That’s what helps amplify the fear factor when the supernatural realm starts to poke at characters who could be the guy (or gal) next door. It’s also a puzzling, unsettling mixture of chilling horror and murder mystery that isn’t actually true crime, but it feels realistic enough in places. Streaming services are now living by the binge-it-all-right-now bible, and The Outsider will unfold on a weekly basis in an impeccably parceled out manner. Honestly, I think people are starved for that type of thing. The effort is mostly successful although not perfect, and it’s a hell of a slow burn, if you’re into that sort of thing. Again, they’ve delivered something different than expected.

Chernobyl? That one spread like word-of-mouth wildfire, engineered from an unlikely source (one of The Hangover guys). Watchmen? My god, what a ride, whether you were a fan of the comic book or not.

In the case of this drama series, the premium cable network knows they need to bring something different to the table in addition to “spooky.” HBO’s also still clearly of the mindset that they must keep following up Game of Thrones with event TV series, and to that end, they have succeeded so far in unexpected ways. These days, one can’t walk into a movie theater or turn on a streaming device without being rattled by the sight of a Stephen King adaptation. Let’s get one thing straight here before we talk about HBO’s The Outsider.

The outsider stephen king review