The historic city of New Orleans also happens to be one of the most haunted and rich in supernatural folklore. That makes it the perfect setting for “Fright Krewe,” an animated gateway horror series from creators/executive producers Eli Roth and James Frey. The 10-episode inaugural season charms for its adolescent spin on Voodoo, folklore, and a demonic ancient prophecy that’s never quite as scary as high school.
Soleil (Sydney Mikayla) loves New Orleans for its open embrace of all things spooky. That love also means she’s a bit of an outsider at school. Soleil is comfortable as a loner, but that changes when an ancient prophecy gets triggered by the awakening of a dormant demon. Soleil, along with fellow peers Maybe (Tim Johnson Jr.), Missy (Grace Lu), Stanley (Chester Rushing), and Pat (Terrence Little Gardenhigh), is tasked by Loa spirits with the job of saving the city. Armed with powerful new gifts from the spirits, the teens must band together to take down the demonic new threat causing unrest in the city. If only they could get along.
DreamWorks Animation (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Bad Guys) captures the vibrancy of New Orleans in animated form as “Fright Krewe” doles out a ton of exposition on the city’s supernatural underbelly. It’s not just Voodoo and its prominent figures that are represented here, but ghosts, vampires, Rougarous, and much more. Roth and Frey keep it easily accessible and digestible for its target audience by layering the dense mythology with the core group’s awakening of powers. While there is an overarching good versus evil mystery here, it’s less “Scooby-Doo” and more “Captain Planet and the Planeteers”: Spooky Edition.
The fivesome’s attempts to navigate and control their budding abilities provide the bulk of the interpersonal conflicts, which only exacerbates their pre-existing high school hierarchy dynamics. For the fiery Missy and rebelliously stubborn Soleil, their disruptive back-and-forth offers the most engagement, not just for character arcs but infectious complications for the paranormal madness brewing in the French Quarter. None of the supernatural elements are as terrifying as the ruthlessness of high school, though.
The 10-episode season moves at a brisk pace, keeping the momentum chugging along with a variety of monster-of-the-week episodes that pause long enough to land an emotional beat where needed. It’s further helped by the embrace of Nola folklore, with the werewolf-like Rougarous threatening to steal the series. Ultimately, it’s that distinct mythology and the lively voice cast that elevates an otherwise by-the-numbers animated series aimed at a young teen audience.
“Fright Krewe” has it all: the archetypical roles, evil machinations and betrayals, and the familiar structure of a Hero’s journey. That means that seasoned horror fans won’t necessarily find any narrative surprises in store, but Roth and Frey offer plenty of charm in the form of these plucky teens and the reverent love of folklore and horror on display. But this also means that “Fright Krewe” effectively serves as a worthwhile introduction to horror for its target demographic. There are stakes, poignant themes of grief, monsters galore, and teens behaving like authentic teens, albeit in animated form.
The inaugural season operates as an accessible introduction to this weird, specific world of good and evil. It ends on a note that teases the potential for a more robust and complex story in subsequent seasons. “Fright Krewe” offers enough supernatural charm, heart, and whimsy to endear Soleil and her friends to viewers, hoping to see their ascension to full hero in the future.
“Fright Krewe” premieres October 2 on Hulu and Peacock.
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