AmericAn Horror Story: roAnoke

released OUT NOW! 2016 | 18 | Blu-ray/dVd/download

Showrunner ryan Murphy Cast evan Peters, Kathy Bates, angela Bassett, sarah Paulson

American Horror Story is as unkillable as the slasher monsters it references. Every year it resurrects in a different form, with new tricks to delight/annoy its audience. But season six is more transformed than usual, with showrunner Ryan Murphy taking big risks – with mixed results.

AHS is divisive at the best of times, but Roanoke’s extra-meta four-act structure about a haunted-house reality show, delivered through a foundfootage format, split fans faster than Kathy Bates’s meat cleaver.

There are still plenty of familiar elements to keep things grounded (well, as grounded as a show that references Blair Witch, The Shining and its own mythology in the same scene can be), with characters and locations from previous seasons randomly showing up.

Despite the unusual format, this is probably the most focused AHS has been since season two, with a clear narrative leading a straight path through the usual madness. As such, we can’t help but wonder if this release will change haters’ minds: separated into weekly instalments, Roanoke frustrated, but as a complete, bingeable experience, it’s as unified as the best of the series.

Extras A cast and crew Q&A from PaleyFest 2017, and three minutes of promos. Sam Ashurst