Creepshow TV Series – Season 4 (2023) – PART THREE

Well here we are! If this is the first time you’re visiting the vault then WELCOME, you totally don’t need to read parts 1 and 2 in order to enjoy this review. However, for all the Vault enthusiasts that have been with us for the last two entries, this is the third and last venture into the latest season of a show that’s been a solid earner for the horror streaming channel, Shudder and a delight for all folks who enjoy anthology horror goodness. Creepshow Season 4 has been a delight to review because I do think at some point the creators of the show got together and decided that they needed to get back to their roots in the sense that they need to make the stories, terrifying, fun, gory, monstrous, etc. without any of the pressure of actual budget. Let’s be real folks, you’re not getting a major studio budget with these entries but any horror fan knows that it’s the intent and the creativity that captures a horror-fiend’s black heart and I’m proud to say that this latest season of Creepshow delivered on all fronts. I gasped, I laughed, I smiled the kind of creepy smile that only a macabre fan can muster and I felt pride that this is the kind of show that I love. Let’s get into the final, lovely chunk of the season! 

Parent Death Trap

Director(s): P.J. Pesce

Writer(s): Erik Sandoval, Michael Rousselet

Starring: Dylan Sloane, Loretta Walsh, Shaughnessy Redden

This was a great entry that was filled with laughs and somehow enough heart that makes you appreciate the entry as a whole. This story gave me the same vibes as one of my favorite horror/comedies, The Frighteners with a similar story of how ghosts can comedically haunt someone throughout the story. In this particular tale, you have deceases parents still pestering their slacker of a son but the results of their meddling turns into some great comedy with a ghoulish background of murder, betrayal and again…surprisingly some heart. This was a different kind of entry from the others of this show because it wasn’t all funny but it definitely wasn’t scary and there was no real lesson to be learned but it was just a fun story and by the time it ends you are satisfied with the time spent. 

To Grandmother’s House we Go

Director(s): Justin Dyck

Writer(s): William Butler

Starring: Keegan Conner Tracy, Emma Oliver

Always a classic when you turn a children’s tale into something horrifying. It’s a popular fiefdom of horror that’s been utilized in big budget and little to no budget flicks and lately, it’s been even more popular with any character that becomes public domain (…yeah, not sure how I feel about these flicks yet but I’ll keep an open mind). This was a fun entry that pokes into Little Red Riding Hood territory and although the story as a whole is very predictable in parts, even the…ahem, “surprise” ending, it’s still an overall hoot to watch the suspense of the big bad (Were)wolf stalk its prey. The gore factor is also quite enjoyable so again, the story will not surprise you but you will have fun and fun is…quite fun…when you think how this thing started off for kiddos. 

Meet the Belaskos

Director(s): John Esposito

Writer(s): John Esposito

Starring: Karis Cameron, Matthew Nelson-Mahood

I loved this tale because it reminded me of an entry in the popular children’s horror series, GooseBumps (yeah, not sure the age range of my GHOULtastic readers so had to break that one down lol). The story itself is very much in the vain of a children’s tale of a group of vampires that are trying to live a normal life in a part of the country that’s still assimilating to accepting that vampires exist in their reality. There’s romance of course as the daughter of the family befriends and ultimately falls for the neighborhood doofus who is instantly mesmerized with the vampy gal and the two of them spark a romance. Of course, there are lots of obvious parallels to the prejudice and dumb-assery of the people walking around today who are terrified of learning and therefore succumb to the stupidity of fear/hatred but the story itself is a fun tale that takes you through a nice rollercoaster of emotions before giving you a VERY satisfying ending. 

Cheat Code

Director(s): Justin Dyck

Writer(s): Claire Carré, Charles Spano

Starring: Connor Wong, Lachlan Munro

This was a surprisingly heartwarming tale and when I say surprise, I have to be honest here, it’s because the background of the story is sort of ridiculous in the best kind of ways. Basically, you have a story that’s entertainingly dumb about being stuck in a video game in real life but it’s super entertaining because the horror and gore of it all keeps you highly entertained. Again though, the story is quite juvenile and that’s okay, but then it gives you a huge SLAP of heart around the last 10 minutes and by the end you want to call your parents and tell them you love them just for the heck of it and to me, that makes this a powerful entry…but very surprising. I found myself rooting for characters I didn’t care about just 20 minutes earlier and the ending was very definitive to the point where I was surprised that it ended so pleasantly. With these entries, it’s very common to have a nice moment, only to be followed by a twist that reminds you the the world is a scary, horrible but entertaining place. However, they kept to their guns and gave you an ending that made you smile so to that, I say KUDOS Creepshow, take a bow. 

Well there you go folks! Three entries on the latest season of Creepshow and I must say that if it ended here, I would be sad but satisfied that it ended on such a high note. I hope they keep this show going for the sake of the Shudder streaming network but if not, thank you for all the folks who brought this gem of a show back to its former glory. Huzzah! 

Life is FAR more interesting when we take interest in things that scare us.