If among the most talked about and popular programs of the new millennium the name of American horror storyIt is certainly not the result of chance. The anthological series conceived by Ryan murphy in 2011, when his Joy was at the peak of his success, he immediately took shape as an intriguing and revolutionary product for the environment and it allowed its creator to achieve full consecration in the television auteur panorama. With a multifaceted concept, Murphy’s terrifying work immediately surprised audiences and critics with its particular narrative structure: until 2011, the anthological series concept envisaged that each episode was free from the others and, therefore, autonomous; with AHSinstead it was the first time a full season was seen as an arc destined to end at the end of a cycle of episodes.

Thus paving the way for other experiments of the same kind, just think of Fargo or Real detective – American horror story It was intended to deeply shake the sensitivity and consciousness of viewers, recounting the horror and the macabre in a completely innovative way. Wishing to analyze the importance and influence of the series in showing a new way of doing TV, we could summarize the entire Ryan Murphy revolution using the concept of “Exaltation of the different”By exploiting original narrative elements and famous fragments of American history to his advantage, the showrunner has brought to light important themes that point to the exaltation of diversity and the elimination of prejudice.

With nine seasons under its belt, and with AHS 10 in the works, the FX network giant has no intention of stopping and seems to want to make the most of the anthology genre for further discussion. By leaving room for numerous stains during the various seasons, American horror story is in effect configured as a brave and important product for the growth of the phenomenon linked to television series. So, let’s look together at the most interesting ideas and quirks that make it a title worth taking back, after the title’s inclusion in the Amazon Prime Video catalog.

A terror story

If the dialogue about the narrative structure is already interesting in itself, the one about the style of the narrative deserves further mention. Dwelling only in the title of the series, which is clear and obvious American horror story intends to tell. However, it is the way he does it that manages to create a large following around him: while he incorporates horror in all its forms as a distinctive feature, it rises to a means of communication. useful for shifting focus on very different genres that can touch the heart of the viewer.

In fact, rather than horror in a broad sense, it would be more appropriate to celebrate the use of the grotesque as a tool to support the story: it will not be uncommon to notice typically dramatic elements within the seasons, as well as the presence of some macabre scenes close to insane and the darkest humor should not surprise.

The theme that more than any other manages to link the viewer with the characters and with the narration lies in the empathic component that the program aims to highlight. Let me be clear: terror is always present and in some cases even reigns supreme, demonstrating how the series has over the years surpassed all censorship or taboo limits reserved for the genre.
However, instead of celebrating himself as a mere horror story, American horror story pretends to be exalted as a story about the horror that man reserves for the different.

Ryan Murphy, an avowedly homosexual author and victim of discrimination, has devoted great attention to portraying the marginalized and marginalized from the very first scenes. hoping to overcome prejudices and they often include characters easily ignored elsewhere. Whether they are people from the LGBTQIA + community or people completely outside the typical canons of television, the show really manages to find a space for everyone.

Interpreters, much more than characters

In this sense, the Murphy and Falchuk series also brings a breath of fresh air when it comes to the choice of characters. Taking advantage of a cast of great performers – da Jessica lange a Sarah paulson, gives Evan Peters a Kathy bates – flanked by completely new faces, is highlighted once again as the focus is not on aesthetics but on substance. The character of a character, as well as his story and his actions, are ingeniously constructed to surprise the viewer or at least to intrigue him and push him to understand what fate has in store for him. The true appeal of characters with dark souls and dark secrets lies in the many facets that the actors can show season after season.

So is; one of the strongest characteristics of American horror story resides in alchemy among its interpreters, who each year find themselves fighting with a completely different character from the previous one. An experiment, this one, that has a double value: showing the eclecticism of the cast and allowing the audience to bond emotionally with the actor, even before the character. Although it is not always shared, it seems unequivocal how this particular was a strength for the continuation of the show and has contributed greatly to the success of the series.

Reinterpreting the fears of man

After seasons less successful than others in adding valid material to the series’ complex set of references and quotes, the authors certainly deserve praise for their attempt to build a rich and vast narrative universe in which the seasons are connected by a thin thread. A game that involves many fans in fact refers to the attempt to connect the various points that the series disperses in time and space, between contexts and times often distant from each other, analyzing for a long time the recurring characters or the clues of Some. the places of the stations pass.

If the anthological element plays a fundamental role, however, an important theme that always resurfaces in the universe of American horror story: fate always looms over each individual, and the past often ends up influencing the present repeating itself as in a sad cycle of events.

Thus, trying to fight against this dark and seemingly inevitable fate, the series brings out the true fear of man and it places it at the center of a dialogue that is intimately linked to the fears and impositions of American society throughout the different historical periods. AHS In this way, it develops a gothic story at various levels that collects various real historical elements and places them at the service of the most classic elements of the horror genre, making those primordial fears more present and pressing.

The Truths of a Changing America

In an attempt to humanize its monsters and create empathy with the viewer, the series aims to tell America between yesterday and today, bringing to the surface current issues and never fully resolved. Probably American horror story It will never be a show focused solely on haunted houses, witches, and drifting fools, because he was not born with that intention; however, it is thanks to this detail that the work finds its greatest strength. Pointing the finger at marginalization, bluntly exposing the biggest fears of fans, AHS pushes the viewer to reflect on the limits of modern society in a constantly changing world.

By taking the risk of pointing out fears and issues at the center of the most heated debates, the series manages to stand out as one of the most contemporary products of our time – in every sense of the term. The gruesome and bloody sequences of events continually alternate with interesting conversations related to the concept of race, gender and morals that push the accelerator beyond the limits of the ordinary. After all, if there’s one reason the show has managed to please so many viewers, it’s exactly this. In the labyrinth of their confrontations and battles, AHS Try to show things for what they are without fear of being judged.