Apple TV+ has another must-watch hit with its new horror-comedy series 'Widow’s Bay,' which critics are calling 'singular' and 'refreshing.' The limited 10-episode series stars Matthew Rhys as a small-town New England mayor desperate to boost tourism on his struggling island, which locals believe is cursed. The cast also includes Dale Dickey, Kevin Carroll, Stephen Root, Kate O’Flynn, and Kingston Rumi Southwick.
After premiering its first two episodes, the show has earned a coveted 100 percent score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers have particularly praised Rhys’s 'top-notch physical comedy' and noted the difficulty of categorizing the series within a single genre, often labeling it 'singular.'
Critical Acclaim
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian, in a five-star review, described the show as 'intoxicating' and compared it to 'Mare of Easttown meets Schitt’s Creek, but with something else that makes it singular.' She added that 'horror may be its most obvious element, but it is so much more than that.'
James Jackson of The London Times agreed that 'it’s more creepy than comical,' cautioning that 'comedy is not a helpful word in setting expectations.' In a four-star review, he noted that 'such tonal shifts make Katie Dippold’s show one peculiar barrel of fish, much in the way that Atlanta or Barry were uncategorizable.'
RadioTimes’s Louise Griffin, also awarding four stars, applauded the series as a 'neat, off-beat offering' that gets the balance between comedy and horror 'just right.' She highlighted the show’s 'twists, reveals and outright surreal moments' and found it 'refreshing to see Apple TV invest in a small-town comedy that scales things right back.'
Further Praise
Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter commended Rhys for 'anchoring' the 'intriguingly creepy, oddly cozy, unevenly effective horror-comedy.' She noted that 'at its best, Widow’s Bay highlights the blurry line between comedy and horror,' though she found it 'less reliable at converting that tension into catharsis.'
David Fear of Rolling Stone wrote that the show 'scratches the itch that both Castle Rock and Welcome to Derry couldn’t seem to reach,' yet it is not interested in 'I.P. fan fiction.' He praised its 'glorious eccentricity' and 'willingness to f*** with your head that harkens back to a different, less safe era of programming.'
The first two episodes of 'Widow’s Bay' are streaming now on Apple TV+, with new episodes released every Wednesday through June 17, including a special two-episode drop on May 27.
