Advance Review: Channel Zero: No-End House Delivers Big Scares for Season Two

Channel Zero: No-End HouseTonight Syfy premieres season two of the horror anthology series Channel Zero: No-End House. The six-episode installment, which is inspired by the "creepypasta" by Brian Russell, centers around an eerie haunted house where each of six rooms is filled with horrors more disturbing than the last.

The story follows college student Margot Sleator (Amy Forsyth) into the house, who's life is irrevocably changed when she returns home.



Channel Zero: No-End HouseThe premiere episode, airing tonight, is all about the house and what those who enter see. Each person claims to have a different experience than the last as the house messes with them psychologically, giving the house almost an urban legend status that people can't resist.

The show gives an overall impression of Russell's story, but the horrors within create Nick Antosca's own creepy vision, brought to life by director Steven Piet.

One of the things that first stood out to me about this season was the visuals. The imagery  throughout the show is bizarre and unsettling, yet often has this strangely odd beauty in the way it was filmed. In my opinion, the aesthetics of the piece play a big part in the show, and the music, as well as the silences, also add into that.

While the style of subsequent episodes feel a bit different than the premiere as the story shifts outside of the house, each episode still contains the discomforting quality that pulls you into the story.

I enjoyed that the show brings in a bit of mystery as you find yourself unraveling the story and gaining a deeper understanding of what is happening to Margot. I felt the story held a great balance of not just horror, but also a touch of science fiction as the season progresses.

Channel Zero: No-End HouseBesides the scares, the season also focuses on the relationship between Margot and her father (John Carroll Lynch) which ties the whole show together, and was played beautifully between the two.

The story also follows a few other characters as they become a part of Margot's journey, who are each intriguing in their own way, including best friend Jules (Aisha Dee), high school friend J.D. (Seamus Patterson), the mysterious Seth (Jeff Ward), and the drifter (Sebastian Pigott). Some of their stories are more successful than others, but the ensemble works with overall captivating performances.

The season is chilling from the start with the rooms of the haunted house and sustains that all the way through to the end, but it's so much more than just perhaps the scariest series of the fall. When anymore so much of the horror we see is remakes and regurgitated ideas, it's nice to see a unique and refreshing take.

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