This Courtney Cox Horror Series Will Have You Laughing And Then Wondering Why 

We don’t talk enough about 30 minute shows. How beautiful they are. You can watch them during a lunch break, workout, or existential crisis, all without pausing halfway through and leaving on a cliffhanger.

Often, these shows are comedies; but when they’re dramas, thrillers, or romances, they deliver all the substantial entertainment that you’d expect from longer shows, but in a more digestible format. They’re Hour Show Lite™!

Shining Vale is one of those shows. Currently streaming on Max, this series is not only addictive but bingeable. Despite running for two seasons, it predominantly consists of 30-minute episodes, and if you’re the type to accompany your lunches or FitOn workouts or unexplained crying sessions with television, then it’s the perfect fit. I haven’t even mentioned its perfect mix of horror and comedy yet. Speaking of which, let’s get into all the reasons why Shining Vale should be your next binge watch. Also, you should probably tell your therapist that you’ve been crying a lot.

The intersection of mental illness and misogyny shouldn’t be this funny 

Shining Vale will frequently make you laugh and then wonder how it managed to do that. That’s because the themes of this series sound dark on paper – demonic possession, chauvinism, mental illness – but arrive wrapped in a gorgeous frilly bow. This is partly due to Courteney Cox’s magnetic performance as Pat Phelps, a writer suffering from depression who moves her family to the suburbs to escape her past. However, it’s also thanks to the show’s acerbic wit, which blends those themes into potent scenes that pay homage to classic horror films, but with a comedic twist.

That said, this series certainly goes to town with the horror-thriller trope of everyone calling a woman crazy when she’s clearly sane. This will surely frustrate you at times. On the other hand, it also allows for thoughtful commentary on the evolving roles of women throughout history, kind of like what the Netflix series Cassandra does with psychopathic robots. This show is smart!

Pat’s one-liners

Pat Phelps is a hilarious character, but not in an ironic way. She’s in on the joke! She’s unfailingly clever and sarcastic – she is a writer, after all – and never takes things too seriously. This can be a problem when Pat needs to contend with supernatural occurrences and a possible demon infestation in her home, but it makes for amusing viewing. Also, Cox gleefully delivers Pat’s one-liners with expert timing. It’s kind of what you would expect from one of the most famous sitcom stars of all time. Speaking of which, I can’t seem to remember what show she starred in. Ugh, it’s on the tip of my tongue! I’ll have to ask some friends.

The Mira Sorvino effect 

Yes, this series heavily features Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino. Sorvino won Best Supporting Actress in 1995 for playing a brassy, likeable sex worker in Mighty Aphrodite. Sound familiar? Yeah, she was the O.G. Mikey Madison. Wait, no. Apparently, women have been winning Oscars for playing sex workers since (checks notes) 1928. Wow, Anora isn’t really that groundbreaking after all! Anyway, Sorvino devours her multifaceted role as Rosemary in this series. I won’t give anything away, but she’s both funny and tragic and sells every scene that she’s in. 

Pat’s career is actually important to the story 

Why do movies and series always feature a non-representative amount of successful writers in them? I can think of maybe ten authors whom I’d immediately recognize in public; and yet, Hollywood keeps selling the myth that “famous, beloved, and rich author of fiction” is a common and easily achievable profession in this country. In any case, Shining Vale at least makes good use of Pat’s writing career, milking it for thrills and weaving it into the plot. 

Its love for horror is showing 

Shining Vale feels fresh thanks to its effective mix of horror and comedy, but it’s still inspired by classic horror films and frequently references them. Without spoiling anything, I can say with 75% authority that this series references Rosemary’s Baby, The Amityville Horror, The Omen, The Exorcist, The House of the Devil, The Shining, The Changeling, and Poltergeist. Someone also said that it references Friends but I forget why. Anyway, if you’re a horror nerd with a sense of humor, then Shining Vale is for you! But seriously, tell your therapist about all that crying.