Close Menu
  • News
  • Anime Expo 2025
  • Features
  • Guides
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Gaming News
  • Entertainment News
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
X (Twitter) YouTube RSS
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
The OuterhavenThe Outerhaven
  • News
  • Anime Expo 2025
  • Features
  • Guides
  • Previews
  • Reviews
    • Video Game Reviews
    • Anime & Animation Reviews
    • Comic Book & Manga Reviews
    • Films & TV Reviews
    • Tech Reviews
    • Tabletop and Card Game Reviews
    • Toy Reviews
  • Gaming
    • PlayStation
    • Nintendo
    • Xbox
    • PC Gaming
    • Retro Gaming
    • Tabletop
    • Virtual Reality
  • Entertainment
    • Anime & Animation
    • Comic Books & Manga
    • Films & TV
    • Original English Light Novels DB
    • OELN DB
    • Culture
    • Books
    • Toys
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
    • A-01 Podcast
    • Nintendo Entertainment Podcast
    • Spectator Mode Podcast
The OuterhavenThe Outerhaven
Home»News»Reviews»Films & TV Reviews»American Horror Story: Roanoke Review

American Horror Story: Roanoke Review

By Sara Roncero-MenendezDecember 11, 2016

As the sixth season of the show, American Horror Story: Roanoke had a lot to live up to. After Hotel was panned as a total failure and Freak Show generally regarded as sub-par, Roanoke really needed to bring in the quality as well as the scares. And, for the most part, it did. In fact, this season took the risks that the format needed to survive and really amped up the frights. 

The basic plot of the show is a little complicated. The first episodes are done in the style of “true crime” shows, where the real people give their testimony while seated and actors reenact the incidents. We see the story of Shelby and Matt, a couple from California who moves to Virginia to find peace and ends up on extremely haunted land. Things go from bad to worse when the blood moon comes about and the spirits of the land begin to get incredibly violent. In the second part of the season, it is revealed that the show became so popular that they’re making a show called “Return to Roanoke” where the real people and the actors return to the house, only for madness and murder to ensue. 

american-horror-story-roanoke-rory-death

If you are not a big fan of blood and guts, you really shouldn’t be watching American Horror Story to begin with but especially not this episodes. There is a lot of bodily damage done, and over long periods of time. It’s great because you never really know who is going to die, but it can be intense. It’s the fact that it never pulls any punches that makes it such a good season though, and it knows when to hit home. It’s almost amazing that this show reminded me that the whole point of this show is to be scary. Hotel was more style over scares, and Freak Show before really only had the clown going for it. Roanoke is both a haunted house thriller and a human drama train wreck. The ghosts of the house are excellently  designed, from nightmarish to stylish, with the “real” ghosts being far scarier than their reality show. 

american-horror-story-seance

In terms of characters, it’s almost difficult to separate the actors from their “real life” people, if only because for the first half of the show, they were basically the same people. Basically, they’re all terrible people that are highly sympathetic because of the extreme circumstances they come under, and all the actors do a great job portraying that duality. Lily Rabe and André Holland as the real Shelby and Matt are two of the best, because their chemistry and later sadness are palpable. Rory, the actor who plays the ghost of Edward Philippe Mott, is also excellent, playing this superficial, frat-boy type which should be ridiculous but because of the juxtaposition of the stuffy and commandeering attitude of Mott, it all works out. Honestly, everyone is excellently cast and, for once, I wouldn’t change a single thing.

american-horror-story-roanoke-colonial-dinner

The weakest episode by far is the eighth, if only became redneck torture only really works in Cabin in the Woods, and compared to the feeling of fear and hopelessness that the bloody, angry ghosts created, regular people are more gross than scary. However, all of the episodes around it are strong before and after that, so hang in there, I promise it doesn’t last.

American Horror Story: Roanoke is also an excellent looking show. If there’s anything this series has, it’s always been an interesting and engaging aesthetic.  The wood take on a sinister nature as they are explore, the house becomes the perfect stage for all those sick scenes of torture and fear. There’s a lot of energy put in the details of the windows and room composition. The show also  great with the bodily specially effects and designs of the ghosts coming for people, giving us a variety of horrors without over-extending its scope. 

american-horror-story-roanoke-pig-head

The biggest issue of the series is the ending. Most American Horror Story seasons have thirteen episodes but Roanoke capped its story at ten. I’m not say that it needed three more episodes, but one more episode would have helped prepare a smarter, more emotional ending that did the rest of the season justice. If only Lee was given proper time to end her storyline with her daughter, or if we could see the house finally destroyed, we might have closure. But clearly, Murphy is going to want to come back to this world, as he often does with other shows, but more than anything, I’d want another season set here, to see more of the “real” Roanoke. This is one of the show’s strongest seasons, and will likely be in everyone’s top three for the next few years.

american-horror-story-roanoke-house-burning

American Horror Story: Roanoke  is one of the best seasons of the show, and yet it is hard not to feel cheated by the ending. Every moment of the show was thrilling but grinding the story to a halt rather than letting the story spiral out like it was gearing up to really sours the experience.

  • Roanoke soars, but fails to stick the landing
Overall
4
American Horror Story american horror story: roanoke FX ryan murphy
Avatar photo
Sara Roncero-Menendez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)

A reporter by trade, Sara is a lover of horror, sci-fi, and all things pop culture. From indies to classics to even the strangest schlock, all movies and TV shows are fair game. She believes Batman is the most fascinating superhero, and that Silent Hill is one of the best horror franchises ever made (as long as you don't count the movies). Fun Fact: The only movie Sara will not rewatch is The Room -- once was more than enough.

Related Posts

Edge of Eternities: Venture to the Unknown at Your Local WPN

Atomfall Wicked Isle DLC Review (PS5) – Gilly-man’s Island

The Last of Us Season 2 Review – Post-Apocalyptic Payback

Wrap House Simulator Review (PC) – Slicing Away Profits

First look and New Information about Madden NFL 26

Doctor Who Series 15 Episode 8 Review: The Reality War – Exposition and Madness

Latest Posts

Anime Expo 2025: Gen Urobuchi’s Eisen Flügel Anime Film Receives First Trailer

July 4, 2025

Anime Expo 2025: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Receives New 10-Episode Series on Netflix

July 4, 2025

Anime Expo 2025: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 Arrives in 2026

July 4, 2025

Anime Expo 2025: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 Receives World Premiere Trailer

July 4, 2025

Content Creator Gigguk Announced Anime Project

July 4, 2025

Anime Expo 2025: Bigwest Macross Panel Highlights

July 4, 2025

Anime Expo 2025: Aniplex USA Announces Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl for Theaters

July 4, 2025
About Us • Our Team • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Review Policy • Ethics Policy 
Work With Us • Reviews on Open Critic • Reviews on CriticDB
Copyright @2025 The Outerhaven Productions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.