What would happen if you could jump into your favorite horror movie? Shudder’s Creepshow asks you that very question in their season finale episode. “Night Of The Living Late Show” follows Simon (Justin Long) and his wife Renee (D’Arcy Carden). Simon has created a machine that gives you the ultimate virtual reality experience. It’s called the Immersopod. After a long-time, Simon finished the right touches on his machine, he can finally enter his favorite horror movie, Horror Express. This being Creepshow, obviously, not all goes well. Let’s dive a bit deeper into this full-length episode.
A Two-Character Play With The Best Performances Of The Season
Credit to: Shudder
This season of Creepshow has blown away all expectations. Every single episode has ranged from great to perfection. This last cap doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. Like any good horror anthology, we need some stories that subvert expectations and add commentary on our daily lives. “Night of the Living Late Show” does that and then some. We’re tied to technology like a leash these days. I’m on my phone, you’re on your phone, we have screens everywhere. People look to these for escape from their daily lives. It adds something exciting and different to our lives, but in the end, they might do us a bit wrong.
The Immersopod is the culmination of that. We watch movies to escape, how about you mentally (and physically) escape to your favorite? Would I love to jump into Re-Animator or Hellraiser? You bet your ass I would. I’d probably get turned into a zombie by Herbert West or torn to shreds by the Cenobites, but it’d be worth it.
Justin Long and D’Arcy Carden carry the whole 45 minute horror affair. Like “The Right Snuff” before it, if these two performances weren’t spot on, this wouldn’t work nearly as well. Simon goes from likeable, to understandable, all the way to hateable. He consistently makes poor decisions that lead to his fate at the end of the episode. That character arc works well for the tale that they’re trying to tell here though. Carden’s Renee is multi-dimensional and gets a pretty excellent backstory. She’s the heir to a large sum of money and her father disapproves of her marriage to Simon.
Her insecurities and doubts bubble up after Simon seems a bit more interested in his work than normal. Her and Long duke it out to see who’s going to get one over on the other with the various lies and untruths they’re telling one another. When Renee gets her final beat against Simon, it’s satisfying.
A Most Interesting Development For Horror Stories
Credit to: Shudder
This episode brought forth the use of old movies (public domain for one, of course) to tell new horror stories. The use of technology and it’s vices aren’t new to horror, but this sort of storytelling is a fresh idea. Horror Express is a fantastic throwback to a bygone era of horror. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are the two OG’s of horror.
The only time the illusion is broken is when the movie changes script and Hannah Fierman has to pick up for the Countess from the movie. Outside of that, the effect of putting Renee or Simon into the old movie is top notch. Through it all this is a cautionary tale, the ones that Creepshow does best. The feel-good endings like “Pipe Dreams” might make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but this type makes you think more.
Greg Nicotero (directed by) and Dana Gould (written by) sculpted a damn fine episode of television with this one. Creepshow lives and dies by the stories that it tells. This was one of the best ones they’ve ever told. Combining love of horror, with a theme of overuse of technology. The finale will leave you with a goofy horror smile, but also horrified. It works that balance between the two emotions flawlessly.
You Can’t Get Better Than Creepshow Right Now
If you’re trying to outdo Creepshow in the horror anthology category, you’ll be hard-pressed to do so. “Night of the Living Late Show” is the perfect cap to an excellent season of television on Shudder. Greg Nicotero and crew have outdone themselves with this latest season.
All the way through the stories they’ve told have been great. The performances have been pitch-perfect for what you want out of Creepshow. Finally, they nailed the tone and feel of the original comics and movies. Here’s to hoping that season three takes it even further. It’ll be difficult, but if anyone can do it, the crew behind this show can.
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