Monsterland season 1 features eight standalone horror stories, so which are the least and most effective? Critics have praised the Hulu series for its strong filmmaking and performances, along with its diversity and challenging thematic concepts. Still, the cryptic endings of some episodes may not immediately resonate with the casual streamer.
Created for Hulu by The Neon Demon screenwriter Mary Laws, Monsterland season 1 is based on Nathan Ballingrud's 2013 book, North American Lake Monsters: Stories. Each episode takes place in a real American city, and the majority of the narratives play out in a contained setting. Incidentally, there's a mixture of culture and claustrophobia as the protagonists and villains interact. Monsterland season 1 does indeed include plenty of beasts and baddies, but the Hulu series is primarily focused on symbolic monsters that emerge from psychological trauma. It's an American horror story in which humans struggle to be accountable for their actions.
Like so many horror anthology series, Monsterland season 1 includes a few standout episodes, along with several OK stories that improve with big horror moments. While some episodes have major flaws, they're not quite horrible enough to devalue the series as a whole. In fact, some Hulu streamers may appreciate the filmmakers' willingness to take big risks, even if the creative choices don't necessarily pay off. Here's our ranking of each Monsterland season 1 episode based on the overall quality.
8. Eugene, Oregon
Directed by Super Dark Times filmmaker Kevin Phillips, "Eugene, Oregon" suffers from a script with heavy-handed and sometimes cluttered messaging. Charlie Tahan delivers a strong performance as Nick, an extremely online social outcast who looks after his sick mother. Early on, the Hulu episode loses momentum when Nick begins visualizing people that he converses with on the internet. Conceptually, there's value in communicating the online life of Tahan's character, however the pacing doesn't quite work. For example, Nick casually speaks to a shadow ghost before the chat-room-to-real-world premise is properly established. So, the monster moment feels off, and the subsequent reliance on online character tropes (The Witty Philosopher, The Sophomoric Bad Boy, The Sad Girl) detracts from the more original aspects of the story. Plus, a final ode to Ghostbusters ends just as soon as it begins, leaving the audience to wonder about the episode's identity just as Nick wonders about his own.
7. New Orleans, Louisiana
"New Orleans, Louisiana" will appeal to horror fans with its gory finale, but an ice pick through the ear doesn't automatically translate to quality. What makes the episode unique, however, is the lead performance by Nicole Beharie (Sleepy Hollow) who absolutely owns each and every sequence. She portrays Annie, a New Orleans woman who suppresses memories from her past and later discovers that her well-respected doctor husband is a sexual predator. The primary themes in "New Orleans, Louisiana" are heavy and complex; director Craig William Macneill (Channel Zero) handles them with care. However, the episode goes a bit long with its monster manifestation narrative. In this case, it seems like more dialogue between Annie and her traumatized son George (Marquis Rodriguez) would've made the body horror climax more viscerally impactful.
6. Iron River, Michigan
"Iron River, Michigan" begins strong with a creepy folklore premise about young women who disappear in the "white woods." Unfortunately, the ultra-talented director Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post) doesn't quite stick the landing. For the most part, "Iron River, Michigan" has a tight script that examines how and why a teenage girl (Kelly Marie Tran as Lauren) essentially assumes the identity of her deceased friend (Sarah Catherine Hook as Elena), but this Monsterland episode feels like its lacking depth elsewhere.
When the narrative jumps ahead 10 years, it becomes clear that Lauren will be forced to confront a dark memory associated with the "white woods," and that Elena's former best friend, Abby (Alice Kremelberg), will be involved somehow, along with Lauren's estranged mother, Faye (Joy Osmanski). "Iron River, Michigan" brings the narrative full circle for a final mother-daughter commentary, which at once feels convenient and out of place in how its executed. But perhaps it's that off-kilter vibe that makes Akhavan such a special director, certainly when telling stories about women.
5. New York, New York
Directed by Eagle Egilsson, "New York, New York" arguably has the best lead performance and creature reveal in Monsterland season 1. Bill Camp stars as a disgraced business executive named Stan, who snarls and spits while speaking about his tough-love experiences, which appeals to his well-informed yet slightly naive assistant Josh (Michael Hsu Rosen). If there's a major critique to be made about "New York, New York," it's that the episode neither capitalizes upon the Big Apple premise nor does it have a claustrophobic feel like other Monsterland episodes on Hulu. But perhaps that's the point, as a monster like Stan can roam wide open spaces and easy manipulate his business colleagues. Aside from Camp's performance, there's nothing that intriguing about the majority of the episode, at least until Stan's "psychic deformity" takes over and "New York, New York" becomes the Sleepaway Camp of Monsterland season 1.
4. Newark, New Jersey
A true cinematic experience, "Newark, New Jersey" feels like an outlier in Monsterland season 1. Directed by Babak Anvari, who previously adapted Ballingrud's novella The Visible Filth for Hulu's Wounds, the episode stars Mike Colter and Adepero Oduye as Brian and Amy Cooke, respectively; a couple who desperately tries to cope with the disappearance of their young daughter. For some extra narrative depth, there's a supernatural subplot involving a wounded angel whose blood is sold as a street drug, and Kaitlyn Dever reprises her role from "Port Fourchon, Louisiana" as a woman who is unapologetic about abandoning her young daughter. At times, "Newark, New Jersey" follows a traditional storyline about relationship issues, but the inherent surrealism of the angel blood subplot gives new meaning to each and every sequence. Anvari's finale is anything but cryptic, but it's arguably the most poignant sequence of Monsterland season 1 on Hulu, and also subverts the monster-on-earth premise.
3. Port Fourchon, Louisiana
"Port Fourchon, Louisiana" sets the tone for Monsterland season 1 as the introductory episode. Director Anne Sewitsky (Black Mirror, Castle Rock) opens with a proper horror moment that establishes Jonathan Tucker's Alex as the obvious villain. The episode then receives some star power with the inclusion of Dever as Toni, a single mother with a skeptical view of the world. "Port Fourchon, Louisiana" succeeds through the lead performances, and by constantly shifting the character power dynamics as Alex and Toni try to pinpoint the other's motivations. This Monsterland episode also challenges audiences to reassess their interpretation of a visceral horror "reveal", as there's a gnarly body horror moment that precedes the most shocking character decision in Monsterland season 1 on Hulu.
2. Palacios, Texas
"Palacios, Texas" on Hulu may not have the directorial polish or star power of "Port Fourchon, Louisiana," but the overall storytelling is more effective. Trieu Tran stars as a fisherman named Sharko, who was disfigured after receiving "a face full of chemicals" during an accident. In the present, he listens to his peers boast about their fishing stories, and he lives in a modest home away from all the noise. When Sharko discovers a mermaid and decides to temporary keep it in his bath tub, "Palacios, Texas" transforms into a magical and tragic story about loneliness and fate. Tran plays it up at times while imagining a life with a humanized version of the mermaid (Adria Arjona), and communicates a contained sense or rage while conversing with local men who seemingly know little about loss. Directed by Nicolas Pesce (The Grudge), this Monsterland episode has one of the most surprising, yet frustrating climaxes, which makes it all the more better.
1. Plainfield, Illinois
Starring Taylor Schilling as Kate Feldman and Roberta Colindrez as Shawn Greene, "Plainfield, Illinois" has a wonderful sense of tonal rhythm and the best love story in Monsterland season 1 on Hulu. Directed by Logan Kibens (Snowfall) and the aforementioned Pesce, the narrative centers on a female couple who clash after 15 years together. Whereas Shawn keeps a corporate job and appears to be emotionally-balanced, Kate struggles with suicidal thoughts and eventually makes a fateful decision that essentially fractures the mind of her partner. "Plainfield, Illinois" examines the horrors of domestic routines, and keeps the audience off-guard by introducing a gore element while staying true to the existing relationship drama. "Plainfield, Illinois" is a mash-up of sub-genres that takes the narrative to a supremely dark place, only to settle on a message of hope. Streamers will recognize Schillling from various roles - and she delivers a spectacular performance, but it's Colindrez who steals the show in Monsterland season 1's best episode as the deeply complex character Shawn.