Channel Zero: Candle Cove – “You Have to Go Inside” Review. In a Mad World.

Some nightmares are all too real.

Series Premiere

Airdate: Tuesday, October 11, 2016, 9/8c on Syfy.

Rating: ★★★★★

I dare you to try sleeping with the lights off after watching Channel Zero: Candle Cove. After weeks of seeing TV promos and trailers for this new horror anthology series on Syfy, I expected gore and mayhem. After all, there is a monster literally made up of teeth, life-size puppets that are the stuff of nightmares, and creepy children. Instead, what unfolds in the premiere, “You Have to Go Inside,” is a psychological thriller mixed with story elements reminiscent of the Konami horror game Silent Hill 2. Channel Zero: Candle Cove centers on protagonist Dr. Mike Painter (Paul Schneider), a well-received child psychologist who happens to have a troubled past. The major events in the episode are set in motion when Mike returns to his hometown of Iron Hill more than two decades after a series of grisly murders.

What makes Channel Zero: Candle Cove special is the premise of the show. It is based on a creepypasta by Kris Stroup titled “Candle Cove.” Creepypastas are horror related urban legends circulated online through user-generated forum posts and/or pictures. The most popular stories become viral, like the infamous “Slenderman” legend. It seems apropos for a popular creepypasta to finally achieve mainstream attention (aside from the horrific headline news that Slenderman spawned). Writer Nick Antosca, who adapts the original story to script for the series premiere,“You Have to Go Inside,” does an amazing job of constructing a series of events in an understated way that amplifies the suspenseful moments. Instead of telling viewers what to think through dialogue, Antosca illustrates his main plot points through actions that hit their mark dead center in ”You Have to Go Inside.” That said, Channel Zero; Candle Cove is not what I would consider predictable, and although the pacing sometimes drags, it’s worth the wait. The episode manages to grab my full attention with the wonderful performances by the cast too.

Mike returns to Iron Hill and the place where it all started.

Setting the Mood

What stands out most while watching “You Have to Go Inside” is the use, or rather lack thereof, of instrumental music. In very subtle moments throughout the episode, you might here a song on a radio but the words are unclear. Craig William MacNeill, director and showrunner of Channel Zero: Candle Cove uses silence in many scenes almost as a way to underscore the importance of the moment. The absence of a distracting song or instrumental score forces you to pay closer attention to what is going on and, as a result, makes what the characters say to each other quite significant. This becomes a great devise to manipulate the viewers’ perception of the scene as Mike’s mental state comes into question. We see in flashbacks the complex relationship he had with his mother, Maria Painter (Fiona Shaw), as well as the strange rapport with his deceased twin brother Eddie. When a scene cuts to the present, the washed out pallor of the small town of Iron Hill with its lush forests and extremely small population becomes almost claustrophobic at times. McNeill establishes beautiful shots and angles of the landscape surrounding Iron Hill, so much so, it becomes a character itself, trapping its citizens within its wooded boundaries.

The Story’s the Thing

How does “You Have to Go Inside” measure up to the original creepypasta so far? The original “Candle Cove” story revolves around a disturbing children’s television show that was aired for a limited time until some alarming episodes caused it to be cancelled. Channel Zero: Candle Cove’s depiction appears to lean more towards messing with viewers’ minds than utterly traumatizing them with some of the aspects in the original creepypasta. I don’t mind the slow pacing and methodical way scenes focus on little moments like a fly dying in Mike’s glass of water or the dead goldfinch near his mother’s house. Their symbolism of death foreshadows bad things to come but interestingly enough, there aren’t many fatalities in this episode. Instead, Antosca focuses on fusing the legend of “Candle Cove” with the plot structure of a good mystery. The unsolved crime of the Iron Hill murders serves as the overall conflict for the season. I like that Schneider bears an uncomfortable onscreen presence. I couldn’t tell if Mike’s blank stare was intentional or not; then at times, the camera angles with the dim lighting causes Mike to look sinister. Perhaps, that may have been on purpose.

Even when the story isn’t compelling, you’re still persuaded to stay glued to your television because of the brilliant performances by the actors. There are several key characters, but the most intriguing are the younger versions of Mike and Eddie, portrayed by Luca Villacis. His performance lingers long after the scene is done, most notably in the scene where Eddie confronts some bullies.

Mike's flashbacks to his younger self may not be all that it seems

Mike’s flashbacks to his younger self may not be all that they seem.

Overall

I love anthology television shows, especially if the subject matter centers on the paranormal or macabre. Growing up in the 1980s, I watched reruns of Rob Sterling’s classic The Twilight Zone, and George A. Romero’s Tales from the Darkside—a show I’d sneak out of my bedroom to watch late at night.

Channel Zero: Candle Cove is off to a good start by focusing on what makes creepypastas so addictive to read online: the atmosphere. There are plenty of horror movies and shows where the monsters are gruesome or of the vampiric kind. Tackling the boogeyman, the root of many people’s phobias, is a balancing act. On one hand, if the writer takes the blood and guts route, you can lose the story; on the other hand, if the writer focuses on overcomplicating the story with too abstract of a storyline, you’ll confuse your viewers all together. Channel Zero: Candle Cove has enough suspenseful storylines and unsettling imagery to maintain your full attention.

I love the performances by the actors and the way the story unravels slowly, luring you into a false sense of security before unleashing the scary moments in “You Have to Go Inside.” I cannot wait to see what’s in store this season on Channel Zero: Candle Cove.

What did you think of the premiere episode “You Have to Go Inside?” Post your comment below or on Twitter @conallen.