The From TV series is advertised as a sci-fi horror show, delving into mystery and horror in a balanced quantity. Seen as a horror version of the esteemed Lost series, From sees a cast of diverse characters stuck together in a place with no escape. From being a horror show, it’s hard to imagine the horror to be any more than the hundreds of horror media that come out these days. Horror is a niche market in which a lot of jumpscares and tropes make horrors horror find themselves lacklustre and almost comical. From takes this a not unique, but refined version of the horror genre and mixes it in with deep characters and sci-fi mystery that has kept audiences hooked for 2+ seasons.
From is by far not a fast burner, and it takes some time to build up the backstory to the show and why the characters are stuck in this small town in the middle of nowhere. However, the horror aspect is fired at us at full blast from the get-go. We see a mother and her daughter savagely killed in the first few minutes which not only is a chilling thing to see but is horrifying of the power this mysterious foe could bring to our characters. And so, this is a running powerhouse for the show, by seemingly keeping the monsters under the radar but instead spotlighting the devastation they can cause. This felt more emotion-inducing than many jumpscares that come out of the horror cattle farm as of late.
The Monsters In Question
We only see the true form of the monsters in rare moments throughout the two seasons, and instead are portrayed as normal-looking people who walk around at night. Evidently, the monsters are shapeshifters, shifting into the character’s loved ones and strangers alike. Although this doesn’t seem as horrifying as you might think, if a person were to let in one of these shifters, the chaos it brings is devastating. As stated before, the wife and child let in a shifter who looked like a family member, tricking the child to open her bedroom window.
Throughout Season 2 of From, we see the characters actually dissect one of the captured monsters, which showed a very different anatomy to normal people. Insects play an important part in the horror of this section, entering the character’s nightmares and swarming them in order to rescue the monster. And this is where From shines. Even though the monsters are the key horror aspect of the series, smaller details help flow the horror genre when the monsters cannot fulfil. This is where other mediocre horror films fall apart. They focus on one monster in which the ideas start diminishing past the halfway mark, resulting in stupid jumpscares and ultimately obvious plot points.
When Sci-fi And Horror Meet
The other half of From delves into the mysteries around the town itself and the origins of the monster that invests it at night. This may not be the most conventional horror style, but the mystery can be harrowing at times. This is especially the case when focusing on the Boyd Stevens and Victor storylines.
Boyd Stevens is the stubborn and authoritarian sheriff of the town who arrived at the town later than most but helped change how they lived for the better. Upon the death of his wife, Boyd was traumatised by the fact he pulled the trigger and the words she spoke before her death. His storyline seems to him putting out fires, but more importantly, trying to figure out if his wife was right. This story delves into ghosts, spiders, dark ruins, weird characters and bugs that visibly crawl inside your body. These features are all well added to the story which is not obvious and doesn’t feel forced or out of place, and Boyd’s reaction to these events makes them seem more severe, considering it puts on quite the incontestable front.
Victor, on the other hand, is an older, more reserved character who has been in the town the longest. From certain flashbacks, we can see Victor lived in the town before these harrowing events occurred and so he witnessed his town’s genocide from the monsters. It’s evident Victor knows the most about the town and its monsters but tries to keep it to himself as much as possible. He was quoted saying that he doesn’t reveal these things as the town is his home and he doesn’t want to leave (something that will happen if they find a way out), but he also seems scared of his past. Having a character we see so much of – who knows more than the audience does – is a unique, unnerving feeling to watch.
How about you? What did you think of From Season 1? Have you watched Season 2 yet? We’d love to hear from you.
Other things you might want to know:
Will there be From season 3?
Yes, From has renewed for a third season
What is the plot of the show From?
From TV series marks in new Sci-fi horror show in which a small town is terrorized by nightly monsters. Although the theme is not a completely original idea, From has a diverse and detailed set of characters, each with their own backstories and reasons for the things they do.
How many episodes of From is there?
As of the current two seasons, there are a total of 20 episodes
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