In this age of the spy state and mass information, how is any self-respecting, long-running, disciple-murdering religious cult supposed to survive? The answer, as supplied by “Devil in Ohio” (Netflix), is a shrug: Normal people in the closest town to spooky Amon County don’t think about it much. They vaguely know to keep driving if they must pass through that county.
A mix of tones
Still, people do notice Mae (Madeleine Arthur, portraying a nice balance of sympathetic and weird). This is the 2020s (and based off showrunner Daria Polatin’s 2017 book), so when Gen-Z students see runaway Mae’s cult symbol scar when she wears an open-backed dress to the Harvest Dance, they praise her bravery.
“Devil in Ohio” is, surprisingly, more like “Parenthood” than “Midsommar,” though. Sam Jaeger again plays Joel from “Parenthood.” This isn’t a knock against Jaeger – no one plays Joel from “Parenthood” better – it’s just to say that the fam-dram vibes are strong. The morally strong, cracking-voiced Peter presides over his three daughters – and guest Mae – with Emily Deschanel’s Suzanne.
“Devil in Ohio” (2022)
Netflix, 8 episodes
Showrunner: Daria Polatin
Stars: Emily Deschanel, Sam Jaeger, Madeleine Arthur
We get good high school drama via likable daughter Jules (Xaria Dotson), a photographer crushing on the popular student newspaper editor till Mae (innocently? connivingly?) gets in the way. “Devil in Ohio” eventually gives arcs to everyone, but in uneven fashion. Older daughter Helen (Alisha Newton) gets her moments toward the end of the eight episodes.
In the first episode, the Mathis family settles down to dinner, and Mae prays. It’s a satanic prayer rather than a Christian one. The Mathises brush this aside, but it marks “Devil in Ohio” with a tinge of dark comedy that never quite returns.
Even when the devil-worshiping cult’s homicidal practices are detailed in the later episodes, the members remain too normal for my tastes. Leader Malachi (Tahmoh Penikett) is crisp and suave, like the detective from “Dollhouse” found a new gig. Minus the comedy, these people are closer to “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” than “Midsommar.”
Runaway Mae
Still, weirdness is provided by the excellent Arthur (to be seen in the upcoming sitcom “Blockbuster”). Mae is wide-eyed and curious about mainstream society; not surprisingly, Arthur starred in “Big Eyes.” We understand why doctor Suzanne would want to shelter her even if Suzanne didn’t have her own unresolved (cliched but horrific) child-abuse issues.
But Mae also does odd things like walk through a rainstorm in a fugue state, triggered by a white rose. Mae is socially challenged, yet she’s pretty enough that it’s plausible she’d quickly draw the attention of guys.
Because the believability of this cult is shaky, “Devil in Ohio” never reaches a level of true creepiness. But I do like Gerardo Celasco and Eva Bourne as the police investigators. Their budding romance is understated, and they are good at their jobs in the way of TV shows that assertively portray good cops.
Here and there, the writers suggest the detectives are hindered by higher-ups; the cult is paying the bosses off. This adds verisimilitude, but not outright likelihood of the cult staying unmolested.
The anti-Carrie?
“Devil in Ohio” has a comforting autumn vibe, including a Halloween episode and a Harvest Dance episode. Both invoke “Carrie,” appropriate since Polatin is exploring four girls, plus an adult woman with unresolved girlhood trauma.
When Mae is voted Harvest Queen, shots are lifted from “Carrie,” but they are earned, not lazy cinematic winks. The scene cleverly becomes the opposite of what it invokes.
The universally great cast outshines the writing in “Devil in Ohio,” but the material is solid enough to not descend to accidental comedy. It’s merely on the thin side. Those who lean toward the “Midsommar” type of chills will find the Amon County cult too mundane to join.
But people who are more inclined to enjoy “Parenthood” or “This Is Us” will find “Devil in Ohio” spooky – something to watch while curled up under a blanket and munching on popcorn. If there’s such a thing as a cozy devil-worshiper miniseries, this is it.