From The Nun duology, to Immaculate, to The First Omen, nunsploitation is becoming something of a genre *ahem* habit for horror creatives right now. And into that unholy fray is about to come Grotesquerie, a dramatic FX chiller from American Horror Story mastermind Ryan Murphy. Starring Niecy Nash-Betts, Lesley Manville, and Travis Kelce (yes, "the guy on the Chiefs" Travis Kelce), Murphy's latest provocation centres around a series of grisly murders in a close-knit community and the unlikely detective-nun duo who find themselves in over their head seeking answers. Check out the sinister teaser trailer for the show below:
Crucifixes aplenty? Check. Sinister goats? Check. Satanic imagery? Check. Seriously bisexual, neon-soaked, Uber-stylised lighting? Check, check, and check again! "It's like a hole opened up in the world to the centre of nothingness," says Nash-Betts' embattled detective Lois Tryon in this first-look teaser for Grotesquerie — but it sure doesn't look like nothingness is afoot here. Sure, this is a vibe-heavy trailer with vague talk of "sermonising, proselytising" killers and "something happening" doing little to elucidate the plot at hand here, but the slew of sacrilegious images, intoxicating giallo lighting, and jumpscare cut to Travis Kelce do plenty to pique our curiosity and spike our sense of mounting dread (in a good way) for the series ahead.
If the trailer hasn't quite given you enough to be sold on the show however, here's Grotesquerie's official synopsis to get stuck into: “A series of heinous crimes have unsettled a small community. Detective Lois Tryon (Nash-Betts) feels these crimes are eerily personal, as if someone — or something — is taunting her. At home, Lois grapples with a strained relationship with her daughter (Goodwin), a husband (Vance) in long-term hospital care and her own inner demons. With no leads and unsure of where to turn, she accepts the help of Sister Megan (Diamond), a nun and journalist with the Catholic Guardian. Sister Megan, with her own difficult past, has seen the worst of humanity, yet she still believes in its capacity for good. Lois, on the other hand, fears the world is succumbing to evil. As Lois and Sister Megan string together clues, they find themselves ensnared in a sinister web that only seems to raise more questions than answers.”
Also aboard for some whimper-inducing wimple-based scares in this one are Micaela Diamond, Courtney B. Vance, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and Raven Goodwin. On present evidence at least, the omens are looking good for Murphy's newest nightmare. And we can look forward to discovering for ourselves whether Grotesquerie will prove to be a blessing for horror hounds or leave us nun too impressed when the series hits Hulu stateside on 25 September, and Disney+ here in the UK sometime soon after.