Martin Carr reviews the second episode of Quibi’s horror anthology series 50 States of Fright – ‘Ball of Twine’…
A touch of eerie Americana makes its debut on the Quibi platform in April with Sam Raimi’s 50 States of Fright. Ominous atmospherics, campfire scare tactics and cutting edge technology come together to create mobile moments of terror for contemporary audiences.
There is an intimacy to 50 States of Fright which every good anthology show needs. With a little over eight minutes not only must the storyline grab you, but each horrific titbit should entice you further into the tale. There is no time to build suspense, no time to plant breadcrumbs and less still for a cathartic resolution. With Quibi stories have to hit the ground running exploring every avenue yet doing so with cunning and guile. Characters should be familiar yet just shy of stereotype, while set ups need to do away with exposition and lean into the visual. With this streaming platform every minute counts so using them effectively is essential.
Thankfully our second foray into the world of Quibi finds Sam Raimi driving the bus which he keeps over fifty throughout. Featuring Karen Allen from Raiders of the Lost Ark, this urban legend plays out in flashback with snippets of real time terror. Raimi’s fingerprints are all over the campfire fable which plays on maternal instincts, small town mentalities and our fondness for tall tales. Reminiscent of Black Mirror’s Black Museum with elements of The Wicker Man thrown in, ‘Kansas: America’s Largest Ball of Twine’ is heavy on atmosphere and possesses a pervading sense of unease.
Structurally it uses plot points as cliff hangers perpetually ratcheting up the tension on a chapter by chapter basis. References to The Shining are subtle while others for The Wicker Man and The Evil Dead horrifyingly obvious. For that reason more than the thin characterisation proved by Ming-Na Wen and Thailey Roberge, watching this alone at night on a mobile is likely to raise the occasional goose bump.
Whether 50 States of Fright will be the transformative piece of content Quibi intends remains to be seen. There is no doubting the quality in terms of writing, production or talent on screen but despite the horror it is nothing ground breaking. Eight minute ‘quick bites’ might work to build tension, but this feels more like self-contained vignettes rather than part of a larger whole. Creepshow managed to pull it off and Cat’s Eye did the same by interlinking each story, but for some the platform itself might prevent any of the horror hitting home.
Feeling more fragmentary than Most Dangerous Game or Survive, 50 States of Fright would benefit more from being a long form series than ‘quick bite’ handheld horror anthology. It is obvious that this fulfils a genre brief and provides the horror which Quibi clearly felt necessary, but some audiences might enjoy it more on a bigger screen.
Martin Carr
