Overlooked sci-fi horror series Stephen King calls it ‘brilliant’

If you’re looking for a dark, high-concept sci-fi show in the vein of “Under the Dome,” “From,” or “Manifest,” Stephen King has a recommendation for you. The horror master has always loved sharing recommendations for scary genre shows on social media, and this week he took to Threads (he left the cesspool formerly known as Twitter in November) to highlight UK-made series ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’.

“THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS (Amazon): I’m surprised there hasn’t been more talk about this,” King said recently Posted on topics. “This is a brilliant re-imagining of John Wyndham’s classic sci-fi/horror novel.” The title of one of Wyndham’s most famous novels may not sound familiar to you, but the name of the previous film adaptation might: ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’ became ‘Village of the Damned’ when Wolf Rilla adapted it in 1960. This version of the story is considered the all-time great horror film, and is alternately called an “excellent suspense thriller” (by Boston Globe), “one of the truly exciting screen tales of the period” (according to… Evening star) and “a major horror tale” and “a dank little masterpiece” (trans The Washington Post).

The plot of “The Midwich Cuckoos” begins with a disturbing incident: an entire town suddenly loses consciousness, and upon waking up, all the women are pregnant. The story is trippy and surprising, incorporating elements such as mind control, other-worldly beings, and military intervention. The version championed by King is produced by David Farr, associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and stars BAFTA-nominated actor Keeley Hawes (“It’s a Sin,” “Death at a Funeral,” video games “Tomb Raider”), actor and writer. Max Beesley (“Kidnapping”, “The Stranger”).

King made several strong recommendations for new and returning horror shows this year, from the final season of “Evil” (which he gave It inspired an entire social media revamp campaign), to the Netflix adaptation of “3 Body Issue.” Peacock series produced by James Wan’s “Teacup”. “The Midwich Cuckoos” stands out a bit because it’s not actually a new release; The series is produced by British broadcaster Skymax, and its only season to date aired in 2022.

If you’ve been watching TV all this century, you’ve probably seen some slow-burning, high-concept sci-fi/mystery shows, most of them produced in the wake of ABC’s game-changing hit “Lost.” From “The Returned” to “Dark” to “The OA” (not to mention plenty of already-forgotten one-season shows like “Revolution,” “The Event” and “Flashforward”), the TV mystery box is a formula that seems to continue. Trucking, whether successful or not. “The Midwich Cuckoos” at least has the benefit of an ending, having been conceived as a limited series. The under-the-radar show also has a few decent reviews from people who aren’t Stephen King Irish Independent Describing it as “effective, engaging and full of ideas” as well as “a brilliant treatise on bodily independence and the crippling fears of young parenthood”.

The show is available to US viewers on AMC+, Acorn TV, and the Sundance Now platform, though King says he watched it on Amazon Prime (which has AMC+ and Acorn TV add-on options).