A cursed town, superstitious residents, and Salem-style traditions may sound like the typical setup for a classic folk horror, but the new Apple TV show, Bay of Widows, adds a modern touch that will certainly please fans of the genre.
What makes the show’s titular setting so contemporary is the town mayor’s pragmatic attitude toward the island’s folklore. His skepticism clashes with the city’s lingering ghosts, so when a New York Times reporter arrives to write a travel article, the tension between belief and disbelief fuels a comic confrontation.
This premise might suggest that this is just another horror comedy poking fun at genre clichés, but Widows Bay takes a very different path. Rather than functioning as a satire like What we do in the shadowsits humor comes from precise comedic timing and character-driven writing that undercuts the scares without dulling them.
“We wanted people to act as they would in very tense and terrifying situations. If you know the characters well enough, the humor comes from the character. We were constantly trying to balance that,” she added.
Such a focus on making horror emotionally realistic means that Widows Bay leans more into the drama of the situation, but there are some unmistakable references that anyone from the ’80s will instantly recognize – largely because of the influences that helped sculpt the show’s visual style.
“I’m obsessed with Jaws. Like I want to live there, which most people wouldn’t because there’s a shark that’s going to kill you. But I want to be there,” she said, remembering childhood summers in Long Branch, New Jersey, spent running around on a haunted boardwalk.
Widow’s Bay — Official Preview | Apple TV – YouTube 
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“We were screaming and we were laughing and we were screaming and then we were laughing again, and it was all strangely cathartic,” she said, before adding “that moment when terror turns to laughter is a feeling I’ve been trying to recapture ever since.”
This philosophy is rooted in the atmosphere of the show. Even the trailer’s 30-second siren wailing through the fog (see above) captures the series’ fixation on atmospheric tension.
Much of the show’s setting might be inspired by Stephen King’s island town, but other influences helped shape the show’s pace and style. Indeed, Dippold describes the series’ influences as “one big stew.”
A key ingredient was Atlantawhose director Hiro Murai was brought on to help shape the visual language of the series. “I’ve never read anything like this before,” Murai said during the Apple TV panel about first seeing the show’s script. “It felt like a TV show from the past, but so modern at the same time.”
Such a unique concept ended up being a challenge for Murai when it came to visualizing the show. “There’s something inherently nostalgic about the show. It’s like your memory of seeing a scary ’80s movie, and I think the challenge was: How do you take that feeling and literalize it? It’s strange to revisit your memory,” he said.
Lead star Matthew Rhys, who plays troubled Mayor Tom, felt the same attraction to the project. “I certainly would never have read anything like this. I’m a child of the 80s, I grew up with The Wicker Man And Jaws. It’s everything I thought I’d never be able to do.”
Rhys sums it up best with: “Children of the Corn encounter The Goonies“All the hallmarks are there, from a cursed coastal history to unnatural fog and townsfolk clinging to superstition. All topped off by a mayor who, at one point, shouts “F**k Cape Cod.” Welcome to Widow’s Bay.
The first three episodes of Widows Bay will premiere on April 29, 2026, with the remainder of the season occurring weekly.
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