REVIEW #176 The Strain (4 Seasons)

The Strain is a horror/drama series set in a New York that is under threat from a new parasite turning citizens into blood thirsty vampires. A bunch of unlikely companions band together to take the fight to ‘The Master’ the central being in control of the hoards of infected people. 

The Strain is so underrated, it’s virtually unknown amongst most people and considering it’s respectable cast and dramatic storyline, I’m surprised it hasn’t received more love and notoriety. With the likes of Corey Stoll, Kevin Durand and David Bradley leading the cast, it’s full of familiar faces that can reel audiences in. I just want to make one thing clear, this depiction of Vampires couldn’t be any further from the likes of Twilight and Vampire Diaries. The infected victims are grotesque parasites, with a really freaky design that makes the entire storyline pack a more menacing punch. The series is based on the novels of the same name, written by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, most of you will know Del Toro for directing films like Hellboy and Nightmare Alley, but his writing here has created a really enjoyable television show. I think the characters are one of the strongest elements of the show, it’s incredibly hard to pick a favourite but Abraham Setrakian and Fet are probably my top two! The development is great over the course of the four seasons and it not only has a nice selection of protagonists, it actually has some really interesting villains too. We have ‘The Master’ which is the central being in control of the parasites infecting people but it’s actually his right hand man Thomas Eichorst who is the most prominent villain for me. Ex Nazi officer, recruited by the Matser for his sinister views, he plays a truly despicable character and that’s what makes a fantastic villain. The cinematography is strong straight from the off, I will say the initial design for ‘The Master’ in season one is absolutely awful, I’m not sure what they were thinking there but they soon fixed it in season 2 I believe. The setting of New York as it transitions into a post apocalyptic state, creates some really nice visuals, especially for an FX series. One thing I was really disappointed about was how long Sean Astin appeared on the show for! I mean Samwise Gamgee battling vampires! Unfortunately he only appeared in season one which is a real shame. Overall I think for a relatively small show, it worked wonders. The Strain brings a unique approach to the Vampire genre and establishes a strong unique selling point which had me hooked from the first few episodes. The cast is great, the storyline is strong and the cinematography is pretty good too. I hope my review can convince some of you to give it a go because it definitely deserves some more love!

Overall 8.3/10

Thanks for reading.

Callan