Terror
An endless field of ice and tundra. Old, creaky ships sail on a wintry ocean. Strange animals with a terrible bloodlust lurking in the night. And men – hungry and desperate – turning into animals, as men do when all is lost and brother turns against brother.
AMC Terror it’s not exactly a horror series, but it’s not your typical historical drama either. The show is named after a real ship, HMS Terror, a British naval exploration ship which, along with HMS Erebus, was lost in the Arctic during an exploratory voyage to discover the Northwest Passage.
What really happened to the men of Terror and Erebus remains largely a mystery, but Terror does a remarkably deft job of filling in the blanks—and embellishing them with elements of horror that make the grim story of survival, insurgency, and terror all the more gripping.
The 10-part first season is based on the novel of the same name by author Dan Simmons, best known for his epic space opera. Hyperion Cantos. I haven’t read the book, so I went into this show blind, and in many ways I’m glad I did. While it came out again in 2018, this is one of the best series I’ve seen in 2024—and now it’s moved from AMC to Netflix where it will hopefully find a much wider audience.
The show is not only scary, but it is also a truly fantastic historical drama with incredible sets and costume design. You really feel like you’re on these old ships, stranded in this arctic wasteland in the most brutally bleak conditions imaginable. On top of the production values, the series is incredibly well written and acted. The cast is simply amazing, with many actors you’ve seen on the show like Game Of Thrones, Chernobyl AND Blue Lights.
Jared Harris plays Captain Francis Crozier, a Marine-level man with little patience for glory or the eccentric habits of his fellow officers. Unfortunately, he is also a massive alcoholic. He has, however, earned the fierce loyalty of his crew on HMS Terror.
Tobias Menzies plays James Fitzjames, a handsome young officer who likes to tell stories that paint him in a glowing light, but who discovers the hidden depths before the story is over.
At the head of the expedition is Captain Sir John Franklin, captain of HMS Erebus, a man whose ambitions exceed his judgment and abilities. Franklin is played by Ciarán Hinds.
The rest of the cast is just as awesome. Adam Nagaitis plays one of the most compelling villains on TV as Caulker’s Mate Cornelius Hickey, a smart and mysterious sailor who never stops cheating. Ian Hart who I was introduced to KINGDOM plays the ever-faithful and reliable sailing master Thomas Blanky.
Then there’s the mysterious Lady Silence, an indigenous Netsilik woman the crews encounter in a storm, who comes on board amidst fierce suspicion.
I could go on, but then I’d spoil too much of this phenomenal series that I’ve slept on for far too long. This is one of the best shows you can watch on Netflix right now and I can’t recommend it enough. The first season has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The second – which is a completely new story I haven’t seen yet – fares slightly worse with critics, at 80%.
Together with terror, AMC has added a few more great shows and one that is really too scary to recommend. Check out these and other new streaming options on Netflix and other streaming services this week, right here.
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