Engaged couples warned not to watch 'unsettling' new Duffer Brothers horror

Jess Battison
2026-03-26T18:03:57.609Z
Entertainment

Released on Netflix today, the horror produced by the Stranger Things creators has left viewers 'actually terrified'

Taking us somewhere a little darker and even creepier than the Upside Down, the Duffer Brothers have a brand-new series now on Netflix.

Far more in the horror genre than Stranger Things, viewers have already started binging it as they label it ‘so creepy’ and ‘unsettling’.

And that’s exactly what creator Haley Z. Boston was going for with Something Very Bad is Going to Happen.

But it seems like the Duffer Brothers-produced show is so unnerving that engaged couples (or even those in relationships) are being warned against watching it.

That’s because, with its ‘twisty’ ending and threads of ‘humour, absurdity, tension and paranoia’, the new Netflix series follows a couple gearing up for their wedding day.

Take a look at the trailer for Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen here:

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What is Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen about?

With eight episodes now available on Netflix, the horror series follows bride-to be Rachel (Camila Morrone) and her husband-to-be, Nicky (Adam DiMarco).

But with their wedding coming up (that an opening flashforward shows to be pretty gory), a feeling of dread begins to grow over the week’s lead-up.

Rachel can’t shake that foreboding feeling – yes, note the show’s title – and has a fair bit of déjà vu that she’s been in the creepy cabin before.

The show grapples with the idea of soulmates and Boston’s ‘own perplexity around finding the right person’ as she drew inspiration from real-life.

“When I was a kid, my mom said to me, ‘You just need to make sure you don’t marry the wrong person,’” she told Tudum. “The show is about the fear of marrying the wrong person.”

Boston added: “I’ve been to weddings where people say in their vows, ‘I never once had a doubt,’ I hear that, and I’m like, ‘That’s crazy. What do you mean?’”

The show builds up that feeling of dread. (Netflix)

Warning to couples

The series sees the couple’s typical wedding jitters turn into nerve-wracking questions about commitment as they grapple with ‘a deliciously fresh horror twist’. Oh yeah, forget cold feet, this is full on fear and paranoia.

And it’s warned it might be a bit too close to home for those gearing up for marriage themselves.

Alex Maidy warned on JoBlo: “If Jaws made people scared of the water, Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is going to scare the sh*t out of anyone thinking about getting married.”

It’s thought Boston has transformed the usual anxiety of newlyweds-to be into a blend of ‘satire and unabashed horror’.

“If you are engaged to be married, this series is going to give you some serious pause, and everyone in a committed relationship may think twice about even considering tying the knot,” the critic added.

One viewer said they were 'actually terrified'. (Netflix)

Why is it so ‘unsettling’ to watch?

Rather than relying on jump scares, horror lover Boston used the suspense and dread to make Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen so creepy.

“I think horror allows you to explore taboo feelings and take all of these fears and give them some bite,” she said.

Mixing with the character-driven storytelling, the showrunner created a tone that is ‘unsettling, getting-under-your-skin dread’.

“I love to explore characters. I think sometimes that’s lacking in the horror genre,” Boston said.

“My natural approach is from a place of character and dialogue and humour and then infusing that with unsettling horror … I’m like, ‘I want to be unsettled. I want to be freaked out.’”

One critic reckons it's going to 'scare the sh*t' out of people thinking about marriage. (Netflix)

Reaction to Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen so far

Having only released today (26 March), there is a bit of a mixed reaction for the series so far – but a lot of people are noting just how creepy it is.

“The first episode was phenomenal. I've been waiting a while for this one. Very excited for more,” one user wrote on Reddit as another said it ‘gives a creepy vibe’.

A third put: “I love it when horror is constantly angling for strange and unique ways to unsettle, rather than the usual plethora of jump scares and tropes so this is right up my alley.

On X, others said it has ‘creeped me the hell out’ as one went as far to say: “SOMETHING VERY BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN is the best horror show I've seen in a long time.”

And another added that one scene left them ‘actually terrified’.

However, others have critiqued the storytelling, the lighting and pace, as one said it’s ‘all over the place’.

Something Very Bad is Going to Happen is now streaming on Netflix