Grotesquerie by Ryan Murphy. A series that “could”?

Let’s talk about the (conditionally) new work from Ryan Murphy and how it differs from his other series.

Despite the fact that the series was released almost a year ago, we only came across it now. And it managed to overcome the barrier when I decide to write a full-fledged post on the subject of the series. What is it that has so affected me?

Lars von Trier style

For me, Ryan Murphy is best known for such series as American Horror Story, Scream Queens, Chorus, etc. In general, it was his serial horrors that became his calling card, with which he is most associated (at least for me). And then Grotesquerie came out. A series, the very name of which tells us that there should be something unusual, something outstanding. In general, the term “grotesque” describes things that are an exaggeration or distortion of something. That is, when an ordinary thing is shown to us “in all its colors”, trying to evoke emotion as much as possible. And this is evident from the first series, in which experienced detective Lois Tryon arrives at the scene of a terrible crime. Someone with particular cruelty killed the entire family, fed them “cutlets” from one of the family members, and for dessert there was… a boiled child. Ryan’s ability to make horrible things seem even more horrible than they actually are is precisely the reason why Grotesquerie, in my opinion, did not become one of the seasons of American Horror Story. So, if we draw analogies, AHS is like Deadpool, in which “the ends fly off brightly”, there is not cartoonish blood everywhere, but Grotesquerie is more like documentary chronicles of forensic scientists from the scene of the crime.

The level of violence in this series is such that I would be very cautious about who I recommend it to. Certain scenes may cause discomfort in people who are not used to such explicit displays. However, is it worth watching and why for those who will turn a blind eye to these same scenes?

Storyline

If I were asked what this story could be compared to, I would say the first season of True Detective. Many elements of the plot and crimes are related to religion and reflect things that are mentioned in the Bible in one form or another. At first, there was even a feeling that we would be shown the “actions of the seven deadly sins”, because it is not immediately obvious what exactly guides the maniac when committing crimes. The idea that the series would be tied to sins was that many of the characters have certain problems. So, the main character has an alcohol addiction, her daughter has problems with overeating, someone commits adultery . In fact, it becomes clear that although the maniac leaves religious hints, the plot does not directly lead us to the fact that his motives are some kind of “cleansing the earth of sinners”. At the same time, certain things (like the “hell on earth” when the gas field caught fire) evoke images in your head, such as that it will rain frogs further along in the plot. That is, you cannot understand whether all these atrocities are the work of some person, or whether there really are some “otherworldly forces.” Sometimes echoes of “Supernatural” slip through here, sometimes “The Preacher”.

But there are certain “buts” related to the way Ryan Murphy is used to telling a story. The thing is that they always have a clear sequence. The first few episodes are not clear to you, but interesting. Then it becomes clearer to you, your interest grows. Then (episodes 5-6) they give you a “cold shower”, after which you come to your senses, and… you want one of the two. Either episodes 7 and 8 are somehow simply unrealistic, which will show you the genius of the creator’s plan and that “Ryan can still…”, or… they will disappoint, because you will understand that everything shown before was a dummy. That is, that the whole picture was for the sake of the picture, and the one who made all this did not have some powerful idea, which he wanted to demonstrate in this way. In a sense, this series seemed to me an allegory for von Trier’s “The House That Jack Built”. Because each subsequent crime was more and more sophisticated and unusual. And here we encounter the second “but.”

Have you ever had that feeling where you were both disappointed and, at the same time, inspired by what you were told or shown? That is, this is a double feeling of joy and despair. Because the further development of the plot was approximately like this. At least for me. However, I would still call it positive (regardless of the context of the series), because even if it was decided to continue the series for a second season – there were still cases that could be closed.

Actors

I would like to highlight the acting. The characters seemed a bit “animated” to me, because there is a detective (Nisi Nash) who “has seen everything in life, and therefore can drive drunk and come to the case in high spirits”. There is a nun (Mikaela Diamond), some of whose actions do not really coincide with religious traditions (again, hello, “The Preacher”). There is (ugh..) a modern pastor (Nicholas Chavez), somewhat similar to Evan Peters, who wants “bread and spectacle”, so he allows the nun to write stories in a religious blog about terrible crimes that occur in the city against the background of rumors about a maniac. Each of them stands out so much that you have a clear separation of the main characters from the secondary ones and you immediately see who will “steer the plot” throughout all ten episodes.

I consider it a success when, after watching a series or a movie, you go to see where other actors have played in order to appreciate something else with them. One of such actors was Nicholas Chavez, who also played in another Ryan Murphy project – Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric Menendez, in which he received one of the main roles. No less amazing was the “reincarnation” of the heroine Mikaela Diamond during the season, which is why it is difficult not to note not only her acting, but also her interesting appearance.

Aftertaste

For me, this series turned out to be both terrible and wonderful. And it’s not about the perception of the plot, the acting – I mean the atmosphere itself and what thoughts arise in your mind during and after watching. Everything turned out to be on a par, so if you like series like American Horror Story – I think you will like this one too. Grotesquerie was Ryan Murphy’s attempt to create his own maniac, the story of which combined religious elements, cult elements, and the feeling that something terrible is coming to the universe, so … is it time to come to confession?

In some ways, it reminded one of the seasons of American Horror Story – 1984, due to a similar method of plot construction, when the story is told to you from one side and the other, without any directness. Certain plot twists of Grotesquerie can surprise you, or allow you to look at certain characters in a different way. And this is what makes it catchy. This is what allowed you to not be disappointed in the story after 6-7 episodes and watch it to the end with interest.

My rating is a brave 5 tentacles out of 6. I recommend watching it if you’re not afraid of scary stories 🙂

Author: Sa Crea

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