American Horror Stories
American Horror Stories | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | |
Created by |
|
Theme music composer |
|
Composer | Mac Quayle |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 7 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
|
Cinematography | Shasta Spahn |
Editors |
|
Running time | 38–49 minutes |
Production companies |
|
Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
Release | |
Original network | FX on Hulu |
Original release | July 15, 2021 present | –
Chronology | |
Related shows | American Story |
External links | |
Website |
American Horror Stories is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for FX on Hulu. The series premiered on July 15, 2021, and serves as the third installment in the American Story media franchise, a direct spin-off from American Horror Story. Cast members from the original show include Matt Bomer, Celia Finkelstein, Naomi Grossman, John Carroll Lynch, Charles Melton, Billie Lourd, Chad James Buchanan, Cody Fern, Dylan McDermott and Jamie Brewer. In August 2021, the series was renewed for a second season.[1]
Premise[]
A weekly anthology series where each episode is a different horror story.[2]
Production[]
Development[]
On May 11, 2020, Murphy revealed that a spin-off series named American Horror Stories was being developed; it would feature self-contained anthological episodes, instead of a season-long story arc as featured in American Horror Story.[2] The first season consists of seven episodes.[3] On August 13, 2021, FX renewed the series for a second season.[1]
Casting[]
Matt Bomer, Gavin Creel, Sierra McCormick, Kaia Gerber, Paris Jackson, Aaron Tveit, Merrin Dungey, Celia Finkelstein, Ashley Martin Carter, Valerie Loo, Selena Sloan and Belissa Escobedo starred in the first two episodes.[4][5] Other American Horror Story alums who will appear in the series include Naomi Grossman, Cody Fern, Chad James Buchanan, John Carroll Lynch, Dylan McDermott, Charles Melton and Billie Lourd along with newcomers Danny Trejo, Kevin McHale, Dyllón Burnside, Madison Bailey, Rhenzy Feliz, Amy Grabow, Nico Greetham, Ronen Rubinstein, Virginia Gardner and Dane Diliegro among others.[6][7][citation needed]
Filming[]
On August 4, 2020, it was announced that Sarah Paulson was set to be a director on the series.[8]
Title sequences[]
Every episode of the series has its own title sequence, with the exception of the first and second episodes, which share a title sequence, to connect to the theme of each episode. The same theme music and font of American Horror Story is used during the opening credits.[citation needed]
Episodes[]
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Rubber(wo)Man Part One" | Loni Peristere | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk | July 15, 2021 | |
Scarlett Winslow (Sierra McCormick) and her house-flipping fathers Michael (Matt Bomer) and Troy (Gavin Creel) move into the infamous Murder House. Scarlett sneaks out to attend a sleepover at her crush Maya's (Paris Jackson) house. Later that night, Maya invites Scarlett back to her bedroom away from the others. They kiss and Scarlett shares her violent sexual desires. Texts from her best friend, Shanti (Belissa Escobedo), reveal to Scarlett that Maya and her friends are pulling a cruel prank on her by live-streaming their conversation. To exact revenge, Scarlett lures Maya and her friends to the basement of Murder House, where she murders them, while wearing the Rubber Man suit. Cast : Matt Bomer, Gavin Creel, Sierra McCormick, Paris Jackson, Belissa Escobedo, Merrin Dungey, Selena Sloan, Ashley Martin Carter, Valerie Loo | ||||||
2 | 2 | "Rubber(wo)Man Part Two" | Loni Peristere | Brad Falchuk | July 15, 2021 | |
Scarlett forms a relationship with Ruby (Kaia Gerber), a young girl who snuck into the Murder House to commit suicide, while Troy begins to cheat on Michael with a contractor named Adam (Aaron Tveit). After discovering the bodies of Maya and her friends behind a brick wall, Adam blackmails Michael and Troy but is then slain by the Rubber Man. Michael and Troy try to flee the house but find they cannot leave. They find out that they were murdered earlier in an effort on Ruby's behalf to persuade Scarlett to stay with her in the Murder House forever. On Halloween, Scarlett and Ruby venture out of the house. Maya and her friends pursue them to get revenge on Scarlett, but they are unsuccessful. At dawn, Scarlett resolves to move out of the Murder House but promises Ruby that she will visit her every Halloween. Cast : Matt Bomer, Gavin Creel, Sierra McCormick, Kaia Gerber, Paris Jackson, Belissa Escobedo, Merrin Dungey, Aaron Tveit, Selena Sloan, Ashley Martin Carter, Valerie Loo, Celia Finkelstein | ||||||
3 | 3 | "Drive In" | Eduardo Sánchez | Manny Coto | July 22, 2021 | |
Kelley (Madison Bailey) and her boyfriend Chad (Rhenzy Feliz) attend a drive-in screening of a banned film. The film was banned thanks to Tipper Gore (Amy Grabow) after it caused the premiere's audience to kill each other. The director of the film, Larry Bitterman (John Carroll Lynch), attacks Tipper at a congressional hearing after she gloats about the studio burning all remaining copies. He is subsequently jailed for the assault. In the present, Kelley and Chad make out as the film starts. Unable to see the movie through fogged-up windows, they are unaffected as mass violence erupts. Everyone who watches the film is attacking and devouring one another. Kelley and Chad flee to the projection room and destroy the film. Hours pass and instead of going to the cops, the two decide to find the director and force him to hand over all copies. Once found, Kelley shoots Larry's kneecaps and Chad burns the original film. Larry taunts them as his trailer burns down and they leave him for dead. The two go back to Chad's and celebrate. As they kiss, the camera pans to the film being released on Netflix then the window showing the city descending into terror. Cast : Rhenzy Feliz, Madison Bailey, Ben J. Pierce, Naomi Grossman, Leonardo Cecchi, Kyle Red Silverstein, Amy Grabow, Adrienne Barbeau, John Carroll Lynch | ||||||
4 | 4 | "The Naughty List" | Max Winkler | Manny Coto | July 29, 2021 | |
Four influencers live in a content house and have a collaborative YouTube channel. Their channel begins losing subscribers after they post a video of a man jumping off a bridge. After failing to regain their popularity by queer baiting, the boys film a prank video at a mall’s Santa Village. On Christmas Eve, the boys upload the video and the mall Santa (Danny Trejo) they encountered descends upon their house, killing Wyatt (Charles Melton) and Zinn (Nico Greetham) and uploading their deaths onto the Bro House channel. Barry (Kevin McHale) and James (Dyllón Burnside) try to escape the house but the killer Santa shoots them down in the driveway. James is killed and Barry drags himself back into the house. Their channel reaches 5 million subscribers as the killer Santa pours gasoline down the chimney and sets the house and Barry on fire. On Christmas Day, the police find the boys’ body parts adorning their Christmas tree, and the killer Santa prepares to murder again. Cast : Kevin McHale, Nico Greetham, Dyllón Burnside, Charles Melton, Taneka Johnson, Danny Trejo | ||||||
5 | 5 | "BA'AL" | Sanaa Hamri | Ali Adler & Manny Coto | August 5, 2021 | |
After several failed attempts to get pregnant, Liv Whitley (Billie Lourd) receives a totem from Bernadette (Virginia Gardner), the receptionist at a fertility clinic, and places it under her bed just before she and her husband Matt (Ronen Rubinstein) have sex. The totem works and Liv has a son, Aaron. Sixteen months later, Liv is suffering from postpartum depression and begins seeing visions of Ba'al, a demon haunting her child. Liv seeks out Bernadette, who shares a banishment ritual with her. Liv accidentally stabs Matt while performing the ritual and is committed to an asylum. It is revealed that Matt and his college friends had orchestrated every supernatural event to gaslight Liv, as well as having an affair with Bernadette. As Matt celebrates his success, the real Ba'al (Dane DiLiegro) appears and slaughters Bernadette and Matt's friends. It is revealed that Liv sent Ba’al to exact revenge. The banishment ritual Bernadette gave her was actually a summoning spell. Matt is sent to prison and Liv welcomes Ba’al into her bed, ready to have another baby. Cast : Billie Lourd, Ronen Rubinstein, Virginia Gardner, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Michael B. Silver, Kimberley Drummond, Chad James Buchanan, Jake Choi, Misha Gonz-Cirkl | ||||||
6 | 6 | "Feral" | Manny Coto | Manny Coto | August 12, 2021 | |
A boy named Jacob () disappears on a camping trip. Ten years later, his father Jay (Aaron Tveit) is approached by a hunter named Bob (Blake Shields), who presents evidence that Jacob is still alive after being kidnapped by a drug cartel. He offers to take Jay, and Jacob's skeptical mom, Addy (Tiffany Dupont) into the woods to seek information about Jacob's whereabouts. After being hunted by wild humanoid creatures, Bob reveals it was all a hoax in order to rob them. After wounding Jay, Bob is attacked and devoured by the creatures. Jay and Addy seek refuge at a park ranger's station manned by Stan (Cody Fern), who divulges that the National Park Service was created by the government to protect the public from clusters of feral human beings. The group is attacked by the creatures and Stan is killed. Jay and Addy are taken to the leader of the creatures, Jacob, who appears to recognize them, however one of the creatures asks Jacob who they are and he responds, "Dinner". Cast : Cody Fern, Aaron Tveit, Tiffany Dupont, Blake Shields, Colin Tandberg | ||||||
7 | 7 | "Game Over" | Liz Friedlander | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk | August 19, 2021 | |
Michelle (Mercedes Mason) creates a video game, Escape from Murder House, based on past seasons of American Horror Story, but her son Rory (Nicolas Bechtel) isn't impressed because the game doesn't make sense. While conducting research, Michelle enters the Murder House on Halloween Night. Ruby (Kaia Gerber) and Scarlett (Sierra McCormick) reconnect, while Michelle meets Dr. Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott), whom she questions unaware that he's one of the ghosts, then she's confronted and stabbed to death by Ruby and Scarlett. One year later on Halloween, Michelle finds Rory and claims there is no escaping the Murder House. Rory offers to burn it down, but Michelle refuses. Ignoring his mother, Rory shows up with gasoline canisters, and while Ruby tries to stop him, she in turn is stopped by the other ghosts who are tired of their suffering. As Scarlett arrives to help Ruby, the house is set ablaze. Three years later, condos have been built where the Murder House once stood, and Scarlett purchases the last unit to reunite with Ruby. This is revealed to be the end of the game that Michelle, who is alive and well, has developed with Rory's approval. Cast : Dylan McDermott, Sierra McCormick, Kaia Gerber, Paris Jackson, Merrin Dungey, Mercedes Mason, Noah Cyrus, Adam Hagenbuch, Jamie Brewer, John Brotherton, Nicolas Bechtel, Tom Lenk, Selena Sloan, Ashley Martin Carter, Valerie Loo |
Marketing[]
On November 12, 2020 Murphy unveiled a promotional poster of the series via his Instagram account and announced a first season of sixteen hour-long episodes, many of which will feature actors who have appeared in American Horror Story.[9] On June 23, 2021 FX released two more promotional posters for the show and a teaser trailer that featured the Rubber Woman.[10][11] On July 8, 2021 FX released the official trailer for the series.[12]
Release[]
The series was set to air on FX;[2] however, on June 22, 2020, it was announced that American Horror Stories would stream on FX on Hulu instead.[13] American Horror Stories premiered on July 15, 2021.[14][3] Internationally, the series will be available through Disney+ under the dedicated streaming hub Star starting on August 25, 2021.[15] In Latin America, the series premieres as a Star+ original.
Reception[]
American Horror Stories has received mostly mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the season a 54% based on 8 critic reviews, with an average rating of 4.60/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "American Horror Stories has its moments, but a lack of consistent narrative quality among installments and not enough scares make for an unsatisfying whole."[16]
|
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Del Rosario, Alexandra (August 13, 2021). "'American Horror Stories' Anthology Series Renewed For Season 2 By FX". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Andreeva, Nellie (May 11, 2020). "'AHS': Spinoff Series 'American Horror Stories' In the Works From Ryan Murphy". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Swift, Andy (June 3, 2021). "AHS Season 10, American Horror Stories Spinoff Set Summer Premiere Dates". TVLine. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ^ Maas, Jennifer (May 18, 2021). "'AHS' Season 10 and Spinoff 'American Horror Stories' to Premiere This Summer". TheWrap. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ "'American Horror Stories' Trailer Teases the Creepy, Bite-Sized Version of 'American Horror Story'". /Film. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ Fab Staff, Too (July 23, 2021). "Naomi Grossman on Her American Horror Stories Return, Pepper ... and Mermaids?! (Exclusive)". Too Fab. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ Romano, Nick (June 3, 2021). "American Horror Stories scares up 'the Fantastic Four' of stars for spin-off series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 4, 2020). "'AHS' Spinoff 'American Horror Stories': Sarah Paulson To Direct On Ryan Murphy Series – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ @mrrpmurphy (November 12, 2020). "It's the AHS spin off. We are doing 16 one hour stand alone episodes delving into horror myths, legends and lore...many of these episodes will feature AHS stars you know and love. More to follow..." Retrieved November 12, 2020 – via Instagram.
- ^ Darwish, Meaghan. "'American Horror Stories' Teaser Hints at a Possible Return to Murder House (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Huff, Lauren. "American Horror Stories preview teases Murder House link with Rubber Woman". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (8 July 2021). "'American Horror Stories': Trailer For Hulu Anthology Series Brings New Life & Death To Horror Franchise". Deadline. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Swift, Andy (June 22, 2020). "American Horror Story Spinoff and Y: The Last Man Are Moving to FX on Hulu". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (May 18, 2021). "'AHS10', 'American Horror Stories,' 'Impeachment: ACS' & 'Atlanta' Season 3: FX Chairman John Landgraf Teases Approximate Premiere Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ "THE 2020 INVESTOR DAY PROGRAMMING FACT SHEET" (PDF). The Walt Disney Company.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "American Horror Stories: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
External links[]
- American Horror Stories at IMDb
- American Horror Story
- 2020s American drama television series
- 2020s American horror television series
- 2020s American supernatural television series
- 2020s American anthology television series
- 2020s American LGBT-related drama television series
- 2021 American television series debuts
- American horror fiction television series
- American television spin-offs
- English-language television shows
- FX on Hulu original programming
- Horror drama television series
- American thriller television series
- Serial drama television series
- Television series created by Brad Falchuk
- Television series created by Ryan Murphy (writer)
- Television series by 20th Century Fox Television
- Television shows filmed in Los Angeles