Do you like The Walking Dead but wish that it had far fewer cast members, didn’t have any zombies, and was based on an entirely different comic book series? If you said yes, you’re a loony person. But you’re also in luck, as the first trailer for Robert Kirkman’s Cinemax series Outcast can be watched below.
What’d you guys think? The trailer was appropriately unsettling and filled with music and noise meant to drive your nerves up the wall. While there are the usual shots of big spooky houses and grimacing faces, it doesn’t quite look like a horror movie, and seems more about the details of the main character’s life rather than just the possession story being told. (Maybe I’m just really won over by that shot of the shaky shopping cart wheel.) But aside from that bit with the kid being pulled away from the table, there are no big “BOO” moments and barely any signs that this is a supernatural tale. I like realism in my horror when I can get it.
Still, there are a lot of variables going into this series that kind of challenge what expectations can be had for it. First, we’ve got the TV lead debut of Almost Famous breakout star Patrick Fugit, and he’ll be playing central character Kyle Barnes. I love Fugit and wish that his career was such that he’d be in every other movie and TV show, so here’s hoping this show boosts that up. He looks solid enough here from what I can tell.
Second, this is the second TV adaptation of an acclaimed Kirkman comic book. Although Outcast is also a horror drama, there isn’t a lot of crossover with The Walking Dead beyond the genre. The story centers on Kyle, a man whose entire life has been a tortured one, as his family were the victims of demonic possession. Philip Glenister plays Reverend Anderson, the person who tries to help Kyle understand why all of these supernatural occurrences are happening around him in particular. The film world loves to tell tales of people’s bodies getting taken over by demons, but it’s not a sub-genre that gets a lot of TV play, so it’ll be interesting to see if audiences are down with coming back for more.
Third, it’s Cinemax’s first trip into the world of horror/thriller television. The network has made a huge name for itself in original programming over the past few years, with action-packed shows like Strike Back and Banshee complimented by Steven Soderbergh’s stirringly dramatic period piece The Knick. If those shows are any indication, Outcast could be one of the most refreshing new series of the year.
It doesn’t have a release date set just yet, but Outcast will debut on Cinemax in 2016.
