American Horror Story (2011– ) User Reviews

Some seasons are amazing some aren't for me

[ethanjjacobs · 8/10 · 22 March 2021]

This show is one of my favourites and I get excited for every season but some seasons are quite disappointing , most are great though.

Season 1 (murder house) 9.2/10 One of the most entertaining and creepy seasons I have ever watched tate and violet were great characters and so was Jessica Lange's character this season was brilliant.

Season 2 (asylum) 9.3/10 Absolutely loved this season. A very weird season with aliens, the devil, a angel, and some very twisted nuns. I feel like the ending definitely could have been better but other than that this season really didn't disappoint.

Season 3 (coven) 9.1/10 Is a great season ! Tarissa farmiga and Evan peters really didn't disappoint. I loved every minute of this season and it is one of my favourites

Season 4 (freak show) 7.7/10 This season was a step down but still really entertaining Emma roberts character was a let down and I didn't like a lot of the characters. I did love the fact pepper returned and Finn witrocks performance was excellent. This season had one of the best endings but overall wasn't the best season

Season 5 (hotel) 8.4/10 I know a lot of people didn't enjoy this season but I found it really great. The first few episodes were a big let down but the rest was excellent. Evan peters character was really well acted and I really enjoyed lady gaga's character.

Season 6 (Roanoke) I honestly couldn't watch this season. I watched the first few episodes and it was a big disappointment.from what I've saw I'd give it a 5.0/10

Season 7 (cult) 7.9/10 There is a lot of controversy on this season but I thought it was great. The first 4 or 5 episodes aren't great but I really enjoyed the rest. Its got a crazy ending and in my opinion Evan peters deserved a Emmy for his performance as Kai

Season 8 (apocalypse) 9.1/10 Absolutely brilliant! The return of one of the best seasons, coven and murder house, and they handled it great unlike a lot of shows returning something would do. Evan peters character was a let down because it was a very average character and was only in a few episodes, except for his performance as tate Langton, this was one of the best seasons and didn't fail to entertain me. On of the most twisted endings this show has had

Season 9 (1984) 7.9/10 A very enjoyable season but did get a little boring they made most of the season 1 night. And Emma roberts character was extremely boring and generic. I was really disappointed Evan peters wasn't in this season. Montana's character was one of the best this show has had. And a very entertaining character was the night stalker. The rest were honestly pretty boring , but overall I did really like this season.

First several seasons A+ last few not so much

[pianokeybre · 7/10 · 8 November 2022]

American Horror Story is interesting, unique and has a clever way of twisting Americans and making one examine perception vs reality under the guise of horror. The better seasons were Season 1, and season 5 Hotel, and of course there are cool concepts in others including Freak Show. The last several seasons have not even attempted to mask their social message and political opinions and frankly it's getting old. We get it, move on. Many of us want good old fashioned story telling with more subtle messages, but that's not what we see. Many of the main cast have moved on, that we loved to see in different but predictable roles and that has dimmed the lustre. I would honour the roots of the show and go back to what worked. I must say the new American Horror STORIES is a bit more palatable and I enjoyed several of these episodes including Dollhouse, Facelift, Necro, and Game Over amongst others. This is a modern Twilight Zone!

American Horror Story writers- don't bank on cult following to have viewers continue watching - Perceiving as long as you have some gore and an iconic theme you can avoid good story telling and saturate us with political agenda. We can flip on the news, we want entertainment and your viewers are smarter than this. This is a good way to kill a show, and unlike many of your characters it won't come back to life and the series will go out in flames like Dexter!

Entertaining.

[demented_baboon · 8/10 · 7 October 2011]

A dysfunctional family moves into an old house, a house with a history of horror. For the main characters, history is what the first episode is all about: the husband's history of infidelity, the wife's history of having a bloody stillbirth, the daughter's history of cutting herself -- for each a long history of pain and resentment and longing for change, though it quickly becomes apparent the only change coming will leave them hysterically screaming to the sudden, violent, gory end. The one sure thing this show promises is that people will die horribly, and we will all be terrified by it.

The characters are not likable; they may not even be redeemable. Even the suffering wife is bitter and cold and hateful. But do they deserve what horrible things will assuredly happen to them? Nope. Which means their fight is our fight, and their fear is our fear.

American Horror Story is interesting, entertaining, suspenseful, and ambitious. After watching the first episode, I want to watch some more.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it.

[senn-51692 · 10/10 · 20 July 2018]

American horror story is a great if you're into this kind of horror, people that are into slasher movies/shows will probably not like this.

Overall AHS has its low seasons and high seasons, every season is very different and that's why most people aren't into all the seasons. Overall probably the best thing about this show is the casting and acting. Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates for example are incredible actors/actresses that never disappoint in this show.

I personally think its genius how Ryan Murphy managed to make every season very different from the ones before but still manages to connect all of them.

My opinions on the seasons;

1. Murder House: 7.5/10, Great season with some real scary things, not my favorite season, it had flaws but the casting was amazing. 2. Asylum: 9/10, Scariest season of all for sure, my kind of horror. You'd expect that a season that is mostly filmed in just one building would be kinda boring, but it sure wasn't. Incredibly great season 3. Coven: 8.5/10 probably the most hated season of the show, but why? I loved it. Sure, it wasn't that scary and it had flaws but the casting was perfect. Lange and Emma Roberts were both perfect for their roles. Evan Peters annoyed me though, his role with the whole love triangle with Madison and Zoe was stupid. Probably my favorite season although it wasnt scary at all. 4. Freak Show: 5.5/10 Doesn't compete with the other seasons to me, the casting was good but that was about it. Overall I kinda enjoyed it, I guess? The ending was disappointing although Lange left the series in a great way. The only character I really enjoyed was the villain. Not a great season, sorry. 5. Hotel: 6.5/10 Not a very beloved season by most, but to me it was watchable and I dont feel like I wasted my time watching it. The casting was okay, Lady Gaga did great job acting and definitely added a great touch to the season but apart from that it wasn't a really interesting season all around. A lot of blood and sex but not the best season of the show. Overall I would recommend watching it although most people aren't into it. 6: Roanoke 7/10 Finally another scary season. The season felt like a haunted-House horror movie but longer. Sarah Paulson did incredible as the "crazy, paranoid wife". A big plot twist in the middle of the season and it left me with some confusion but I sure did enjoy this season. 7. Cult 7/10 Before the season started I was really scared I wasn't gonne like this, politics, clowns and Evan as the villian, but after watching it I actually enjoyed it. The concept was alright to me and some episodes were just boring. Again, Sarah Paulson played the crazy wife but again, she portrayed it well. Her wife was very annoying and I hoped she'd die early on but she didn't. The "different" episode with Frances Conroy was incredibly boring and didnt feel needed but sure let's forget about it. Sarah did a perfect job and her character was great, excited to see more of her next season.

I love this show and I'm definitely excited for season 8 (Apocalypse) and season 9&10. I can understand why people dislike it but it just is your cup if tea or it isn't. Hope to see more of these horror shows in the future.

Delicate

[meusvita · 24 October 2022]

Skip this season. I think AI adapted this because it's so bland. There is zero character development. I don't care about any of them...and believe me, I tried. Emma Roberts is wonderful and believable, but that's it, full stop. The entire myopic plot is: Smearing and eating baby parts at satan's direction is the fountain of youth and fame. That's the whole season.

All the antagonists are dreadfully boring. All the 'witches' are terrible actors. It's comical watching them try to deliver 'evil' lines. I'll give it one star because their lack of skill did make me laugh.

There's not a single character/protagonist you feel for, have empathy for because again, the script development is so thin, so very shallow. I cancelled my future recordings after watching the last 2 episodes of Part 2 after the break.

Different Kind of Horror

[JoeC345 · 10/10 · 14 October 2011]

These days when the genre of horror is brought up most people think of the latest slasher bloodfest like "A Nightmare on Elm Street" or the latest attempt at trying to scare us with some lame movie like "The Ring". It might be a problem with the time constraints of a 90 minute or 2 hour movie, it's hard to completely capture the audience and slowly twist the perceptions.

Another thing forgotten in recent horror movies is the fact of NOT explaining everything within 5 minutes of it happening, it's more entertaining and spooky to speculate why someone sees something or what actually happened in a particular scene. People forget that in some of the best horror pictures like "Psycho" the real horror came from the suspense and the wondering of what was going to happen and that the violence was secondary.

The dialogue between characters is actually impressive especially in a couple scenes that you will be able to easily pick out. Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk who also created Nip/Tuck and Glee (odd combo) seem to be able to excel in almost any genre and especially now in horror. It's rare to writers like this who aren't afraid to jump around from genre to genre fearlessly.

It's hard to describe many aspects of this show without giving away to much so I must refrain from describing the plot as it appears so far.

The day after I viewed the pilot episode I was shocked to see all the negative feelings towards the content of the show. So let's be VERY clear this show is classified MA which stands for "Mature Audiences" which should be taken the same as and "R" rating for films, so if you don't want you or your kids to see it that's fine but don't get all pissy about a show you decided to watch that was marketed as a "psycho-sexual horror". Yes there is scenes of semi explicit sexual acts and scenes of disturbing violence but it's a horror story so images like that are to be expected.

It's refreshing to find a show that is different and does not follow traditional formula's TV horror shows. I plan to watch every week and enjoy the series fully, since it is honestly very rare to see a show do better in it's genre then most recent films.

American Horror Story arrived a couple weeks ago on the great FX network that also houses two of my favorite shows: "Sons of Anarchy" and "Justified".

Real Horror Fans Will Like It.

[ChrisMichael81 · 10/10 · 12 October 2011]

There are so many things that could have gone wrong with F.X. attempting to take on a genre that American Film makers have turned into a high school idiot machine. Thankfully the people who made this know what they are doing. If you are a horror buff you will understand what I am talking about after a couple of viewings. It could have been so easy to make a high school shock fest all wrapped up for a safe and appropriate viewing experience. This show is weird, deranged, creepy, and best off all well acted and well written. Great character development that is based on things people would actually do if they faced that situation. This show really does have a bright future if they keep rolling at this pace. I must say, I am very impressed. Almost Walking Dead impressed. This show though is way more deranged then Walking Dead though. Keep it up F.X. . You have a potential winner on your hands. This show of course is not for everybody. The people who don't like it would be better served by watching something a little more tame and mediocre like Tera Nova.

Classic Ryan Murphy gold

[winsumlosesum · 9/10 · 27 October 2011]

Initially I was left wondering how - what essentially is a short horror movie - could be made in to a long running TV series, but after a few episodes I started to realise that it's the Ryan Murphy magic that is sustaining this outstanding show.

Much like Nip/Tuck, you have to suspend your belief and see this as purely entertainment. There's so many open ended narratives that are slowly unfolding and although at times the show verges on the edge of cliché, a single episode could easily match the brilliance of such horror classics like The Amityville Horror and The People Under the Stairs.

At the end of every episode I feel shocked that 40 minutes have gone by, which is a sure sign that this show is pure, unadulterated, entertainment.

Great in early seasons, terrible in later seasons

[shanekraus · 6/10 · 19 March 2022]

I loved the first 2 seasons of ahs. This show had some good early seasons, especially asylum and freak show. Dandy and Twisty are terrifying. After season 4 freak show ahs went downhill. But the later seasons are awful. 0/10. After season 8 it becomes unwatchable. The opening credits of the show are the best part.

Has drawn me back in

[patstaciemcgue · 8/10 · 19 September 2017]

Season 7 - Cult. I will be completely honest, the first 2 episodes really turned me off. I figured this season was heading down the same path as Roanoke and perhaps worse with the political and social overtones. HOWEVER, I decided to keep watching. Things have turned around dramatically and I am now engaged in this season. It is ridiculous and unbelievable, but the characters are now starting to show themselves and several secrets are now out in the open. The show has been very good the past 3 episodes and has officially drawn me back in.

I will say this... the 5th episode "Holes" is brutal. I've been watching horror for over 30 years and I can honestly say I haven't had a scene un-nerve me to the extent this one did. Watch and you'll see what I mean.

AHS became almost unwatchable after Season 8

[agexien · 6/10 · 26 October 2022]

I used to be such a huge fan of the show, and in my opinion seasons 7 and 8 were its pinnacles. I re-watched them several times because they are pure masterpieces. Then, Season 9 came around, and I was so disappointed and couldn't stop questioning whether it was made by the same people who had created all the previous seasons. In season 10, things got even worse. While the first part of the season seemed promising, its finale turned out to be so underwhelming that I felt really let down. Being so disenchanted by it, I couldn't pass even the first episode of the second installment, which, in general, appeared super unappealing. Moving on to this last season, the first episode of Season 11 is such a bummer that I'm not going to continue watching this show anymore. That's enough! It's official, AHS is dead. I was asking myself the whole time while watching that ridiculous episode what it even had to do with AHS. Where is a horror in this story? Where are all the great characters? I understand why all the lead actors from pervious seasons decided to distant themselves from the show. From now on, I will do the same.

Thoughts on 1984

[Bertaut · 8/10 · 22 July 2020]

A pitch-perfect homage/parody of summer-camp slasher movies, AHS/1984 is, for me, the best season of American Horror Story since the exceptional second season, Asylum. However, there's no denying it's divisive, and AHS purists probably won't be overly impressed. For one thing, it's a dark and camp comedy before it's a thriller or a horror. For another, it leans very heavily into '80s clichés and slasher movie tropes. On the other hand, it's consistently hilarious, it doesn't take itself seriously, and despite the ridiculousness of the plot and the twists layered on top of twists, it manages to elicit quite a bit of empathy for a couple of characters who were introduced as one-dimensionally irredeemable. And the soundtrack, wardrobe, and hairstyles have more '80s cheese and excess than you could ever imagine.

LA, 1984. Montana (Billie Lourd), a fiery devil-may-care extrovert; Xavier (a superb Cody Fern), a self-serious aspiring actor; Chet (Gus Kenworthy), a professional athlete who has been suspended from Team USA for the 1984 Olympics after failing a drug test; and Ray (DeRon Horton), a friendly man with a troubling secret, are heading to work as counsellors at a newly reopened summer camp called Camp Redwood. They ask their new friend Brooke (Emma Roberts) to join them, but she declines. However, that night, she's attacked by Richard Ramirez, aka the Night Stalker (a brilliant Zach Villa). She fends him off, but the incident convinces her to join the others. At Redwood, they meet Margaret (an exceptional Leslie Grossman), who survived a massacre there in 1970 and now owns the camp; Rita (Angelica Ross), the nurse; Bertie (Tara Karsian), the chef; and Trevor (a hilarious Matthew Morrison), the activities director. Meanwhile, Benjamin Richter, aka Mr Jingles (a scene-stealing John Carroll Lynch), the former groundskeeper at Redwood and perpetrator of the 1970 massacre, escapes from a nearby mental facility and heads to the camp.

The first thing you'll notice about 1984 is how immersed it is in slasher movie references and tropes, with a particular preference for Halloween (1978) and, especially, Friday the 13th (1980), both of which are referenced throughout the nine episodes. Not quite a post-modernist reimagining of the genre, the season could stand as a respectable slasher story in its own right, and in this sense, the tone is absolutely pitch-perfect. Take the opening credits. Whereas previous AHS sequences are usually unnerving, the opening to 1984 is a thing of tacky '80s beauty - shot on VHS in 1.33:1 (the recording even has some visible tracking lines from time to time), the pastel-infused credits are made up of shots of aerobics, tape decks, gaudy fashion, dodgy '80s video graphics, VCRs, Ronald Reagan, and roller skates. Meanwhile, the unsettling AHS theme music is here reproduced on a synth. It's horrible, cheesy, about as unthreatening as you can imagine, and awesome.

The show goes on to hit classic genre markers such the campfire scene used to provide heavy exposition, the clichéd chase scene where the girl being pursued keeps tripping and falling over, the characters continually splitting up for various (dubious) reasons, and the plethora of pseudo-POV shots from behind trees.

Having said all that, however, there are certainly elements of postmodern-esque deconstruction at play; the girl with the huge breasts becomes the guy with the huge penis, the black characters survive beyond the opening act, the quintessential shower scene upon which someone is spying involves not women but men, and there's a fascinating pseudo-meta defamiliarisation of the clichéd notion that despite being flesh and blood humans, serial killers in slasher films are notoriously difficult to kill.

A vital element of any season of AHS is humour, and so too 1984. Usually, the best laughs come from the earnestness of the characters, who are blissfully unaware of how ridiculous they sound. So, when Brooke meets Xavier, he tells her, dead-pan, "I trained with Stella Adler. I'm method". Later on, he discusses the dangers of being in a coma by referencing the song, "Coma Chameleon". After one of the characters is badly burned, an argument breaks out and when someone tells this character to breathe, they proclaim, "I have breathed the fire of a thousand white-hot suns". Discussing Billy Idol, a character points out to Ramirez, "You can't sing "Rebel Yell" and not be a rebel", a point he concedes as pretty reasonable.

Thematically, despite its campiness, 1984 does actually have some things to say. The most obvious issue is media commodification of serial killers. Whether it be by making a movie or putting their face on a magazine, serial killers and mass murderers sell, and there's something inherently wrong about that; why do we give serial killers cool nicknames and then endlessly engage with them in every way imaginable, thus giving them exactly what so many of them want - infamy. And, of course, it wouldn't be AHS without looking at gender issues. Here we see a critique of the notion that female victims of male serial killers are celebrated as "feminist heroes", as if they'd rather be an icon than be alive. There's also a nicely written reformulation of the serial killer trope whereby women are not believed as they fight male monsters.

In terms of problems, on the one hand, there is too much time spent on explaining things the audience already knows and hitting character beats we've already hit. On the other, there is a disorienting and not entirely successful time jump between the second to last and last episode, and it feels almost like there was an episode skipped between the two, especially insofar as the finale ill-advisedly introduces an entirely new character (this sense of truncation isn't helped that the season is only nine episodes - AHS's shortest yet). Some viewers will also undoubtedly find the humour too camp and too frequent, undermining the horror element, whilst some will find the plethora of references nothing more than pastiche, intertextuality for its own sake.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this season of American Horror Story. It's not the most thrilling or unnerving, but it is the funniest and most self-reflexive. Strong characters, typically tremendous acting, and some genuinely heartfelt moments combine with great costumes, foolish hair, and a soundtrack of so-bad-they're-great songs to produce a season that might mean little to those born post-1989, but to the rest of us is an ode to the achingly familiar.

Season 11 Doesn't Seem to Belong with AHS

[akta_leende · 6/10 · 21 October 2022]

This season of American Horror Story seems so far almost like a side project for Ryan Murphy to further study the time period related to Dahmer. Not an American Horror Story type story at all. I did not tune into this series for this. It might be a valid and decent story, but, it belongs elsewhere. Very disappointed. Not sure if will watch further because I really did want to see the American Horror Story series. Not a social commentary on the 80's AIDS epidemic and gay cultural struggles set upon the back drop of a serial killer who drugs and kills gay men. If it was under a different project and not by the same creator who just gave us Dahmer with Evan Peters (which is such a stellar show on its own) I would not be forced to compare this with Dahmer - & I might be more likely to have wanted watch this under the AHS umbrella I miss the old American Horror Story.

Jumped The Shark

[edw1976 · 3/10 · 20 August 2023]

When a show goes from starring Jessica Lange to Kim Kardashian, it's time to throw in the towel.

This was once something I looked forward to each year, until Jessica Left, Kathy Bates had had enough misery, and here came Lady Whatever, nepotism baby-who-wouldn't-be-famous-if-it-weren't-for-her-aunt-and-father Emma Roberts (she has no stage/film "it" factor like the others), and a host of others lesser-talented actors. It had its highlights (Wes Bentley, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett), but nothing could replace the cast roster of the of the original first season. It's a shame Jessica Lange had had enough, because I'd watch her read the phonebook. It's time to retire this show.

Got to love this weird, haunted freak show

[wierdwar · 20 November 2011]

Something totally different in a entertainment landscape of toned down crap. Finally something that pushes the boundaries and takes some chances. In a time when everybody worries so much about whats real they unwilling to buy into anything slightly outlandish. Suspend your disbelieve and take a walk into the strangest, most twisted little series I've seen since Carnivale. I love this nightmarish ride into the twilight zone.

I think the casting is superb. Great acting throughout. The writing is fast paced and doesn't stretch things out like many long winded series. Too many shows take for ever to get the ball rolling. This show is fast paced and never leaves you much chance to breath before springing another traumatic event your way. I can hardly wait to see where this fun house ride leads to next.

One of my all time favorite series

[ontheis · 10/10 · 27 July 2020]

I love horror, both plain or horror comedy. This one has it all. It's sometimes haunting, sometimes silly, weird, disturbing, fabulous, campy... but always interesting. Full of colorful characters, unpredictable plots and great cinematography, it is one of my favorite series ever. It's not for everyone though, many love it, many hate it... some will like a couple of seasons and dislike other ones... But I find every single one at least good in some way, if not great or excellent. Favorite seasons so far - 1, 4, 5 and 9. As it is anthology, you can watch in any order, although some seasons are intertwined, but it's subtle. Recommended for any horror lover, or horror/dark comedy lover!

Delicate is LOSING me

[jeaniawhaley · 9/10 · 4 October 2023]

I have LOVED AHS! But Delicate is not keeping me entertained at all. I am just not feeling Kim Kardashian in this.... I have watched the first 3 episodes and just cannot connect with her on this one. I hate to say it...but I just don't think I can watch anymore of this one. I hope they have another season...without Kim. I may be the only person on earth that feels this way, who knows, but she just does not fit the part at all. Overall, I have enjoyed all of the other seasons as they have kept me wanting more with each episode. I still think the first season is by far my favorite. It left me stunned when I realized I, in fact, did not have that one figured out half way through the season.

American Horror Story is Done

[thalassafischer · 9/10 · 19 October 2023]

The 9 stars are for the first 9 seasons.

American Horror Story was a brilliant show in the early years, and I've watched some seasons on repeat, especially Hotel.

Sarah Paulson was one of the most talented, dynamic actors consistently throughout all of the different narratives and characters.

I was not excited at all about Double Feature or NYC, and Delicate is just bad. It's awful. If I had never seen American Horror Story before and only watched Delicate, I would give it one star.

All good things must come to an end, and Ryan Murphy just didn't know when to stop. At least we'll always have Coven.

Awesomeeeeeee

[dipseydoo · 10/10 · 9 February 2013]

Loved it - it has everything a horror buff would want to see - possession, aliens, goriness, mutants, experiments and much more ALL UNDER ONE ASYLUM !! Loved it to the core ! Also loved the eerie song - dominiquee !! This one was wayyyy better than season one ! Season one has lots of loose ends and lots of questions even after the season finale but this season even ended well. Everything falls into place or is taken care off. However I did feel they killed a few characters earlier than required but no real complaints. I was glued - I just could not stop watching. I saw the whole season back to back in 2 days straight. Really looking forward to season 3.

AHS was once iconic. It should have ended earlier.

[dsvperez · 7/10 · 4 November 2022]

AHS is sometimes a great show. Some seasons are amazing and some are just ok. Season 9 was not that great and so far season 10 is awful. The writing now feels like it was written by a teenager. The dialogue doesn't feel natural at all. The whole vibe is different and amateurish. Scenes are included that are ridiculous and don't make sense, even for a fictional horror show.

I highly recommend the early seasons though so I'm still rating it highly. It was innovative and unique. I looked forward to the episodes every week. The cast, acting, and the writing were all phenomenal. There were fan theories that they all tied together which made it even more interesting. If they would've ended it on top it would be a 10/10.

Hit or miss

[calemiller-75547 · 8/10 · 21 October 2021]

Some seasons have been really good. Some have been nothing special but still watchable. The last season with the double feature was horrible. The first part was fine. Nothing special but still decent enough to watch. The second half was horrible. I found myself fast forwarding through the finale because it was just that bad.

Ok, used to be good

[nbptted-180-4359 · 7/10 · 24 September 2021]

Let's see.... Season 10 e1 , uninspiring, boring, yawn... Vampires in p-town sounds great right ! Nope... Show has been struggling for several seasons. "1984" was a return to hopefully something good and fun, but was just a fluke I guess.

Main problem is the show, and everybody in it. Seem to think way too much of themselves and act like they invented the horror genre. They don't seem to really be trying. I,'s like we're just supposed to be horrified and entertained by their mere presence and the spooky atmospheric production values. Time for the show to end. Time to move on.

Season 1 - Murder House

[Bored_Dragon · 8/10 · 6 October 2023]

"You're gonna regret it"

If you expect slasher or horror based on jump-scares, skip "Murder House". Although the series contains these elements, it is primarily a psychological horror. Maybe even not so much horror as a psychological drama-thriller seasoned with horror. I didn't find it scary at all, but the well-constructed mysterious and dark atmosphere completely captivated me from the first episode.

The first thing that caught my eye was the visual aspect of the series. The camera, directing and editing are commendable and accompanied by excellent sound and music create an all-pervading eerie atmosphere.

The story idea itself is not particularly original. Attracted by the unusually low price, the family moves into a beautiful old house, not knowing the history of madness and crimes that took place there, and gave a whole new meaning to the term "haunted house". However, even though the basic premise is a cliché of the genre, the way the series deals with clichés, thoroughness in building a dramatic and unpredictable story, and most of all, the strong characterization of believable, life-like characters, and their excellent dialogues, make the script of the first season of "American Horror Story" one of the best I met in the genre, and I saw hundreds.

The main asset of the first season is striking characters and their masterfully interwoven relationships. There are quite a few characters and not one is neglected. They're all essential to the story, they're all superbly written and, perhaps most importantly, they're brought to life even better by, I daresay, a perfect cast. There are too many to mention, although they all deserve it, but I have to single out the performances of Evan Peters and Jessica Lange, whose nonchalant creepiness is mesmerizing.

I watched these twelve episodes as hypnotized, almost from the beginning deciding to give the series a ten out of ten, but the last episode somewhat spoiled the overall impression. They could have left the story unfinished, ending it with the eleventh episode and it would have been a clean ten. Even the first twenty minutes of the last episode wraps up the story nicely and is quite spot on. But then comes the last half hour, overcrowded, rushed, contrived, and banal half hour, which has absolutely no place there. The idea implemented in those half an hour is not bad in itself, although it is unnecessary, but the realization that would maintain the level of the rest of the season would require at least a couple of additional episodes. This way we got a forced extension, which is a bit redundant, and even more blistering because of the humor that breaks the dark and tense atmosphere.

9/10.

Boring

[seanpuffy3 · 6/10 · 24 October 2021]

This latest season is boring and slow as all hell! Wasn't a fan of 1984 either. Let get back to Mansion and asylum type seasons. Last couple seasons have been mediocre and corny. Time to step up the writing.

From very good to a complete mess

[tindfoting · 5/10 · 18 March 2022]

The first seasons of AHS was very good. Something fresh, always a story with a twist, and they had Jessica Lange and then unknown Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. I really liked the dark, gritty style, changing from season to season. Unfortunately, after Freak Show, which I really liked, there has been a letdown in quality for each season. The departure of Jessica Lange made a big void, but Sarah Paulson has shown us that she is indeed a versatile star. But Hotel was the beginning of a decline, with the infamous, stupid glorified serial killer episode. Ryan Murphy himself said 3 years ago he was out of ideas, so time to put a lid on it. You aint doing any favors with the new American Horror Stories. And the new actors are terrible, with an exception in Billie Lourd.