I truly love Pan’s Labyrinth and the two Hellboy films (even though they are a bit too “Superhero”) but I am one of the only people that I know that didn’t love Pacific Rim. When I heard about Guillermo del Toro’s new show, The Strain, on FX I didn’t know what to think. FX has a pretty good track record with shows lately (Wow! Fargo was great) and LOST alum Carlton Cuse is on board so I figured it couldn’t hurt to check out at least the first episode. I am now hooked and looking forward to more. While the characters seem like shallow stereotypes at first (which is what I disliked about Pacific Rim) the viewer quickly learns that this is intentional to take a classic tale and turn it completely on it’s head.
The Strain is an interesting twist on the classic Vampire mythos that pays tribute to the likes of Dracula, Nosferatu, and Salem’s Lot while maintaining an exception level of originality. Not to mention that Del Toro’s keen eye for horror gives the show a tone that is as fun as it is horrifying. The exaggerated characters are a perfect mix of “outbreak” and “horror” films cliches that somehow remain compelling even though we’ve seen these types before. The pilot episode (which is directed by Del Toro) is truly eery. The final image of the episode reminded me of a seen from Salem’s Lot and is probably going to haunt me forever.
Overall I give the pilot episode of The Strain 9/10!
Would shutter again!