Inside the Lightbox is a new sponsored feature where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for cool shows you might like to watch. This week, Alex Casey assembles a terrifying lineup of stone cold killer television. //
Hannibal
With the second season arriving to Lightbox this week, there’s no better time to sink your teeth into Hannibal. A psychological horror based on the Thomas Harris novels (and accompanying films), the show follows FBI investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), a specialist in getting a little too deep into the minds of psychopaths. In pursuit of one particularly sick puppy serial killer, Will enlists the help of famed psychiatrist/low-key cannibal Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). Also joining the cast is Laurence Fishburne, swapping his Morpheus leathers for and FBI badge as Special Agent Jack Crawford.
This show is truly terrifying, a bit like True Detective if you dropped it into a vat of blood and guts and played its throat like a violin. Will Graham’s bizarre ability to slip into the skin of serial killers skews him as a reliable narrator, and continues to spiral as he immerses himself dangerously into cases. Be warned that Hannibal is not for the faint of heart, stacked to the gills with some of the most stomach-churning gore allowed on television. For all the brutality, the show is visually styled with a calculated finesse, about as perfectly measured as the criminal masterminds that crawl around the Hannibal universe.
Some of the later seasons are a little uneven, with the taut premise being stretched a little too far, but that doesn’t stop the riveting pursuit and pace of the first seasons. Michael C Hall does a sensational job as Dexter, deftly creating a likeable and empathetic character that also happens to be a serial killer. Dexter is unwaveringly tense, stylistically polished and boasts a visceral opening credits sequence that will make you rethink breakfast time forever.
The four-part miniseries is oddly gripping, blending the extreme scares with a subtle British humour that mirrors the split personality of our lead. Nesbitt is incredible as both Jackman and Hyde, assisted by the subtle use of visual effects and prosthetics to differentiate the two. It’s worth checking out for a grim exploration of the human psyche, no two minds about it.
As is the way with Ryan Murphy, it’s a highly stylised yet gritty endeavour – you can practically taste the dust as the camera languidly skulks the halls. The ’60s period costuming and setting is about as authentic as they come, contrasted further by the smartphone-wielding Adam Levine-filled world of 2012. This is one asylum you’ll want to commit to.
Alex Casey
Alex Casey is a senior writer at The Spinoff with over a decade of experience writing about popular culture and social issues in Aotearoa. She lives in Ōtautahi and likes watching reality TV and walking the dog, occasionally at the same time.
