The release of a new Addams Family remake has sparked an overwhelming amount of love across the country. Gaining a huge amount of attention on the internet from both fans of the original and newcomers, “Wednesday” received a rating of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.5/10 on IMDB. With these numbers, I had to put the show to the test and watch it myself.

From the start, I had high expectations knowing Tim Burton, director of famous titles including “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Corpse Bride,” used his creative eye to put together this series as well. 

Jenna Ortega plays the lead as Wednesday, which critics claim is the perfect fit. Actress from the movie “Addams Family (1991),” Christina Ricci is also featured as one of Wednesday’s teachers. Skeptics question if the actors starring in the film will fulfill the legacy of such a classic in cinematic history. 

My answer: yes. This film did an amazing job of reinventing the family and adding a modern twist to the original theme of the series. Wednesday is now a teen and faces the challenges of trying to master her newly discovered psychic ability to solve a mystery while making several sarcastic comments along the way. 

Without giving too much away, the plot of the show revolves around Wednesday being sent to a new school because her disobedient behavior at the last one had her in trouble. Within her first week staying at the new boarding school, there are a number of murders committed by a monster. She works to discover why this monster is out to catch them and follows whatever insight her visions give her.

Among all of the serious issues in their town, the show still presents your regular teen movie characteristics like high school gossip, crushes and even a school dance. This aspect of the show allowed me to become intertwined with the characters and, in between deadly scenes, made the plot feel lighter and intriguing. The series could easily be described as a classic teenage drama with a supernatural twist. 

Wednesday has a moody demeanor and although her school has its dark purple dress code uniform, she somehow manages to have the same outfit in black which becomes her staple look throughout the show. Her statement black braids and dark personality make her stand out from her classmates and all eyes seem to be on her. Everyone, including the audience, has to figure out who she is and what sort of tricks she has up her sleeve.

My favorite thing about this series was the cinematography. Ortega seemed to understand that Wednesday is all about the physical stillness and intimidation of her presence and depicts that perfectly. Switching between the dead-center close-ups to wide panel shots showcases how distinct and contrasting Wednesday is next to her costars. The setting always has a grayish dark hue which adds to the mystery and spookiness of it all. 

After watching this masterpiece I completely understand the major attention it has received and definitely deserved “the most hours viewed in a week for an English-language series” title it had awarded to its name.

Contact Grace Swisher at [email protected]