Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
2020
Original language: English
- sci-fi & fantasy
- drama
- crime
- mystery
The story
Rooted in the conflict between characters connected to the deity Santa Muerte and others allied with the Devil, this saga explores an exciting mix of the supernatural and the combustible reality of 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with Mexican-American folklore and social tension.
What it’s like
Gothic period texture carried by saturated color: sunlit Los Angeles streets of 1938 rendered in warm amber and deep reds, with night scenes pushed toward teal shadow, dim cantinas, lamplit bedrooms, and the glow of votive candles against dark walls. The camera moves with unhurried elegance, often holding on composed tableaux of rooms and faces, while the score leans on sweeping strings and a low, insistent pulse that rises when the supernatural breaks through. Sound design favors creaking floors, distant traffic, and whispered Spanish and English that mix naturally. The vibe is brooding and atmospheric, with dread that builds slowly rather than arriving in jolts, suited to a late evening alone or a rainy weekend with the lights low. Pacing is deliberate, and the emotional register is melancholy and charged, with characters caught between faith, grief, and temptation, slowly confronting what they have lost and what they are willing to become. Violence is present and occasionally graphic, with bloody confrontations and supernatural horror, though it is not constant. Sexual content appears in some scenes. It suits viewers who enjoy dark fantasy, historical mood and folklore-rich storytelling more than fast thrills.
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