Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen may sound like a promise of supernatural horror. And to be honest, when I first saw that title, I almost didn’t click on it. As the latest production from the Duffer Brothers, it may also sound like a warning: after the divisive ending of Stranger Things, audiences have reason to fear that something very bad might indeed happen again. But I clicked anyway, and I do not regret it at all.
I ended up binging the entire series in two days, which I maybe shouldn’t have done, because I barely slept. But it was impossible to stop. What had me a little worried going in was the Duffer Brothers’ involvement, after leaving many fans unsatisfied with their ending of Stranger Things. It should be noted, however, that Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen was created by Haley Z. Boston, with the Duffer Brothers only serving as producers. And I think that makes a difference. This show feels like its own thing, and I was relieved.
But let’s start at the beginning. If you think you have attachment issues or difficult in-laws, wait until you meet the Cunninghams. Netflix has somehow managed to create the perfect recipe for what happens when you don’t listen to your gut feeling about the person you love. At first, I thought the series was going to be a pretty basic horror story about the creepy family of your boyfriend and a mysterious stranger who keeps asking unsettling questions like “Are you sure he’s the one?”. Rachel, the protagonist, is about to marry her boyfriend Nicky and is experiencing what is probably the worst week of her life. And honestly, I felt so sorry for her. The couple has decided on a small ceremony at Nicky’s parents’ house, so they set off on a road trip together. But the closer they get to their destination, the stranger things become.
Deserted gas stations, an abandoned ice cream shop in the middle of nowhere, and a growing sense that something is deeply wrong create an atmosphere of constant discomfort. I remember sitting there at midnight and genuinely feeling uneasy. The series is remarkably effective at making you feel both fascinated and unsettled at the same time, which I didn’t really expected from a Netflix production. Rachel has no idea what is happening, and neither did I. What makes Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen so effective is not necessarily what it shows, but that it withholds. I kept asking myself whether Rachel is dealing with a supernatural curse, a manipulative family, or is she simply dealing with her own growing paranoia? Instead of cheap jump scares, the show builds tension through silence, strange encounters, and a lingering sense of dread that I honestly could not shake, even when I paused to get some water.
However, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is more than just a supernatural horror story, and I think that’s what surprised me most. As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Rachel is not only fighting a curse but also confronting her own fears and insecurities. “Are you sure he’s the one?” kept echoing in my head too. Is it a warning about the curse, or does it reflect Rachel’s own doubts? I think many people, including myself, have been in a situation where you kind of know something is off but you don’t want to admit it. The fear of choosing the wrong partner, of losing yourself in a relationship, or of discovering that your soulmate may not be who you thought they were becomes just as frightening as the curse itself. By grounding its horror in emotions that I personally could relate to, the series creates a surprisingly deeper experience than its beginning initially suggested.
As the story unfolds, the show reveals even more complexity than what it initially felt like at the beginning. The Cunningham family, who I personally found deeply unsettling and almost threatening at first, are not as one-dimensional as they seem. Over time, it becomes clear that some characters defy the initial assumptions I made about them, and what looked like danger is replaced by unexpected plot twists that I really did not see coming. This shift keeps you off balance and made me realize that my own perception was just as unreliable as Rachel’s.
At the same time, I have to admit that the atmosphere did feel slightly different as the series went on. The beginning was honestly the most unsettling part for me. The further the story progressed, the more it shifted away from pure psychological unease and focused more on plot development and emotional resolution. I wouldn’t say that weakened the series, but I did miss that intense, haunting feeling from the first few episodes, it was one of the things I liked most about it.
Still, what stayed with me was the deeper emotional layer beneath all the horror elements. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen ultimately works best, in my opinion, as a story about uncertainty, relationships, trust, and the fear of making the wrong choice. I found Rachel’s journey incredibly relatable. It is not only about escaping a possible curse, but also about confronting the doubts and insecurities you carry around with you, whether they are justified or not.
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen turns out to be less of a prediction and more of a provocation, and I mean that in the best possible way. I went into it expecting horror, but what I got was something far more intimate: a story about the fear of uncertainty in love and choice. Rather than delivering a simple payoff of horror or shock, the ending leans into emotional ambiguity in a way that I found really brave. It does not try to leave you shaken by what happens, but by what could have happened, and what it reveals about Rachel’s inner world – and maybe about your own.
In that sense, the series does not simply end, it settles. And even though I would have liked the second half to be a little more unsettling, I can honestly say that this is one of the most emotionally affecting things I have watched in a long time. “Something bad” does happen along the way, but what I will remember most is not fear, it’s that strange, quiet clarity about relationships, doubt, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of both.
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