Christmas really does come early for fans of AMC’s ambitious adaptation of Joe Hill’s NOS4A2, as both seasons arrive together on Blu-ray. And it’s not even Easter!
Season One introduces aspiring artist Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings), whom discovers she has an extraordinary talent that only creative minds possess. She is able to transport herself far and wide using an old, dilapidated bridge as a portal where she’s then able to find lost things, children for instance. This ability brings her the unwanted attention of Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto), an ageless entity that lures children into his Rolls-Royce Wraith with the promise of a trip to Christmasland, before devouring their essence. Naturally, conflict between the two ensues and not without tragic consequences.
Season Two picks up almost a decade later and Vic, now a mother, is broken from her experiences. To make matters worse Charlie Manx returns deadlier than ever. Before Vic only had her friends and herself to worry about. Now the stakes are so much higher as she has a child to protect from a seemingly unstoppable and relentless evil.
On the surface, NOS4A2 appears to be a straightforward horror, and whilst there are elements of outright horror, it is so much more than that. It’s a character driven piece that at its core is about everyone having to grow up and face their responsibilities whether literally, spiritually or metaphorically. You’d expect this of the human characters, but it is also true of the otherworldly Charlie Manx played with chilling perfection by Zachary Quinto. Manx does not see himself as a villain, but rather as Peter Pan. In his mind, sucking the life out of children and depositing their demonically fanged husks into Christmasland is rescuing them from abusive homes and adult neglect.
Vic McQueen is Ashleigh Cummings’ first major role although it certainly doesn’t come across like that. She has the confidence and gravitas that many of her much older peers possess. She is a very physical actor able to convey meaning with the slightest of facial expressions or a subtle movement of her body.
Olafur Darri Olafsson’s Bing Partridge (Manx’s intellectually challenged human henchman) is the standout performance of the entire series. As the series progresses, he commits more depraved and grievous acts in the hope that he will finally earn a place in Christmasland.
Each season has its own set of extras. Season One includes A Look at the Series, which as the title suggests is an overview of NOS4A2’s first season. Meet the Characters are mini interviews with the cast, whilst Becoming Charlie Manx is a more in-depth look at how Quinto channels the character of Charlie Manx. The Making of NOS4A2 is really no different from the countless ‘Making of’s…’ that everyone will be familiar with. Adapting the Book, however, is a particularly interesting piece.
The series has dispensed with the protracted nature of the book’s story following Vic’s childhood. Instead, we jump right in with Vic as teen just discovering her power. Joe Hill on the Themes and Inspirations of NOS4A2 is just that, but he’s very affable whilst explaining his love of vampires and other demonic entities.
Season Two’s extras are more modest, comprising of a few short, clip-heavy promotional featurettes. However the Comic-Con panel filmed via Zoom during the summer and featuring Quinto, Hill, and Jami O’Brien (the series’ creator/adaptor) is an entertaining and informative look at the show.
NOS4A2 is not without its faults. Vic’s love interests are fairly generic and forgettable. Any reasonably competent actor could play them. There’s also an episode early in Season One where Vic laments the fact that she couldn’t go to a decent college as her parents aren’t wealthy enough. This slows the pacing of the episode considerably and jars with other great character moments as it makes her character seem selfish and petty, which is most certainly is not.
On the whole, NOS4A2 is a worthy of adaptation of Joe King’s novel. It’s effectively creepy with its sombre photography, with the exception of Christmasland with its bright and colourful lights, which makes for a tragic juxtaposition of the monstrous, soulless children incarcerated there. Quinto and Cumming’s are engaging leads, with Olafur Darri Olafsson’s beguilingly tragic portrayal of Bing effortlessly stealing the show with every scene he’s in.
Release Date: March 8th
