15 Second Review: Hemlock Grove (2013)

Having just seen all 13 episodes of Hemlock Grove back-to-back, I thought I would have more to say about it than I do. Unfortunately, the series was so mediocre that it does not lend itself to commentary. Clearly an attempt to ride on the coat-tails of other successful series such as True Blood, American Horror Story and Being Human, Hemlock Grove spins a yarn about werewolves. In all fairness, lycanthropes are among my least favourite horror characters, and this series does little to convert anyone who shares my view. The writers try to adopt the sexiness of True Blood, but fail to sustain that thread, or create any real synergy between the werewolves’ animalism and sexual-expression. The writers also try to adapt some of American Horror Story’s quirkiness, but similarly do not manage to create a convincing amalgam from the various pieces. There is nothing too detrimental about what is here (aside from some shoddy CGI effects). The real problem is that the story is not very compelling. In fact, the whole affair is really rather dull. Rumour has it that the series has just been commissioned for another run, so here’s hoping that having established the premise (and killed off most of the characters) the creators take some risks next time around.