“Agatha All Along” Review: A Strong Horror Series, But With Room To Grow

With Halloween quickly approaching, what better way to celebrate the spooktacular season than with some spine-tingling, hair-raising horror films and television series? Of course, Disney is never one to back down from a challenge – it’s decided to cook something up just for the occasion.

Yes, the most vicious witch in Westview is back, this time in her own show, with a whole new coven with her, ready to wreak havoc. Despite the horror aspects of the show, “Agatha All Along” adds a dash of wickedness and even comedy to your standard horror flick, but is familiar enough that you remember that this is a Marvel show. However, this series is to be the spiritual successor to one of Disney’s first few direct-to-streaming hits, “WandaVision.” This begs the question: is the show a worthy sequel, or will we need an equally powerful witch just to seal it away from our memories?

The series begins in a peculiar way, where Agatha Harkness (played by Kathryn Hahn) is living out her life in Westview as a hardened detective — an illusion cast by Wanda Maximoff during the end of “WandaVision.” Agatha would have continued on with this life almost indefinitely if it weren’t for the meddling of a young boy who is nicknamed “Teen” (played by Joe Locke). Agatha was able to escape her confinement and return to her regular life with his assistance, but she is still not out of the woods.

Free from her imprisonment but deprived of her power, she is now on the run from forces far greater than her. In order to stand a chance, Agatha forms a coven and heads out to the “Witches’ Road,” a perilous journey that will grant the coven their deepest needs.

“Agatha All Along” is a wickedly fun series that will first leave you intrigued then leaves you bound to your seat until you finish all episodes. It is evident from the start that the writers took a clear path for the story that can be explained with minimal confusion or plot holes. This is a breath of fresh air compared to other horror or mystery shows that immediately blast you with overarching plot lines or plans within plans. Though the premise is evident, it still takes its time (namely the first two episodes) to set the stage for the true horror and mystery to begin.

Of course, to tide the viewers over while the plot is slowly unravelling before us, the show is packed with comedic and satirical moments that we learn to expect from Marvel. However, unlike previous entries to the MCU, the humour in this series is actually witty and is not overbearing or exhausting. Agatha obviously gets the best quips, which not only serve to break the tension between stressful moments in the series but to further reveal her view on things.

Ever since “Doctor Strange” officially introduced magic to the MCU, we have seen nothing but excessive use of CGI to supplement and give us the magic-like scenes in the film. Unfortunately, the quality of the CGI has suffered significantly, with films such as “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which arguably have the worst animation and special effects of any MCU entry to date.

Surprisingly enough, “Agatha All Along” has some exceptional use of digital and practical special effects that further drives the show to above and beyond your usual Disney show. From the firing of spells to the shattering of wood, everything feels real and natural. Further elevating the horror aspect of the film is its clever cinematography that plays up the foul and terrible creatures that you’ll see in the show. 

Of course, we cannot discuss the show without talking about Kathryn Hahn’s performance. She is undoubtedly the highlight of the series, thanks to the unapologetic energy that she brings to Agatha’s character. Though it may be too early to say, it is noticeable that her performance is nowhere near as good as it was during “WandaVision.” Here’s hoping it will improve later as the story evolves.

Though Hahn is a decorated actress, it is still nice to see her co-star, Joe Locke, able to keep up with her performance. He might seem like an annoying inclusion who’d just like to fanboy over Agatha at first, but he manages to win us over with a surprisingly good performance and nice dialogue execution. They’re an oddly enjoyable duo that we can watch without getting sick off.

Unfortunately, these sentiments don’t really apply to the rest of the coven, as it’s almost easy to forget that they are there. We understand that they are secondary characters, but that is no excuse, especially if they are equally decorated actresses in their own right. Sasheer Zamata, Debra Jo Rupp, Ali Ahnm, and Patti LuPone give amazing performances, but they aren’t given the opportunity to shine further because the script was essentially stacked against them. The only exception to this rule, is Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal.

The script is also quite flawed when you examine it closely. This is supposed to be a horror mystery show, but the series is clearly lacking in the mystery and suspense department — especially when you compare it to its predecessor. Furthermore, the introduction of the show is clumsy, to say the least. Though we know the detective part of the story is an illusion, it is still awkward and sometimes cringe-inducing. Had the writers spent more time creating a much more engaging introduction, that maybe had more mystery, then maybe we could’ve overlooked it. 

Overall, “Agatha All Along” is an intriguing show that is looking to continue the legacy of Disney’s previous series with its horror-themed bravado. Back this up with phenomenal practical and digital effects, and you have a thrilling series to watch during Halloween that might actually give you a scare. Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, and Aubrey Plaza are phenomenal in their roles, though it still has room to grow.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the other supporting characters, as the script does not do them justice. The show is also lacking in the sense of mystery, something its predecessor masterfully used to its advantage, something we hope to see change in future episodes.

“Agatha All Along” can be streamed starting 19th September at Disney+ Hotstar.