American Horror Stories Season 3 Recap: Huluween is Back
FX and Hulu have established an annual tradition of celebrating “Huluween” with the release of a fresh set of episodes from American Horror Stories, the anthology series crafted by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. This series continues the eerie and gory storytelling style that their show American Horror Story has been known for since 2011. While anthologies often vary in quality, the latest episodes kick off with one that hints at being one of the series' finest.
Daniel Hausman-Burger, portrayed by Michael Imperioli, is a renowned screenwriter who has withdrawn from the public eye following the disappearance of his son Roman, played by Matthew Eby, a decade ago. When his manager, Aaron (David Pittu), visits him to gauge his emotional state, Daniel reveals that the loss of Roman has left him emotionally numb, with his only connection to reality being his work on his current screenplay.
One day, Daniel passes through a doorway and unexpectedly finds himself in a brightly-lit, deserted supermarket. Amid flickering lights and cheerful announcements over the PA system, he encounters a child who resembles Roman but is wearing a peculiar mask. The eerie scene takes a dark turn when the masked child disappears into a back room, and blood starts to seep from under the door. Just as abruptly, Daniel is back in his own home.
Later on, Daniel receives a call from Aaron, leading to a meeting with his ex-wife Riva (Natalie Gold) at a restaurant. Riva delivers the devastating news that Roman's body has been discovered a week earlier, although no one had been able to reach Daniel. Overwhelmed, Daniel steps outside for some air and finds himself in a grim hallway with holes in the walls that he navigates, pursued by masked figures through increasingly narrow passageways before returning to his house.
Daniel is curious about the eerie and surreal world he has encountered. He stumbles upon a YouTube video by Eli (played by Matthew Maher), who shares his own experience in a liminal space that appears ordinary but feels like a boundary between the living world and the unknown. Intrigued, Daniel contacts Eli to arrange a meeting. The two meet in the visiting area of a prison, where Eli is serving a sentence related to his encounters with these liminal spaces.
The inaugural episode of the Season 3 extension of American Horror Stories, titled "Backrooms," was penned by Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken, and skillfully helmed by David Gelb to evoke a chilling atmosphere. What stood out to us in this episode was how it delves into the heart of every parent's worst fear — the agonizing uncertainty surrounding a missing child — and then intensifies the sense of dread.
Michael Imperioli's portrayal of a deeply distressed character, lashing out in fear with profanity, adds a compelling layer to the narrative. His character grapples with seclusion, bewildered by his inexplicable presence in those eerie transitional spaces.
Baitz and Baken manage to infuse this tale with complexity, a remarkable feat within the constraints of a 48-minute runtime. In many horror anthologies, the brevity often prioritizes scares over substance. While not every detail is revealed, the narrative provides enough context to give the eventual twist ending a satisfying and coherent resolution.
This clarity may stem from Baitz and Baken's departure from the typical Ryan Murphy/Brad Falchuk stylings in this episode. The presentation is mature and devoid of unnecessary embellishments like unconventional camera work or superfluous music cues. We hope that the forthcoming episodes in this new installment will maintain this level of sophistication.
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