Hulu's new queer ghost-hunting reality series, Living for the Dead, is fully aware that there's nothing cheesier than paranormal activity. The horror genre has always been queer by definition, witchcraft and spirituality are often synonymous with lady lovers, and Halloween is basically a global drag extravaganza.
From Kristen Stewart and the creators of Queer Eye, Living for the Dead joins five queer paranormal experts on a journey across the United States to help the living by healing the dead. Haunted mansions, haunted hotels, a haunted theater, and even a haunted strip club serve as backdrops for seances, possessions, tarot readings, human ghost boxes, and plenty of electromagnetic field meter readings over the course of eight episodes. of real superficial and cheap fun. emotions.
Stars: Alexandre LeMay, Roz Hernandez, Ken Boggle
All five cables are magnetic. Roz Hernández, paranormal investigator and former drag queen, is the soul and glue of the group. Her personality is broad and intuitive, her tendency to binge on donuts when she's stressed is hilarious, and her improvised performance during the episode in which the "Ghost Hunties" try to clean out an old theater is without a doubt. definitely a highlight. At one point, a particularly evil apparition tells her that they hate her haircut, but she defiantly tells him that "she'll keep the bangs."
She often finds Roz linked on the arm of Ken Boggle, the Kentucky native psychic and tarot card reader. And, if one is the soul, the other is definitely the heart. Since there are a couple of episodes set in her home state, there's a greater sense of connection to the Diane Keaton-esque hat-wearing ghost hunter than to any other member of this mystical version of the Fab Five. She is also usually in charge of "therapy" the people affected by the episode's ghosts and, whether thanks to his southern accent or her tarot skills, she does it all quite convincingly.
Alex LeMay is the soft-spoken tech expert who, of all of them, seems to be the most sincerely passionate about his craft. They often feel giddy with excitement at the prospect of speaking to trapped souls, and in each episode they bring out a new device that is supposed to facilitate contact. Alex is always the bravest, not afraid to get stuck in claustrophobic corners and even a literal coffin, as long as it brings them closer to the undead.
Juju Bae and Logan Taylor end up being slightly overshadowed by the other three. The first is a “self-proclaimed witch” in charge of crystal and pendulum readings, cleansing rituals and seances, while the second is a psychic medium. Although each brings their own energy to the gang, their lesser acting skills or his ease in front of the camera unfortunately affect what comes out on the other side.
Still, the group dynamic and individual members save Living for the Dead from being just a roughly scripted and obviously staged reality show. Even for those who are easily scared, this ghost hunting show is so forced that they will have a hard time understanding most of the events happening on screen. However, that doesn't make it any less fun. If anything, it soothes you, allowing you to just relax into this cheesy, meaningless spiritual journey and learn a few things about the art of communicating with the spirit world.
All episodes are structured similarly to include interviews with those directly affected by the ghostly activity, and the five experts usually head out for a kiki at the local bar afterwards to build a relationship with the local community and conduct some Queer Eye . their own hearts. They then perform “night readings” to determine what type of threat they are dealing with, usually followed by a second night of making peace with the spirits and demons. Each episode has its own narrative, heroes and enemies, ups and downs, which gives the show a lot of dynamism and vitality. If in one chapter someone has an attachment to a spirit, in another someone has an attachment to a house. In one, the affected person can also talk to the dead and hides family secrets, and in another, the love for clowns overcomes the fear of the occult.
There's always a lot going on in Living for the Dead, but as long as you're happy to approach it as nonchalantly as its hosts and the drunken narrator that is Kristen Stewart, you'll no doubt enjoy eight hours of unabashed supernatural queerness. fun. Their target audience may be niche, but if there's one subsection of the LGBTQIA+ community that always shows up and makes itself known, it's the creepy enthusiasts.
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