REVIEW: ‘Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen’ Deals In The Horrors of Pre-Marital Woes

Weddings are stressful. The lead-up to the special day creates the perfect storm of anxiety, tension, and paranoia as pressures mount (mostly) on the couple, making the premise of Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen a great launching point for something truly unnerving. And for the most part, the new series from creator and showrunner Haley Z. Boston succeeds on that front. The series delivers a new warning to would-be couples considering walking down the aisle.

Starting a week before the central wedding, Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen follows Rachel (Camila Morrone) and Nicky (Adam DiMarco) as they head to Nicky’s family home in the middle of the woods. If that’s not suspicious, as soon as they are in the area, unnerving things begin to happen. This sets the already anxious Rachel on edge after listening to some true crime (while comforting, maybe not the best thing to listen to before getting married, considering the statistics). 

The vibes do not improve once Rachel steps into Nicky’s familial home. There’s an air of secrecy and underlying tension as the family meets Rachel for the first time (a red flag), with the eldest sister, Portia (Gus Birney), desperate for control and dominance over the latest addition to their group. Judgmental looks from her sister-in-law, Nell (Karla Crome), who also happens to be Nicky’s ex, and initial bouts of sleezy snark from her brother-in-law, Jules (Jeff Wilbusch), add more red flags to the pile. She doesn’t feel welcome, and uncertainty over her choice arises long before the true horror ever kicks in.

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen establishes tensions long before its real horror begins.

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is riddled with twists, turns, and plot-shifting reveals that should rightfully remain under wraps. The draw of the premise is this sense of impending doom, a tone felt from the beginning and never letting up until the very end. Building on the natural sense of finality that marriage often evokes, Boston, executive producer/director Weronika Tofilska, among others, keep their thumb on that beating pulse of frenetic anxiety that arises from the insecurity of, “Is this person actually MY person?” 

As Rachel, Camila Morrone embodies the character’s superstitious nature with a penchant for control, or at least, the character’s need to make sense of what she’s been given. As an outsider to this space, Morrone balances the different levels of emotion that hit Rachel all at once as she tries to navigate not only this transition but also this new family, which initially seems whole but is truly cracking at the seams. 

Adam DiMarco’s Nicky seems to be the most normal and put-together of the bunch. Yet, as Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen moves closer to the wedding day, this seemingly in-control character is clearly not. DiMarco is not afraid to play with Nicky’s more vulnerable parts, and with the camera directly zoomed in on both his and Morrone’s faces at key points, the close-ups reveal all. These continue to cast doubt on whether this would-be couple is actually right for each other.

While the horror is the draw, the all-too-real drama between characters is the glue that keeps us hooked.

While the couple is the focus, Nicky’s family members are a huge part in amplifying the tension, particularly at the beginning of Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen. Gus Birney is wonderfully unlikable as Portia, who makes clear her opinion at every turn and insists on things going her way. While Portia remains unchanged throughout the series, Jules and Nell have arcs of their own that ultimately satisfy and upend initial impressions of the characters.

It’s clear that the team behind Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen loves horror. From cameos to homages to Evil Dead, Carrie, and the like, there are cinematic and storytelling flourishes that lean into the love of horror and its subgenres (though, again, to spell out specifics would ruin the surprise). While not all the swings work when accompanied by end-of-episode twists, particularly towards the series’ halfway point, the passion shows, and it mostly works.

This spells out, in choice cinematic moments, what plays onscreen. The use of close-up shots, particularly of the bride and groom, replicates the heightened intensity of prolonged eye contact. An aerial of a person in the snow is both striking in its usage of colors (and lack thereof) and in amplifying that feeling of serene finality. The use of the POV shot to follow characters around only amplifies that sense that, hey, something very bad is going to happen. However, its use in the final episode may make the feeling feel more unintentionally cheesy. 

Whether or not the landing hits is up to the viewer.

What ultimately turned out to be a bigger surprise for me in Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is the lighting. Or, rather, the lack thereof at times. Shot between winter and early spring, the lighting itself, particularly in the exteriors, reflects that. In a growing cinematic landscape that tends to favor flat lighting, the first episode’s near-darkness had me concerned. Yet, the cold, almost sterile brightness that takes over once Rachel sets foot into Nicky’s familial home works very well. Warmer tones used in more intimate scenes are still present, but their use is more specific in contrast to the prevailing colder tones.

What might not work for some is the ending, which ventures beyond what seems like a natural stopping point. However, the ending we ultimately reach aligns with the established framework. Both potential endings would have worked, but the one used makes the most sense. 

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen has a lot to say about marriage, the concept of soulmates, and the responsibility baked into the decision to enter this (if you believe it to be so) sacred union. The horror elements amplify the warning woven into every twist and turn we encounter. While not all the twists and swings taken work, it’s a reminder to make pretty dang sure you are absolutely, a hundred percent sure to be careful who you marry. It could spell your doom.

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.