Wow. Where to begin with “Necro?” I’m honestly not even sure. Despite being my favorite episode of the second season thus far, its story is incredibly chaotic, dark and twisted. All of these things being said, isn’t “horror” supposed to embody all of these qualities?
“Necro” centers on Sam (Madison Iseman), a young woman working at a funeral home as a mortuary cosmetologist. After an interesting prologue, the show immediately cuts to a graphic montage of her job and its responsibilities, giving viewers an unglorified and jarring view of what it takes to have Sam’s kind of career. Nevertheless, its gruesomeness drew me further into the story.
Sam loves her job, but she isn’t exactly happy in her relationship. Her partner, Jesse (Spencer Neville) is the typical tall and handsome lawyer, and Sam is the artsy, somewhat disheveled girlfriend who isn’t satisfied.
This is where the illusive Charlie (Cameron Cowperthwaite) comes into the picture. As a new gravedigger for Sam’s place of employment, Charlie seems to be the only one who understands her attraction to the dead and her love for her career. Jesse “thinks carne asada is exotic” and has no zest for life. Charlie, on the other hand, serves as the all too alluring foil for everything Sam thinks she’s missing.
Jesse eventually proposes, which ends up being a disaster because the proposal’s presentation triggers dark memories from Sam’s past. Still, she accepts the proposal with the ever-looming thought of “what could’ve been” between her and Charlie.
From here, everything just goes downhill at full speed.
Two months go by between the proposal and a failed wedding, where Sam attempts to get her life together after an insane “Oh Sh*t” moment. I literally do not know how else to describe the final twenty minutes of “Necro” or the ending other than wow. It’s a lot. It’s sort of romantic in a “Romeo and Juliet” way, but it’s mostly incredibly disturbing and twisted.
What makes “Necro” so remarkable is that nothing about it is supernatural. I could easily get up right now and go and do what Sam did and possibly face the same repercussions. “Necro” is grounded in our world, and that’s what makes it so chilling.
Compared to other episodes in the season, “Necro’s” pacing is fast, but delightfully so. Nothing feels incredibly rushed or gave me whiplash—it all fit accordingly and added so much to the plot. I kept wondering when it was going to end or how it was going to end since it felt so action-packed and suspenseful in the best way.
On a larger scale, the episode demonstrates how dangerous one little lapse of judgment can be, even if you think that nobody is watching. There is always going to be some sort of darker consequence.
While the consequence of sorts may remain a mystery in this review, watch “Necro” to learn a lesson on the darker sides of loss, lust and life.
