Opinion: ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ is creepy, theatrical fun

I’m not usually the biggest fan of horror movies and television shows. For the most part, I would rather laugh at a comedy than give myself the unnecessary heart palpitations that only scary movies can cause. That all changed when I was finally convinced to give “American Horror Story” a try and quickly found myself watching episode after episode on Netflix.

“American Horror Story” is unique because it is an anthology series, meaning each season is completely different from the last. This is especially great for all of those wanting to start a new series without having to worry about the commitment. In the past, the show has taken on everything from sketchy insane asylums to ghost-ridden murder houses, but this season focuses on the usually pleasant world of hotels.

The Hotel Cortez is definitely not going to be the destination of your dreams. Instead, it’s home to ghosts, demons and two vampire-like creatures named the Countess and Donovan, played by Lady Gaga and Matt Bomer, respectively. Detective John Lowe, portrayed by Wes Bentley, also finds himself at the hotel after getting an anonymous phone call while investigating a string of murders based on the Ten Commandments. It is his stay that helps to highlight some of the scariest hidden dangers of the Cortez , including the mysterious Room 64.

So far, this has been an interesting season with both positive and negative qualities. I’ll start with the bad to get it out of the way. While “American Horror Story” is known for being shocking, this particular season seems to go for the shock value above all else. Honestly, the first episode alone was enough to make anyone squeamish, and, speaking from experience, was also extremely awkward to watch with other people in the room. I can appreciate the extreme, but I wish it were related to an actual plot.

Speaking of a lack of plot, this season begins by throwing a bunch of characters at you all at once in typical “American Horror Story” style. The good news is some of them are genuinely pretty interesting, like the hotel manager Iris, played by Kathy Bates. She expertly portrays the undying love of a mother even though her son, Donovan, is actually one of the undead (and also kind of a terrible person). One of the other undead, Lady Gaga’s Countess character, brings something fresh to the table. Her theatrical nature is not all that different from the popstar’s usual persona, but she perfectly captures the essence of a 111-year-old monster.

Fan favorites Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters also return this season and are more evil than ever. These “American Horror Story” veterans are no stranger to the crazy plots and subplots created by executive producer Ryan Murphy, and that allows for the creation of well-developed characters. While they may be playing ghosts, there is nothing transparent about their ghoulish alter egos.

Overall, I’m impressed with where “Hotel” is headed. While the first episode seemed to be a collection of shocking images and background details, the ones that have followed have clearly set the show up for conflict and, of course, theatricality. By this point I’ve also begun to stop confusing Matt Bomer, Wes Bentley and Cheyenne Jackson, who all kind of look the same, so the actual story is clearer. So, no, “Hotel” is not perfect, unlike the amazing first season of “American Horror Story,” but it’s certainly off to an interesting start.

Don’t be left in the dark (especially not anywhere in the Hotel Cortez) and check out “Hotel” for yourself Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

Featured image by Television Streaming via their Flickr account obtained using creativecommons.org

Edited by Jessica Carr

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