Wednesday (2022) Series Review

RATING: 7.5/10

SAFE to say I'm a little bit late to the party, but that doesn't mean I can't gush about the charm that Netflix's Wednesday possesses, managing to be equal parts ooky and equal parts spooky in all the right ways.

After numerous expulsions from school, a teenage Wednesday Adamms (Jenna Ortega) is sent to Nevermore Academy where she can be given freedom to properly control her emerging physic abilities. But when her visions uncover a darker secret behind the school's possible demise, Wednesday must work with new-found friends Tyler (Hunter Doohan) and Enid (Emma Myers) in order to solve the mystery of Nevermore before its supposed demise is fulfilled.

As a plot, Wednesday isn't the most deeply-told narrative but it makes up for it in spades due to its amiable cast of characters. Jenna Ortega delivers easily the best performance of her young career portraying the iconic Adamms family daughter, capturing the stoic attitude she's known for. But what's fantastic about this is that the creators knew this emotionless protagonist would inevtiably become stale the longer the show goes, leading to the smart decision to give Wednesday various companions to allow for growth. Enid and Tyler are the best examples of this component, managing to play off Ortega to near perfection as Enid attempts to become best friends in what should be an overbearing fashion, but instead achieves the ideal balance of friendliness and annoyance. Meanwhile Doohan plays the obvious love interest, initially intrigued by her unavoidable appearance before turning into genuine affection for Wednesday. Other side characters such as Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) and Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci), who portrayed Wednesday in the original Adamms Family film, also play their roles adequately and are wonderful foils and advisers to the outcast.

If there's one aspect of the show I can nit-pick, it's that the special effects aren't exactly the greatest. Despite having a decently-sized budget, Wednesday displays some woesome CGI which is even more confusing as the green screen effects used for Thing were quite impressive, but a recurring monster that plays a large role in the series is incredibly ugly and distracting, taking myself out of the experience and drama.

Wednesday isn't the deepest of shows, but that's what makes it one of the best shows currently on Netflix. The performances given by the entire cast, as well as the genuinely-funny dialogue written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, gives the show a sense of purity not seen in most series' on any streaming service nowadays. If you're looking for a fun romp with likeable characters and memeable moments, Wednesday is any easy recommendation - even if you're not a fan of horror.