I know I’m very late getting on the American Horror Story train. This is a show I’ve long wanted to watch but didn’t have access it, until I recently discovered that it’s available on Star through Disney+. Discovering this, I immediately started watching. I devoured it in two sittings. I probably would have gone through all 12 episodes in a single sitting if not for the annoying fact of having to sleep and go to work.

The plot of the first season of American Horror Story is a fairly typical one. A family moves into a new house for a “fresh start.” Naturally, the couple is having marital problems and their teenage daughter is unhappy and bullied at school.

Although this is a fairly common premise for a horror story that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good one. From the first moment, I felt drawn in to the story and engaged. We start off knowing that the mother of the family, Vivien, has recently had a miscarriage and her husband, Ben, was unfaithful. The dynamic between the two as they try to rebuild their life is really interesting. Vivien’s struggle to forgive her husband and let him back into her trust is very real. Vivien wasn’t a character I could immediately relate to, having never been in a situation like hers but I could empathize. As the story moved along, I felt for her more and more and was rooting for her until the very end.

Ben was not a character I liked. I don’t think the audience is meant to sympathize with him over much. He made a lot of stupid mistakes and brought on a lot of the things that happened to him all on his own. Violet, the family’s teenage daughter, isn’t the most unique character. She’s moody, and angry with her parents and the world, much like a typical teenager. That’s not to say I didn’t like her. She had her purpose in the overall narrative.

Over the twelve episode run, the history of the house is slowly revealed in flashbacks, showing all the unspeakable tragedy that the house has been host to right from the original owners. The show doesn’t shy away from showing a fair amount of gore, so anyone who doesn’t like to see that kind of stuff may wish to steer clear of this particular show. That being said, the gore isn’t really gratuitous. There’s a good mix of mystery and horror there that leaves room for the audience’s imagination to run a bit wild.

There’s a few good twists that I didn’t see coming that will keep you on your toes and have you eager to get to the next episode each time one ends. Once the season ends, there’s lots to look back on and think of that will have an even harder impact the more you think about it. Like any good horror, this one will stay with you long after you turn off the TV.

Overall, I really enjoyed this show. There isn’t much that I can think of to name as a flaw or something I really didn’t like. 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this to any lovers of horror out there who haven’t already discovered this show. I can’t wait to start the next season.

Have you watched American Horror Story: Murder House? Let me know what you thought in the comments! Thanks for reading!