‘American Horror Story: Fragile’ or When Motherhood Becomes a Nightmare | Culture

The new season of America’s Scary Story, the long-running horror series created in 2011 by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, was marked by two unprecedented (for AHS) events. First, Murphy and Falchuk handed the creative reins to Hailey Pfeiffer, an award-winning playwright and cult-film actress known for her work on Broadway and in the films of Noah Baumbach. And for the first time, an AHS season is based on a novel, putting a twist on Ira Levin’s classic. Rosemary’s Baby (made into a film by Roman Polanski in 1969).

Adapted from the 12th season of AHS fragile state, a novel by Daniel Valentine about Anna Alcott, an indie actress who is desperate to give birth to a child. Played with just the right touch of naivety, desire and ambition by Emma Roberts, Anna undergoes a grueling in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. But things start to go horribly wrong and neither does her husband (played by none other than Matt Zuccry Gilmore Girls fame) is ready to believe that someone is playing twisted games with him.

Since its inception in 2011, the franchise has aimed to showcase the American brand of horror. Murphy and Falchuk, who previously co-created Boundary-Pushing Nip/tuck, has always strived to innovate with AHS. It has practically created its own subgenre within the diverse horror landscape by exploring racial and neurodiversity themes, and featuring queer characters and older women in unexpected roles. The series has also adopted a visually stunning aesthetic that reimagines even the most clichéd tropes.

This America’s Scary Story The anthology has maintained continuity through series mainstays such as Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, and Jessica Lange. Their intersecting paths in various roles have become the true driving forces of each season, as these actors undergo fascinating transformations from ghosts and witches to serial killers, freaks and post-apocalypse survivors. The show constantly pushed boundaries, offering countless nuanced characters, while still embracing their real humanity.

Hailey Pfeiffer’s expertise as showrunner of this famous and enigmatic series is remarkable. She skillfully embraces the minimalist cinematography that is so popular these days, sometimes even capturing scenes upside down. Not to mention the exceptional portrayal of the characters, especially the striking pair of black-feathered women who do more than chase the protagonist. The change in range leadership is seamless and barely noticeable unless you pay attention to it. Pfeiffer’s vision is marked by plenty of light and few night scenes, although some episodes were directed by a dark and brooding Jennifer Lynch.

The story is actually quite simple: there’s a woman who wants something she can’t have, and is used by everyone around her. Pfeiffer uses the human body as a catalyst for nightmares, reminiscent of Julia Dokournau (Titan) cinematic style, but without any hidden gems for the French filmmaker. One scene in particular – the one with the hair – is endlessly fascinating and brings Murphy and Falchuk’s classic story to an achingly intimate level. Losing control in the face of an unstable reality, due to induced paranoia, adds to the horror.

Macabre Fable

Criticism of Hollywood and its ruthless pursuit of fame — consuming stars to fuel the dream factory — takes on a dark, mythic quality this season of AHS. Kim Kardashian, playing both agent and best friend to Emma Roberts’ character, is the devious seductress who tempts the protagonist to choose between an Oscar and life. Anna Alcott (Roberts) has been nominated for an Oscar and now has to go on a promotional tour that means giving up everything else – even the possibility of motherhood.

Pfeiffer’s vision presents a domesticated version of the Murphy/Falchuk formula, with a powerful villain controlling the protagonist’s world. The nightmare in this season of AHS is entirely plausible, as Anna Alcott’s life is manipulated by remote forces who have hacked her mobile phone. It is not social networks that dictate our lives, but our acceptance of being enslaved by a system of seemingly personal systems.

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