however don’t wish to be traumatized by the content material they’re consuming.
As of this writing, you may stream Two Sentence Horror Tales on Netflix.
