I found this gem searching through Netflix one Sunday afternoon. Crazyhead is a horror comedy revolving around two ladies who fight demons. It’s British, so basically that means the production value always seems a bit off and the jokes aren’t always timed quite right… in other words, it’s slightly low budget. That doesn’t mean the show isn’t enjoyable to watch, so don’t let that stop you.
Our two main characters are seers. They have the ability to see when someone has been possessed by a demon. The pair have no other powers, they aren’t particularly strong, fast or smart. They simply see demons. When they fight a demon, it turns out much how it would if you or I did, except they get a tad more lucky, of course. Both a have mental diagnosis and see a therapist regularly. Amy is relieved when she meets socially awkward Raquel, because finally someone believes her, hence the title, Crazyhead. Inevitable co-dependent friendship forming… is inevitable.
The friendship between the girls is what makes the show. Two lonely people, isolated by their ability and the fact everyone thinks they are crazy, find each other and decide that they need to save the world, because only they can save the world. Amy works at a bowling alley. She isn’t highly educated, she doesn’t have an important job. You imagine she struggles to pay rent… just like you. Raquel isn’t some super thin hottie. She tries just a bit too hard to make friends. Her social awkwardness is almost painful at times. She is funny and endearing, and you are also glad that she low-key has an inner bad ass, just like you, at times. A big part of this series is about these two ladies battling their inner demons; not just the outward ones.
Most of the comparisons I’ve seen liken the show to Buffy; however, I don’t see that at all. To me, the show has a greater link with Ash vs. Evil Dead. The corny jokes, demons and flawed characters all seem to remind me of the Evil Dead. There are also lots of people celebrating this series as a feminist series. I don’t see it as that so much as I see it a show about the everyman. It’s about how your reality might be vastly different from someone else. How would you deal with suddenly seeing something no one else could? The characters really hone in on what that would be like. This idea almost plays better with females. They aren’t fighters; they don’t have their strength to protect them. They are just ordinary people, stuck in less-than-ordinary scenarios.
The show is quirky, the characters are lovable and the bad guys are creepy. If horror comedy is your thing, I can’t think of a reason you wouldn’t enjoy watching Crazyhead. Right now, there are only six episodes that are 45 minutes each, easy enough to binge over the weekend. The actors have all been optioned for a second season, so hopefully we will get a Season 2 soon. I give Crazyhead four out of five stars for the laughs and making the average Joe (or Jose) a hero. I took off one star for the low production value.
Crazyhead is currently streaming on Netflix.