Hi all!
Today I am reviewing American Horror Story NYC (Season 11). Check out my ranking of the entire franchise here. I’ve also reviewed Season 1 (click here) and 2 (click here) of American Horror Stories. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
THE PREMISE
Set in 1980’s New York City, a masked serial killer begins targeting and killing gay men. One by one, homosexuals are picked off in leather bars and same-sex clubs. At the same time, a scientist/doctor (Billie Lourd), investigates a deadly new virus, linked to the emerging AIDS epidemic.
WHAT WORKED
I have thoughts about this season. It took several episodes for me to truly get into and understand it. I interpret NYC as a horror story about the AIDS epidemic, plus the lack of awareness surrounding the disease. As the episodes progressed, it became less about the serial killer and more about the importance of prevention. I appreciated the underlying narrative coming full circle at the end. Furthermore, I really liked the casting. I’m a huge fan of Zachary Quinto. He played narcissistic, shallow socialite, Sam, perfectly. There were some very touching relationships developed throughout the story, which made the ending hit harder. In terms of the horror elements, I believe they were effective. It’s worth noting this particular instalment is not overtly supernatural. The scares lie in what the world endured, prior to the intervention of medicine. It provides plenty of perspective. It’s fair to state that someone living in 2022 is much more likely to survive AIDS, than someone in the 1980’s.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
If I had to rank NYC compared to the rest of the franchise, it would be placed quite low. Despite all the positives mentioned above, I wasn’t overly engaged with the season. It was quite disjointed at times. There were storylines that weren’t revisited and a few plot points that didn’t make sense. For example, Sandra Bernhard’s character, Fran, becomes a tarot reader, with supernatural abilities. I really liked watching her tell people’s fortunes. Especially when she was no longer in control of the cards. That was spooky. However, her story didn’t progress any further. I wanted this instalment to be more streamlined and less chaotic. It had an important message to tell, that could have been executed smoothly. This is an issue with Ryan Murphy’s works overall. He starts strong but doesn’t know how to land the plane.
OVERALL STAR RATING
I gave it 3/5 stars. I do recommend it. However, it pales in comparison to some of the other seasons.
Thank you so much for reading! What did you think of NYC?
Peace & Love xoxo