Released very close to 2018 Halloween, the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina couldn’t
be more different from the 1996 seven-season run Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Supposed to
start as a spinoff and a companion of Riverdale, Netflix snapped the project from the CW and
ordered a straight-to-series order of two seasons. I waited a bit to watch it, but here
is my review on Sabrina, did it chill me or left me cold? It may contain some spoilers…
so be warned. Coming up.
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In the late nineties I remember being a fan of the speaking cat Salem in Sabrina the Teenage
witch, so I was waiting for the new Salem in the Netflix show to deliver. But, the cat
meowed a lot without saying a word, at all. Well, honestly in this new rendition of Sabrina,
it is good that the cat doesn’t talk. The show is dark and a bit more horror than the
previous adaptation and the references to the “dark side” are less toned down and
pretty straight in your face. Admittedly, the show isn’t as scary as I wished it to
be, but the cast is absolutely spot on.
What absolutely steals the show is the cinematography and production value.
Something is different about Sabrina...
I feel like I've been walking down this darker path.
The visually breath-taking and haunting shots make the show a party for
the eyes. What I loved and found very appealing where the blurred effect, giving the show
a dreamlike feeling, and adding to emphasise the boundaries between mortal and supernatural
worlds.
Kiernan Shipka plays the role of Sabrina well, but to me, the standout characters are all
the side kicks around the main one. For a start Chance Perdomo playing Ambrose, Sabrina’s
warlock cousin under house arrest, is probably one of the fan-favourite amongst audiences.
Sabrina’s aunties are also amazingly well casted. Miranda Otto’s plays Zelda, unapologetically
harsh and unforgiving but with lot of love for her niece. Lucy David interprets Hilda,
and brings some fun and lightness to the show. The two aunties complement each other nicely,
one being more a conservative witch, while the other more open-minded and prone to changes.
- Morning. - Oh! Nice morning child.
Morning cuz.
Please, Aunt Zelda, are you never going to speak to me again?
You want me to speak?
Alright. I'll speak.
I’ll skip the cheesy and less appealing romance between Sabrina and her dull boyfriend
Harvey Kinkle, which to me is a bit the weakest link of the show, even though a necessary
one, to support the teenage witch growth in the season.
They are coming to get you, Barbra Hawke.
Harvey Kinkle, the only person you're gonna scare is yourself...
Gotchya.
Good night, Harvey.
Good night, Sabrina.
Notable are the three sisters,
with Prudence, played by Tati Gabrielle, being the lead
and making it for some good chilled
moments.
My favourite character of all is Ms Wardell, interpreted by Michelle Gomez.
Let's not be catty bitches, mmh?
The over the top campiest teacher in the school, which secretly is Lilith, a demon trying to get
Sabrina to embrace the Dark Lord has the best puns in the show and schemes perfectly
to entertain the audience. And look at her ordering that take-out pizza and enjoying
the delivery boy more that the pizza itself.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina delivers a great entertainment and makes the binge watching
effortless. Hopefully it won’t fall under the same spell of Riverdale and won’t become
a soapy teen drama that bores to death. And to be honest I have good faith that the show
will keep its course and deliver an exciting second part....
oh but wait I just finished
watching the second part. Damn... what I thought wouldn’t happen sadly did. It all started
with the Xmas special, a dull, wasted episode that didn’t add to the story... and then
a nine episode run second part that was so dumb, I couldn't believe how badly it all
turned to custard. And even though the cast kept performing really well, and the production
value kept a steady level, it wasn’t enough to save the story. I think the show was shot
as a 20 episodes season and then divided in two parts. Fair enough as Netflix has to start
to play some tricks to ensure audiences keep paying their subscriptions over the span of
longer periods. But I think the content wasn’t enough to fill 20 episodes and it all got
watered down. I’m so bummed, as the first part was really, really intriguing.
Don’t go away… more coming after this!
How did the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina do? The verdict is…
If you have watched the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, please let me know in the comment
section below what your thoughts are about the show. If you haven't watched it yet is
available on Netflix. Need inspiration of what to watch or not to watch this week? Check
out what I'm currently watching or just watched. Feel free to like or dislike this video, don’t
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Until next time, ciao.