Table of Contents
The Horror of Dolores Roach Season 1 Story
- Frequent Sweeney Todd References: The story cleverly uses Sweeney Todd references, in the beginning, to set itself apart from any accusations of being a cheap remake and establish its own unique narrative.
- Music as a Storytelling Aid: Siddharth Khosla’s score effectively aids in storytelling, using beats to enhance the narrative and capture the attention of the audience.
- Method Acting Critique: The story raises the question of method acting and whether performers truly embody their characters or only interpret them based on their understanding. This theme adds depth to the character’s portrayals.
- Dolores Roach’s Macabre Introduction: Dolores Roach is established as a macabre and terrifying character through a classic jump scare and Justina Machado’s portrayal of calm craziness.
- Initial Presentation Crucial for Horror: The successful introduction of Dolores Roach’s character is pivotal for engaging the audience in the horror aspect of the story, setting the tone for the subsequent episodes.
- Cultural Elements and Confusion: The incorporation of cultural shock and inflation enhances the portrayal of Dolores having lost a significant portion of her life. The disorienting feeling through Dolores’s POV highlights her confusion.
- Pacing and Episode Length: The series maintains good pacing with eight half-sized episodes, making it suitable for a quick evening watch.
- Revolting Imagery: The graphic depiction of Luis filling empanadas with repulsive meat is likely to evoke strong reactions from viewers and may even turn some people vegetarian.
- Capturing Disgust: The camera captures small details, such as customers’ expressions and the sight of meat on the plate, effectively intensifying the sense of revulsion and horror.
- Not for the Faint-Hearted: “The Horror of Dolores Roach” is not recommended for those who are queasy or faint-hearted due to its gruesome and unsettling nature.
The Horror of Dolores Roach Season 1 Character
| Character | Description |
| Dolores Roach | A woman who starts over after serving an unfair 16-year prison sentence. |
| Struggles to find jobs and eventually reconnects with Luis, her old stoner companion. | |
| Operates a masseuse parlor in the basement beneath Luis’s empanada store. | |
| Gets involved in a string of serial murders with Luis, fueled by his cannibalistic streak. | |
| Luis | Empanada seller and Dolores’ stoner companion. |
| Lets Dolores stay in the basement and operate her masseuse parlor. | |
| Involved in murdering people and making empanadas out of their corpses with Dolores. | |
| Exhibits a calm demeanor but hides a chaotic and unsettling psyche. |
The Horror of Dolores Roach Season 1 Character Performance
| Actor | Role | Description |
| Justina Machado | Dolores Roach | Brilliantly switches between the oblivious girlfriend and the violent lover. |
| Displays impressive physical humor through Dolores. | ||
| Alejandro Hernandez | Luis | Portrays an intriguing bubbling nervous energy on the verge of bursting. |
| An unsettling character with a calm demeanor contradicted by his chaotic psyche. | ||
| Supporting Cast | Jeremiah and Ruthie | Initially appear fascinating but does not leave a significant impact on the plot. |
The Horror of Dolores Roach Season 1 Review
Positive Aspects
| Aspect | Description |
| Unique Concept | Cleverly blends horror and comedy, creating a unique and engaging narrative. |
| Justina Machado’s Performance | Justina Machado’s portrayal of Dolores Roach is brilliant, switching between humor and violence flawlessly. |
| Intriguing Character Development | Slowly developing characters, particularly Dolores, makes their actions and motivations more meaningful and relatable. |
| Effective Use of Music | Siddharth Khosla’s score aids in storytelling, adding to the atmosphere and suspense of the series. |
| Grisly and Darkly Funny | Balances grisly and unsettling moments with humor, keeping the audience engaged throughout. |
| Satirical Commentary on Real-World Issues | Offers satirical commentary on topics like gentrification and survival, adding depth to the storyline. |
| Captivating Juxtaposition of Characters | Dolores and Luis are entertaining and dangerous due to their contradictions, keeping viewers intrigued and unsettled. |
| Well-Built Tension and Chaotic Finale | The tension builds up effectively, leading to a chaotic and intense finale that feels earned and impactful. |
Areas for Improvement
| Aspect | Description |
| Underdeveloped Supporting Characters | Some supporting characters, like Jeremiah and Ruthie, lack significant development and fail to leave a lasting impact on the plot. |
| Forced Comedy Elements | In the final few episodes, some comedy elements feel forced and gimmicky, detracting from the overall narrative and causing a slight loss of interest. |
| Lack of Exploration of Luis’s Psyche | The show hardly touches on Luis’s psyche and thought process, missing an opportunity to add more depth to his character. |
| Inconsistent Tone Shifts | The series struggles to maintain a consistent tone, which can sometimes make the transitions between horror and comedy feel abrupt and disjointed. |
| Minimal Exploration of Fictional World | Some aspects of the fictional world, such as the cannibalistic streak of the empanada seller, could have been further explored to add depth to the story. |
| Less Focus on Gory Details | While the show refrains from showing gory details initially, the later revelation of these details may be too intense for some viewers, potentially alienating them. |
| Pacing Issues | Some viewers might feel that the initial few episodes are slow-paced, taking time to establish the characters and background, which could test their patience. |
| Addressing Dominic’s Connection | Although Dolores’s anxiety about her connection to Dominic is mentioned, more exploration of this aspect could have added another layer of complexity to the story. |
The Horror of Dolores Roach Season 1 Trailer
Read also: