Co-directed by Krysten Ritter and Jacob Chase, The Girl in the Woods brings a refreshing take to the teen-led supernatural genre. That’s no easy feat, considering the staggering amount of shows within that realm. On The CW network alone, there are 13 shows (and counting) exploring teens finding their way amidst apocalyptic and magical circumstances. But unlike a series like The CW’s Legacies, which focuses more on romance and glossy special effects, The Girl in the Woods relies solely on character-driven plot beats to keep viewers in their seats.
The Girl in the Woods‘ charm lies in watching its main characters respond to monsters and the Disciples of Dawn’s evil secrets. In that way, the series feels closer to a show like 1998’s The Worst Witch. It’s stripped down to the bare essentials of storytelling, constantly asking, “What should we do next?” Since the story is firmly rooted in its ensemble cast, we care about the teens, who feel appropriately bumbling.
The Girl in the Woods opens with a runaway teen named Carrie (Stefanie Scott) deciding to leave her Guardian post and her cult/family. There’s just one problem with this plan: Carrie is supposed to be guarding a door that keeps monsters out of the real world. Of course, a demon soon escapes into the surrounding town of West Pine, Oregon, which quickly disrupts the bored lives of local teens Nolan (Freaky‘s Misha Osherovich) and Tasha (Sofia Bryant).
Directed by Ritter, the show’s pilot doesn’t waste any time setting up its premise. Carrie is introduced to us mid-sprint and bleeding, which immediately captures viewers’ interest. To its credit, it doesn’t keep up this pace for too long. The Girl in the Woods ensures we meet Nolan and Tasha in their monsterless lives before Carrie barrels into them — an essential choice so that this show doesn’t just feel like the Scooby Gang 2.0. Hearing Bryant’s Tasha complain about not being famous on TikTok yet and seeing Osherovich’s Nolan pierce their ear for the first time are delightful character details that make these teens feel real. Yes, the world is in trouble soon, but their individual lives in this small-minded mining town deserve equal screentime. At times, the monsters of this tale do overshadow the way the show explores real-life concerns like poverty, homophobia and racism, but never for too long.
Of the core cast, Bryant and Osherovich are standout performers. Osherovich’s eye-rolls and funny asides showcase Nolan’s defensiveness and fear as much as they do their humor and heart. Byrant, especially, delivers a pitch-perfect teenage vibe, knowing just when to pause in discomfort or speak as rapidly, as teens do when they’re feeling that unique mix of anxiety and boldness.
At first, Scott’s delivery of Carrie is a little jarring. To be fair, Carrie is tasked with being both a fish-out-of-water character and a Sarah Connor-like hero in one fell swoop, causing Scott to stumble a bit out of the gate. That being said, as Carrie becomes familiar with the world of West Pine and is able to do more — like tell some secrets and kick some demon butt — it is a joy to watch her rise as a blade-wielding hero in command of her story.
The Girl in the Woods isn’t a glamorous take on monster-hunting, and this applies to its depiction of monsters too. Monsters are kept mostly out of view, which adds to the creepiness of the story. The camera often opts to take the creature’s stalking POV than deliver a close-up of a monster. There are still plenty of bodies and slaying that happens, but The Girl in the Woods‘ story comes first and foremost. Sometimes, that means the camera will linger on a child’s hypnotized face to send chills down your spine, then deliver a CGI-fueled roaring beast. While some effects look shlocky, the show’s suspense makes up for it.
For a first season, The Girl in the Woods displays tremendous promise. It uses its tight 28-minute episode runtime to depict a dark and dry wit, which breathes new life into a genre that usually chooses glossy and overly-sexualized storylines for a younger cast. Similar to Carrie’s journey, it might take an episode or two to believe in this world. However, once you do, it’ll deliver unexpected joys and heartache fit for anyone craving a new supernatural series.
Crypt TV’s “The Girl In The Woods” premiered Thursday, October 21 on Peacock and all eight episodes are available now.
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