The “Slasher” troupe delivered the most consistently gory TV horror from 2016-23, sometimes also adding in good mysteries, and stumbling only with Season 5, “Ripper.” By going back to the 19th century but failing to believably capture the time period, the distractions were too many.
Now they’ve dropped the “Slasher” name (because of the weak season?) and what should be Season 6 is simply called “Hell Motel.” It gets back to some basics of “Slasher” and slashers. (The first two episodes of the eight-episode miniseries have aired on Shudder.)
Location is off the beaten path; the plot isn’t
“Hell Motel’s” inspiration is the popularity of true crime, combined with some “Psycho” and a dash of “The Menu” – via quirky chef Hemmingway (Eric McCormack, back from “Slasher” Season 5). Off the beaten path in Michigan, couple Portia (Michelle Nolden) and Ruby (Brynn Godenir) reopen the Cold River Motel, site of the 1995 murders of newlyweds we see in an effectively moody cold open.
“Hell Motel” (2025)
Tuesdays, Shudder (the first two of the eight episodes have aired)
Director: Adam MacDonald
Writers: Ian Carpenter, Aaron Martin
Stars: Eric McCormack, Shaun Benson, Paula Brancati
The “Slashers” (and now “Hell Motel”) sometimes have moments of clunky dialog and conveniences, but creators Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin generally keep things in the realm of plausibility. A group of minor celebrities is invited to the motel for a grand opening for the sake of publicity via social media. In exchange for the free stay, Portia and Ruby gather footage of them. An example of the sketchiness: Some of the guests don’t know about the deal till the opening dinner. That makes no sense.
As usual in Carpenter’s and Martin’s shows, the characters don’t get along, although there are uneasy, temporary alliances. Paige (Paula Brancati) gains enemies when the other guests learn she is the only one being paid. She’s a former Scream Queen desperate for any gig; her “Doomed Service” franchise has been rebooted with a younger star.
This is a nice wink at the fact that Brancati was in all five “Slashers,” but it’s hard to find a real-world equivalent to Paige, since icons like Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt are doing quite well. I think Brancati is great, but I’m guessing she could hang out in most places without being hounded. I suppose Paige is like Tori Spelling’s character Sidney Prescott in “Stab,” as seen in “Scream 2,” based on the real victim of the “Scream” attacks, Campbell’s Sidney Prescott. She feels guilt for portraying a real victim in titillating slasher flicks.
Continuing the meta (but not particularly clever or funny) commentary, all the guests are related to the true-crime craze, including: Andy (Jim Watson), an author; Kawayan (Emmanuel Kabongo), who makes grisly art installations; Blake (Atticus Mitchell), a survivor of a serial murderer; and Adriana (Genevieve DeGraves), who has sex with convicted murderers as a hobby and for celebrity status (!).
Possibly a good mystery
Among the things the writers have to explain is the isolation, despite it being 2025. The satellite is out, cell service provides no bars, the land line hasn’t been installed yet, and a rainstorm has washed out the surrounding roads. OK, not as convincing as “Slasher” Season 4, set on an island, but fair enough. Cinematographer Jordan Kennington captures the encroaching rain well, almost certainly somewhere in Canada. (Information on the series is sketchy.)
After two episodes, it’s possible Carpenter and Martin have something good up their sleeves. They let one cat out of the bag to conclude episode one, a way of saying “You may have thought you were clever for figuring out that twist, but that’s merely the opening gambit.”
As much as “Hell Motel” might be gore porn (a sauna-based kill is familiar, but the grisliness of the corpse deserves a chef’s kiss), there’s a decent mystery percolating. It’s driven by what we aren’t told yet. We don’t have a full picture of the 1995 murders nor of Blake’s experience; these things may or may not matter, but they effectively spread the canvas.
Regarding the new killings, we’re invited to think about the usual things. If someone finds a corpse and is shocked, and no one else is there to see them (except us), then they are probably not the killer. If someone is killed in a distinct way relating to a previous conversation, who was around to hear it?
Mood, guessing games, creative kills, meta commentary and Paula Brancati; nothing new to see. But for horror fans, it’s still worth checking into “Hell Motel” – especially if everything is comped.