What's in the box? Or to be more precise, the mystery box? You know, that blend of a core mystery, intertwining plot threads and a variety of characters we hate, love, or love to hate trying to figure it all out.
From The X-Files "mythology arc" to Lost to Fringe to Yellowjackets, mystery box shows intrigue and enthrall us, but unfortunately tend to also let most of us down when they finally show us what's inside.
Four long years after its debut, the horror series From – a mystery box show if there ever was one – is finally available to Malaysians (on, cough cough, an official platform, that is), and the wait has been well worth it.
This is the kind of show that runs an icy finger down your spine one minute, pats you reassuringly on the shoulder the next, then pulls the rug out from under your feet to reveal an abyss (or rabbit hole, depending on your disposition).
Let's baldly sum up the series like this: people travelling by road (it doesn't matter where) somehow end up in a weird, run-down and barely functional town.
Try as they might, they can't leave. They have food, shelter and utilities, but must remain indoors at night, shielded by mysterious talismans. Or some Very Bad Things will get them.
Even then, these VBTs – embodied as grinning, seemingly indestructible people – can be downright persuasive, as we see very early on in the series to gory and horrifying effect.
Army veteran and self-proclaimed town sheriff Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau, Lost) tries desperately to keep as many people as possible alive through each night, but you get the feeling that it's a losing proposition.
Over the course of its first three seasons, now all available to stream, however, new people arrive to make up the numbers (or perhaps, fulfil some karmic obligation?).
More of the town's "rules" are revealed, characters are somehow teleported to bizarre and/or terrifying places, spooky children show up to certain people, and the mystery deepens even as its outer layers are peeled away.
Just like in The Walking Dead, the best approach here is to not get too attached to any of the characters – among them, earnest deputy Kenny (Ricky He), his mum and the town diner's chief cook Tian-Chen (Elizabeth Moy), arrogant genius Jade Herrera (David Alpay), peculiar longtime resident Victor Kavanaugh (Scott McCord), grieving parents Tabitha and Jim Matthews (Catalina Sandino Moreno and Eion Bailey), Boyd's mentor/conscience and the town priest Father Khatri (Shaun Majumder), or the gruff Donna Raines (Elizabeth Saunders), who runs the Colony House – a sort of breakaway from the main Township. And that's barely scratching the surface of the sprawling cast.
Although a couple of jaw-dropping (and morale-crushing) revelations occur right at the end of the third season, we are still generally (and gleefully) clueless about the direction series creator John Griffin (writer of Disney+'s kiddy space adventure movie Crater) is taking it all.
It's not easy trying to step back from 30 episodes (each season runs a just-right 10) and provide an overarching view of From without giving away major spoilers.
What I can tell you is that the show demands your full attention – put those other screens away! – but rewards that attentiveness with shocks, revelations and tantalising clues.
Above all, the scripting and gung-ho cast perfectly capture the horror, frustration and desperation of people trapped in a hopeless, insane situation and still trying to make the most of things.
It is in these moments – community breakfasts at the diner, helping hands outstretched to even the crappiest of individuals, comfort to those experiencing horrible losses, forgiveness for lies and deceit – that one of the series' greatest strengths shines through.
At moments when a cry of "Oh, the humanity!" would be more apt, From also reminds us there is humaneness to be found in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Seasons One to Three are available on Prime Video with new episodes of Season Four premiering Mondays.
Summary:
Any time of year, you can find it here.
