It’s been a few years since Marianne first dropped on Netflix, but this terrifying show’s quality causes it to pop up around this time of year. That may be in part because the king of scary stories has endorsed it — more on that later. Could also sheerly be the result of its quality. Regardless, if you’re looking for horror movies to squeeze in before spooky season wraps, you should instead consider crushing Marianne on Halloween.
Just make sure you don’t have anything important the next morning. Sleep’s going to be hard to come by (even if you just watch the official trailer).
What is Marianne About?
Released in 2019, Marianne is a French horror show that’s available to watch now on Netflix. Here’s the official synopsis:
“Lured back to her hometown, a famous horror writer discovers that the evil spirit who plagues her dreams is now wreaking havoc in the real world.”
A great starting point that is elevated by two things:
- Answers that lead to more questions.
- A spin on something we all experience (nightmares/dreams), while giving them power in a simple yet impactful way.
That’s not even touching on the fact that this is like The Haunting of Hill House, in that you never feel safe watching the screen. Jumpscares can come at any moment.
Unfortunately, there’s only one season of Marianne, but at least it’s eight episodes long. The shortest episode is 36 minutes and the longest is 52.
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Critical Praise
As much as we’re in a horror movie renaissance, there are still skeptical critics of both films and shows set in the genre. There’s definitely been a shift of acceptance, but it’s still not a surprise to see fans like a horror movie while critics drag it.
Regardless, like any other movie or show, when both critics and fans are aligned, it’s something to note. Still, the lede’s being buried.
While Marianne’s rock-solid 83% fan rating on Rotten Tomatoes is something to clock, the 100% rating from the critics might be reason enough for any horror fan to check this show out.
Now, it’s not as though this show has received as many reviews as a Marvel movie or even horror movie hits like Weapons or Sinners. But, seeing any number of people give it 100% is not a common occurrence.
Stephen King Praises Marianne
When this first dropped, Stephen King gave Marianne as high of praise as anyone could. He didn’t simply state this was a good horror story. He also compared it to one of the hottest franchises going — as well as his own work.
“If you’re one of those sickos–like me–who enjoys being scared, MARIANNE (Netflix) will do the job,” King wrote on X in 2019. “There are glints of humor that give it a STRANGER THINGS vibe. It also has (I say it with all due modesty) a Stephen King vibe.”
Unfortunately, that endorsement wasn’t enough for Marianne to earn a second season. However, this is still a thrill ride worth going on if you’re looking for a compelling story with lasting scares this Halloween.
