The last few years have probably felt familiar to many, with a constant blame game in the media attributing violence and crime to one thing or another. Those who lived through the 1980s likely remember the Satanic Panic that spread through the United States, where politicians blamed all sorts of things on kids and teenagers becoming obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons and heavy metal music. This panic was reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials, which in turn were like the Red Scare of the 1950s. Now, we get to look back at this crazy era through a modern lens, thanks to Hysteria!
Created by Matthew Scott Kane, Hysteria! looks at a small Michigan town in the 1980s where the disappearance of a popular high school student leads to theories of devil worship and supernatural influences in the community. While some parents begin to experience strange phenomena, a trio of teens decide to pretend to be Satan worshippers to get popular and boost their band’s credibility. Needless to say, things go awry when actual Satanists are involved in the town and the rash of murders. As the supernatural evil comes into play opposite the very human evil that exists every day, everyone must face the truth threatening their town.
I got the chance to talk to the cast and creators of Hysteria! about their new series. The one and only Bruce Campbell talked about playing a role much more serious than the ones he is known for and what being a “special guest star” really means. Anna Camp and Nikki Hahn talked about playing mother and daughter, while Camp talked about iconic horror mothers that may have impacted her character. Creator Matthew Scott Kane talked about where he got the idea for Hysteria! while producer and writer David A. Goodman talked about his favorite parts of the series. Stars Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, and Kezii Curtis talked about similarities between their characters and those in Harry Potter and Stranger Things. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.
Hysteria! is now airing on Peacock. Read our review!