I've watched 2 of the stories (The Golden Arm and Grey Cloud Island) so far (6 episodes) and have to admit that I'm impressed. They are what they are. Lower budget anthologies. But, they're very enjoyable. Don't expect fancy/expensive special effects here. Just 'good ole' camp fire type stories. If you take it at that and don't try to compare it to Million Dollar productions, I'm sure you'll be just as impressed. I won't give any spoilers. Don't you hate it when people give away the horror plot lines? Just watch and enjoy. UPDATE: I've finished watching the rest of the series (Ball of Twine, Scared Stiff, Destino Florida) and each story was equally good. One thing to understand about these stories is that each story is broken down into multiple episodes and each episode is under 10 minutes long. So, while there are 14 episodes in this seasons showing, they make up only 5 Stories. It's a different format. But I truly enjoyed it and I look forward to next season (if this new streaming service is still around then). The season was a Solid 8 Stars!
21 Reviews
Like All Anthologies
tbirum22 October 2020
Anthologies (which are episodic) give the viewers a short story to consume, sometimes they are Fantastic, sometimes they are only OK and sometimes they are Awful, the great things about Anthologies is that the viewers are not required to commit a large chunk of their time to determine if their time is being wasted in watching a story that is going nowhere. 50 States of Fright is sliced up into 2-4 7-8 minute segments of a story which allows the viewer the advantage of being able to decide after just 7-8 minutes whether or not they wish to invest anymore of their time or whether they have wasted enough of their time already. I do wish that each story was told in one 22-25 minute story as opposed to 2-4 7-8 minute segments as I have yet to watch a story that I did not at minimum find "decent" and some of the stories i would have loved to see a full length 2hr movie out of. IF you love anthologies (especially Horror Anthologies) then I recommend giving "50 States of fright" a chance. Again there are going to be some episodes you do not like but even the ones you don't care for, you are only investing no more then 22-30 minutes of your time. * My Personal Favorite? Minnesota - "Grey Cloud Island"
Like horror?..... Watch it
nottoday-572-80736117 June 2020
it's the actors, not the stories
smoke013 October 2020
The stories are ok, and there are enough jump scares and gore to keep me watching, but the real reason this series is so entertaining is due to the quality and familiarity of the cast in each episode. Some surprising and welcome faces elevate the experience, and I hope this series continues for that reason alone.
Quite Impressive
pranayjalvi8 May 2020
50 States of Fright in a new straming service 'Quibi' is short horror we needed. The legendary Sam Raimi makes good use of this platform to present horror in a short and restricted time.
The segments of Michigan (Rachel Brosnahan and Travis Fimmel) and Minnesota (Asa Butterfield) were the best of all the segments. I hope for the second season with a little bit of improvement in storyline and spooky scenes.
My Rating : 3.5/5
The segments of Michigan (Rachel Brosnahan and Travis Fimmel) and Minnesota (Asa Butterfield) were the best of all the segments. I hope for the second season with a little bit of improvement in storyline and spooky scenes.
My Rating : 3.5/5
Interesting and Well Done...
killswitchJV11 August 2020
Finally a horror series about Urban Legends worth watching from different directors, the acting was fairly good and most of the stories held my attention throughout being the effects weren't cheesy and there were plenty of scary moments for low budget horror. Fans of Urban Legends this is a must watch
Interesting but forgettable .
giorgosstefanidis13 September 2020
Went in with no expectations and I ended up watching the whole show . Yes it is binge-watchable and enjoyable . But not everything is great , here is my ranking for this anthology series :
5: Ball of twine , Kansas . By far the most bizarre and worst of these . Not scary with mediocre acting and horrible ending . 4/10
4: Destino , Florida . This one could be really good . I mean it is good but it had potential . It got ruined from the overuse of predictable jumpscares . The acting was ok and the story was lame . The atmosphere though was spooky and the overall story is creepy . 6.5/10
3: Sacred stiff , Oregon : I really like that story . I was anxious at first when they talked about Bigfoot but the design of Bigfoot if you consider the budget was great . The acting was good . But the story was predictable and whole story with just 2 episodes fells short . 7/10
2. The golden arm , Michigan . This was felt like a dark fairytale but it hides some messages . I don't want to explain , I want to keep it spoiler free . This was the only story that made you feel more than being scared . It made you feel sad . But the scary parts were lacking with just one good jumpscare . 8/10
1. Gray cloud island , Minnesota . The series scariest story and most unexpected . It makes you feel anxious and the atmosphere is scary . The acting is also great and I love the tale even if it has a bit more fantasy than the others . 9/10
Overall a good show with it's ups and downs but considering the budget a very well made . The series lack the scares but it's enjoyable . If you like horror go watch and if you want to have fun watch it.
5: Ball of twine , Kansas . By far the most bizarre and worst of these . Not scary with mediocre acting and horrible ending . 4/10
4: Destino , Florida . This one could be really good . I mean it is good but it had potential . It got ruined from the overuse of predictable jumpscares . The acting was ok and the story was lame . The atmosphere though was spooky and the overall story is creepy . 6.5/10
3: Sacred stiff , Oregon : I really like that story . I was anxious at first when they talked about Bigfoot but the design of Bigfoot if you consider the budget was great . The acting was good . But the story was predictable and whole story with just 2 episodes fells short . 7/10
2. The golden arm , Michigan . This was felt like a dark fairytale but it hides some messages . I don't want to explain , I want to keep it spoiler free . This was the only story that made you feel more than being scared . It made you feel sad . But the scary parts were lacking with just one good jumpscare . 8/10
1. Gray cloud island , Minnesota . The series scariest story and most unexpected . It makes you feel anxious and the atmosphere is scary . The acting is also great and I love the tale even if it has a bit more fantasy than the others . 9/10
Overall a good show with it's ups and downs but considering the budget a very well made . The series lack the scares but it's enjoyable . If you like horror go watch and if you want to have fun watch it.
Watchable
haticeeraslan24 September 2020
I did not like it that much, some scenes were pretty unrealistic for a serie releasing in 2020. But considering it is a short serie with a seemingly low budget, watchable. Stories were ehmmm welllll (?) but not much original. If you want to get scared it can be a option, but if you want something to watch that will make your jaw drop, leave here immediatelly!!
Very good stuff. Unique, modern horror tales.
rochfordsimon5 September 2020
This is not gonna make you jump out of your skin or hide behind your palms, but its entertaining.
Chronicle of tales, akin to say tales from the crypt or twilight zone. Simple short episodes of thought provoking stories.
Highly recommend to horror or terror fans.
Chronicle of tales, akin to say tales from the crypt or twilight zone. Simple short episodes of thought provoking stories.
Highly recommend to horror or terror fans.
Mostly mediocre, some okay stories.
FKDZ27 April 2022
The short form format doesn't do the show any favors because it becomes much too predictable. The whole urban legend/why it has to be a specific state is a gimmick, and it's even less prescent in season 2. But the overall production quality was good, some decent actors here and there as well though in general pretty iffy acting. But the directing and production design looked good too, gore as well. Being short episodes they had to resort to jump scares, now a jumps care done well with a strong buildup and not using cheap loud sounds is fine, but no the case here. Most of the audio is lowered so the scares blow your ears out.
Overall I liked the Scared Stiff story, Grey Cloud Island and Almost There the most. The worst story here being Red Rum imo. Bad kills, bad acting and loads of cringe.
I mean.. If you enjoy horror and want to watch some horror shorts..this would fit the bill. But I didn't really do much for me.
Overall I liked the Scared Stiff story, Grey Cloud Island and Almost There the most. The worst story here being Red Rum imo. Bad kills, bad acting and loads of cringe.
I mean.. If you enjoy horror and want to watch some horror shorts..this would fit the bill. But I didn't really do much for me.
More!
pinkstiletto3 May 2020
5 mins of boring tripled
EnergyLegs23 September 2020
Lame jump scares stacked into episodes 15 minutes long broken into 5 mins apiece. The golden arm episodes were at least half interesting. The rest is a waste of time. I've had bigger scares looking into the toilet after a dump. Pirate this, don't pay or your a chump.
A dark horror anthology which is actually scary
askarim4-913-2003888 July 2020
I enjoyed this horror series with it's short episodes which are very easy to watch. A promising start to this series, should there be another season. Each episode was dark, gory and scary. There were effective jump scares and each story was unique and entertaining. Sam Riami is a leader when it comes to gory horror and this series did not disappoint along with the great cast.
My favourite has to be the last episode. It was the darkest one from them all.
My favourite has to be the last episode. It was the darkest one from them all.
unrealistic.
starrymighty3 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Note: I only finished the golden arm story, might return to change the rating once I watch all.
I know this's supposed to be a horror series, but even if something is made up, the writers should have use logic to make it believable in some way. (For example: the iron man suit, the comic came out in the 70s when robot technology wasn't as developed as it is now, but the idea was believable because it was logical)
Anyways: a wife that was obsessed with being the most beautiful woman, wasted her husband money on jewelry and the like. And a husband who would do anything to make his wife happy. Well, not unrealistic.
One day, she lost her arm, and didn't feel beautiful anymore so her husband made her an iron(?) arm but she said it was hideous. So he used up everything he had to make her a golden arm. Still not unrealistic.
What is unrealistic is, she got sick and died, because she absorbed gold through her skin and it got to her lung??? She wasn't wearing a golden glove. Her arm was cut of right at the elbow and the golden arm just wrap around her elbow, the amount of gold that directly on her skin would be just that of a bracelet!
Beware gold jewelry lovers, you are wearing toxic!!! Also based on this logic, if she had accepted the iron arm, wouldn't the result be the same? And you writer have the nerve to send an unspoken message that she died because of her greedy obsession! Or are you saying human skin can only absorb gold? Seriously, the ending where the wife coming back after death and killed her husband for stealing her golden arm is much more believable than this gold absorbing idea.
3 stars because acting and camera work is the decent. Script writer: please go watch some free vids about science and the art of writing on youtube.
I know this's supposed to be a horror series, but even if something is made up, the writers should have use logic to make it believable in some way. (For example: the iron man suit, the comic came out in the 70s when robot technology wasn't as developed as it is now, but the idea was believable because it was logical)
Anyways: a wife that was obsessed with being the most beautiful woman, wasted her husband money on jewelry and the like. And a husband who would do anything to make his wife happy. Well, not unrealistic.
One day, she lost her arm, and didn't feel beautiful anymore so her husband made her an iron(?) arm but she said it was hideous. So he used up everything he had to make her a golden arm. Still not unrealistic.
What is unrealistic is, she got sick and died, because she absorbed gold through her skin and it got to her lung??? She wasn't wearing a golden glove. Her arm was cut of right at the elbow and the golden arm just wrap around her elbow, the amount of gold that directly on her skin would be just that of a bracelet!
Beware gold jewelry lovers, you are wearing toxic!!! Also based on this logic, if she had accepted the iron arm, wouldn't the result be the same? And you writer have the nerve to send an unspoken message that she died because of her greedy obsession! Or are you saying human skin can only absorb gold? Seriously, the ending where the wife coming back after death and killed her husband for stealing her golden arm is much more believable than this gold absorbing idea.
3 stars because acting and camera work is the decent. Script writer: please go watch some free vids about science and the art of writing on youtube.
Actually scary
jenkfarrell16 October 2020
First of all, these are filmed really well, they've got some excellent actors starring in it and the episodes are short enough that you can take one in on a break at work and still have time to go to the bathroom. I kind of think this quibi thing is brilliant.
If you're a fan of the horror genre, these are entertaining and in bite size pieces for those of us that just don't have time to binge watch hours of TV.
If you're a fan of the horror genre, these are entertaining and in bite size pieces for those of us that just don't have time to binge watch hours of TV.
My childhood film director hero Raimi...
speedemon-1199723 October 2021
...loves apparently to work with the hipster elite of Hollysnore nowadays. Spiderman may have been a sellout, but at least Ash vs evil dead ya thought would be an overall hoot, but nooo, of course he had to put in a few annoying talentless hipster actors and actresses in the mix just because it's the 21th century.
Crazy Cool Horror Anthology series 🎃
duckboy-9417114 September 2020
A very great horror tv show.
lukemorrison-9227829 November 2020
This is the good stuff.
captnninerow9 October 2020
I started watching this and every episode was far over amazing.
You can actually see that professionals are working there.
What an amazing idea to make horror shorts of urban legends.
I have only one negative point, too short. 20 Minutes per episode would be better.
But also with 7 minutes per episode im totally statisfied.
An spontan opening, quick explanation, followed by progressing terrified plottwisting events and at the end another big plot twist.
"Grey Cloud Island (Minnesota)" is my favourite story so far. Got everything, mystery, mythical, horror, gore. So many questions, and i like it.
"Grey Cloud Island (Minnesota)" is my favourite story so far. Got everything, mystery, mythical, horror, gore. So many questions, and i like it.
Horror stories.
michellepowell-4418212 October 2020
Good horror mini series approximately 3 mini episode each story. 5 stories in season. Story 3 & 5 are really good. A creepy watch. Weird urban legend stories. Fun and creepy stories. Some scarier than others. Definitely a good watch on all the short stories
41 Frights to Go
thesar-223 May 2023
I've seen many horror anthologies - mostly in Movies, but some on TV and this sadly-short-lived show has to be in the top 10, maybe 5, of all time. So far - there has only been 9 episodes, or States of Fright, and I have yet to see a bad one.
That's putting it mildly. These were excellent. Well shot, acted, often hilarious with so many Easter Eggs/Nods, completely suspenseful and original. I truly hope Roku runs with this and more people get to visit these States.
The basic run down: each 30-or-so-minute horror/suspense/comedic episode is broken up into two or three chapters. I guess these are urban legends from the state the title indicates they're from (Michigan, Kansas, Oregon, Minnesota, Florida, Iowa, Washington, Colorado and Missouri) and each episode is independent with an entire new cast and crew.
Originally this series was on the streaming service Quibi, whatever that was and they ultimately filed Bankruptcy. Mercifully, Roku purchased them and that's how I accidently stumbled across these absolute gems. I binged each of the 9-completed episodes (or grand total of 24 chapters) for approximately 4½ hours-straight yesterday. I could NOT get enough. Each one seriously could've been fleshed out to feature-length.
Like most anthologies, there's an all-star cast and crew. These included the greats: Sam Raimi, Taissa Farmiga, Ming-Na Wen, Karen Allen, Ron Livingston, Rory Culkin and the always-incredible Christina Ricci. This is not to say the remaining cast and crew wasn't noteworthy - they ALL did fantastic.
Here's to hoping Roku finishes off the remainder 41-proposed States. I will be literally glued to my seat to see the rest. I have rarely ever seen any anthology go a complete 9-for-9.
Highly Recommended!
That's putting it mildly. These were excellent. Well shot, acted, often hilarious with so many Easter Eggs/Nods, completely suspenseful and original. I truly hope Roku runs with this and more people get to visit these States.
The basic run down: each 30-or-so-minute horror/suspense/comedic episode is broken up into two or three chapters. I guess these are urban legends from the state the title indicates they're from (Michigan, Kansas, Oregon, Minnesota, Florida, Iowa, Washington, Colorado and Missouri) and each episode is independent with an entire new cast and crew.
Originally this series was on the streaming service Quibi, whatever that was and they ultimately filed Bankruptcy. Mercifully, Roku purchased them and that's how I accidently stumbled across these absolute gems. I binged each of the 9-completed episodes (or grand total of 24 chapters) for approximately 4½ hours-straight yesterday. I could NOT get enough. Each one seriously could've been fleshed out to feature-length.
Like most anthologies, there's an all-star cast and crew. These included the greats: Sam Raimi, Taissa Farmiga, Ming-Na Wen, Karen Allen, Ron Livingston, Rory Culkin and the always-incredible Christina Ricci. This is not to say the remaining cast and crew wasn't noteworthy - they ALL did fantastic.
Here's to hoping Roku finishes off the remainder 41-proposed States. I will be literally glued to my seat to see the rest. I have rarely ever seen any anthology go a complete 9-for-9.
Highly Recommended!
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