Hulu is throwing its hat in the true crime ring with The Act, an all-new anthology series based around some of the strangest real-life crimes and the stories of the people who committed them. The first trailer has been released, along with a new, unsettling poster that depicts series stars Patricia Arquette and Joey King in what appears to be a motherly embrace that is nevertheless disturbing for reasons that are difficult to put a finger on.
If that’s not enough to go on, then the people behind The Act may be enough to make it appointment viewing. The series is co-created by Nick Antosca, who has not only written for NBC’s short-lived but much-loved Hannibal series, but he was also the creator and showrunner for all four installments of the now canceled horror anthology series Channel Zero on SYFY. Anthologies with an unnerving vibe seem to be in Antosca’s wheelhouse, as he’s teamed with Michelle Dean, whose Buzzfeed article ‘Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered’ is the basis for The Act season 1.
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It’s no small task setting up the story of a woman whose Munchausen syndrome nearly kills her daughter, but also causes her daughter to seek revenge in very un-daughter-like fashion, but Hulu is on double-duty selling The Act as the beginning of a new anthology. You can see how the streaming service did in the trailer, poster, and synopsis below:
“The Act is a seasonal anthology series that tells startling, stranger-than-fiction true crime stories. Season One follows Gypsy Blanchard (Joey King), a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother, Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette). Her quest for independence opens a Pandora’s box of secrets, one that ultimately leads to murder.”
The series certainly has a big selling point in terms of its cast, which not only includes Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette, but also King and Chlöe Sevingy. Arquette recently nabbed a Golden Globe for her performance in Showtime’s superb true-crime tale Escape At Dannemora, which stands a good chance at netting her at least an Emmy nomination this year.
That alone makes The Act worth checking out, but as the trailer shows, there’s a lot more going on in this twisted tale that makes it more in line with the likes of HBO’s Sharp Objects than would be expected. Given the transformative nature of both Arquette and King’s performances, this could be the start of a winning anthology for Hulu.
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The Act premieres Wednesday, March 20 on Hulu.