American Horror Stories – Rubber(wo)Man 1&2

We could barely contain ourselves when we saw that AHS was unleashing a spinoff series of shorts entitled American Horror Stories.

Better still, we learned that the first two instalments of this new addition to the franchise would be set in the ‘Murder House’, the imposing Californian mansion where it all began, and the place that (for those of you that watched AHS Apocalypse) plays an even more significant part in the wider story than we initially thought.

When teen Scarlett (Sierra McCormick) moves to the supposedly haunted abode with her dads Michael (Matt Bomer) and Troy (Gavin Creel) she is open to the change of scenery. Her parents hope to convert the building into an attraction, based on its dark reputation and to all intents and purposes it initially seems like a quick way to make some cash.

But it isn’t long until Scarlett experiences paranormal events in the house and is made aware that she and her fathers are not alone.

Rather than be afraid and want escape, Scarlett is somewhat drawn to the energy in the residence and upon finding the famous rubber suit, she dons it  and feels an instant connection with the benevolent invisible spirits that surround her.

Having alternative tastes leads to tension and home and also makes Scarlett a target at school. And when a group of popular girls takes an interest in her, she disregards the advice of her lifelong friend and becomes entangled in a toxic game with the group. Unfortunately for the girls, playing games with a girl like Scarlett and being lured to this particular den of depravity can only lead to one thing.

Things escalate quickly and this chain of events brings more characters both living and dead to the fore. The end result is a barrage of great horror moments which live up to the American Horror Story legacy.

In many ways, this first part of American Stories was everything we had hoped for. A return to the Murder House with a typically good plot, strong cast and nods to previous events. It felt stylistically right and delivered unexpected twists which worked well. Nothing about it felt inferior to its forbears and given the fact that AHS usually has an entire series to deliver its drama, it’s surprising that the production team could fit so much in to such a short space of time here.

That said, though the second episode match the tone, it did struggle to deliver the same impact as the first, feeling, for the most part like an epilogue that the audience could have survived without.

American Horror Stories parts 1 and 2 have done well to whet our appetite for the rest of the series and the exciting double bill which is heading our way, starring some of our AHS favourites.

If you’re an American Horror Story fan, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to add all of this to your watch-list.

American Horror Stories is available in the UK on Star as part of the Disney+ subscription. 

Movie Rating:

Trailer: