Lost between the duelling buzz storms of “True Detective and ”Fargo“ last year, Showtime’s ”Penny Dreadful“ seems destined to be underrated by TV critics who can be just as dismissive of the horror genre as their big-screen counterparts. Shows about monster hunters in Victorian London aren’t the type to garner industry awards and be spoken about in hushed reverential tones by tastemakers. Still, the show – and fellow squirm-fest ”Hannibal" – makes the case that horror can be just as fertile a creative ground as the standard crime drama, and the new trailer is here to prove it.
Set to a chilly version of the old English folk song “The Unquiet Grave,” the moody trailer for the horror series plants its flag more on the arty side than the schlocky side, though creepy imagery still rules the day. Created by “Skyfall” writer John Logan – with his Bond partner Sam Mendes as executive producer – the Arri Alexa-shot series falls in line with the other shows of its freshman class by having an incredibly cinematic look. It’s easily the most visually arresting trailer for a horror story we’ve seen in quite some time.
Check out the trailer below and watch the second season of “Penny Dreadful” when it airs on Showtime on April 26th.