Monsterland Season 1 Review: Evil Lurks Within, Monsters Are Everywhere

These days, supernatural/horror shows are all the rage. A newcomer to the pack is Monsterland on Hulu which sets itself apart by bringing realism to supernatural mythology.

The show succeeds in drawing audiences within the first moments of almost every episode. While a couple of episodes drag a bit through the muddled mythology the majority of Season 1 is captivating enough to want to watch the episodes more than once.

One element that keeps viewers on their toes is the connections between episodes. For example, the main character of the first episode pops up again in multiple other episodes as a waitress. 

Toni is a commentary on the overall theme of Monsterland, that the real evil in this world resides in humans, not the creatures they “believe” in. 

In fact, seeing her in multiple towns throughout the season drives home that evil can come and go wherever it pleases; and sometimes be contagious. 

The only episode that doesn’t follow the “evil is human” message in the literal sense is Monsterland Season 1 Episode 8, “Newark, New Jersey.” On this episode, Brian believes he is evil because he turned his attention away from his daughter for a second and she was kidnapped.

This is the episode that shows just how much of a monster Toni is. Through conversation with Brian, she reveals she never looked back or even thought of her daughter after abandoning her.

The scariest part of this conversation is that she toasts to both her and Brian being monsters. Meaning, she hears his plight and agrees that he is evil for doing something every human does at one point or another — that his evil of looking away is equal to her evil of abandoning her daughter.

Another element that connects two episodes, which isn’t as easy to figure out unless you are paying close attention.

On Monsterland Season 1 Episode 4, “New York, New York” the CEO of Titan International is under scrutiny for an oil spill off the gulf coast he didn’t prevent. Then on Monsterland Season 1 Episode 6, “Palacios, Texas,” we hear about Titan International again because they continue to lie about the situation and really muck up the cleanup process. 

It is a bit harder to determine where the evil is on the “Palacios, Texas” episode which makes this episode one of the weakest of the whole season. Mostly because the whole episode focuses on the fisherman, who was injured during the “cleanup process,” who doesn’t seem to have any evil within him.

Maybe the lure of the mermaid is what is considered the evil or monster of the episode. Either way, the meaning is very much lost in translation along the way.

Honestly, both of the Titan International episodes are not as compelling as the remaining episodes.

It’s possible that corporate greed and evil are so commonplace in our society that stories about it don’t capture our attention or interest like all the other stories of evil. The stories on these two episodes lack the excitement or care of the rest of the season, which makes them forgettable.

If these episodes are the weakest, then the strongest episode is Monsterland Season 1 Episode 3, “New Orleans, Louisiana.” The idea that sometimes we ignore evil with all our might when confronted by it from someone we love.

Watching Annie choose to physically deafen herself against the accusations of her husband’s behavior is disturbing. However, the imagery is spot on for showing that even the best of us will deny the truth if it’s too much to bear. 

That is one of Monsterland’s strongest points — their imagery and cinematography.

Each episode is beautifully shot and really sets the tone for each story. The show sets the stage for each episode with a different title card.

Annie’s episode starts off with bright colors and joyful music, but after the event with her son, everything turns dark and sorrowful.

Elements like this are in every episode. The lighting, sound, and imagery tell the story just as much as the dialogue and actions do.

Another really strong example of Monsterland‘s masterful imagery comes on the “Plainfield, Illinois” episode. Not only does this episode signify death and grieving, but the imagery could easily be an illusion to the mental illness that is the focus of Shawn and Kate’s story.

Shawn displays her grief over Kate’s suicide through the way she interacts with Kate’s undead corpse. It’s a disturbing image to behold, but Kate is a clear representation of the struggle her wife has with both her disorder and her death.

The representation of bipolar disorder is a wonderful one that covers not only the sufferer’s point of view but also that of their loved ones. Bipolar Disorder affects more than just the people who have the diagnosis and this episode addresses that perfectly.

It’s also a positive representation of an LGBTQ+ couple. Which, in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t seem that huge, but it is.

Even in 2020, we need positive representation, and “Plainfield, Illinois” has that in spades. We get to see a solid relationship that has its struggles, but ultimately the love remains.

One thing I enjoyed about the show as a whole was the social commentary elements found within the constructs of most of the episodes.

For example, Monsterland Season 1 Episode 7, “Iron River, Michigan,” shows the perils of conforming to society and wanting to be the “perfect” girl. Or Monsterland Season 1 Episode 2, “Eugene, Oregon,” with the boy fighting off a shadow who allows an online community to convince him to militarize and “destroy” the enemy. 

Both of these episodes could easily stand alone as a look into the modern plagues of society which is an evil all on its own. Sometimes the depth of evil on the episodes is multi-layered and more complex than the viewer originally thinks — which is what begs this show to be watched over and over again.

Little details such as returning characters keep us guessing and watching closely from start to finish. That alone puts this show on the same level as American Horror Story.

With all these successful elements it’s easy to say that Monsterland is that diamond in the rough which deserves all the accolades. It is my hope that viewers don’t sleep on this thrilling masterpiece.

What did you think of these episodes of Monsterland? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Monsterland is now streaming on Hulu.

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