Shining Vale starts off with one of the most unique title cards/disclaimers I’ve seen in a long time. It discusses how women are twice as likely as men to be depressed, as well as the signs and symptoms of depression. It then goes on to say that women are twice as likely to be possessed as males are, and that the symptoms are very similar. It establishes the tone for the other eight half-hour episodes. Shining Vale attempts to blend comedy, satire, horror, and psychological thriller into the most unlikely of concoctions. It’s been done before, but not with the same level of irreverence and wit. Shining Vale, despite its creative screenplay, could have been a conventional thriller show if it hadn’t been for Courtteney Cox’s sassy portrayal as the lead.

After being caught cheating on her husband, Patricia Phelps (Courteney), a writer known for filthy novels for women, is forced to relocate with her family to a small town for a fresh start. Patricia experiences writer’s block as her husband Terry (Greg Kinnear) and her two teenage children adjust to life in their new rural hamlet. She believes she is either depressed or possessed, but she can’t decide which. Both options are portrayed as indisputable fact, at least for the first several episodes, thus neither can the viewers.

The series keeps you on the edge of your seat. Is it a narrative about demonic possession or a haunting, or about a lady trapped in a mundane life cycle? Is it a satire on how women’s mental health is constantly overlooked and pushed to the side? This strangely feminist show manages to bring attention to women’s mental health difficulties, the midlife and existential crises they confront in their 50s, and the irritation a woman feels when she isn’t taken seriously, all without being preachy. One of the show’s best moments, in my opinion, is when Pat accuses her husband of mansplaining something to her, and he quickly responds by explaining what mansplaining ‘really’ is. Simple, understated, amusing, and effective.

Shining Vale’s writing keeps it entertaining to watch throughout the eight episodes. Abortion, sexism, ageism, and corporate slavery are all joked about. Even one of them, if poorly worded, might leave a foul taste in the mouths of the audience, spoiling the show. But they all make it to the ground. That is all due to the writers, directors, and actors. The show, however, isn’t a slapstick comedy. It isn’t going to make you laugh out loud. It isn’t a jump-scare type of horror, and you won’t be hiding beneath your cover or pillow for too long. But it has just the proper amount of both of them. While the show keeps you guessing if it’s a horror or a psychological thriller at first, the mystery gradually unravels.

The performances, led by Courteney Cox, are the icing on the cake. She plays a 51-year-old woman who is ‘stuck’ in her home and life, and she nails the claustrophobia well. Her interactions with her muse/demon/hallucination are when she feels most free, and Courteney and Mira Sorvino, who plays Pat’s tormenter-in-chief Rosemary, have both brilliantly represented that illicit link. Greg Kinnear, who plays the caring yet unforgiving husband, is an excellent counterbalance for the two women. His performance exemplifies how a male character can be problematic and slightly sexist without being a ‘bad guy.’ He is just a regular man, who has been conditioned a certain way. Among the supporting cast, Gus Birney as Pat’s teenage daughter Gaynor and Susan Park as the Phelps’ god-fearing neighbour Valerie stand out.

Shining Vale premiered in the US on Starz in March. But it wasn’t until June 10 that the series finally began streaming in India when all eight episodes of the first season released on Lionsgate Play. Indian audiences should be thankful for this recent proliferation of OTT platforms in the country that has allowed relatively niche shows like Shining Vale to be available in India.

Series: Shining Vale

Creators: Jeff Astrof, Sharon Horgan

Cast: Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Gus Birney, Dylan Gage, Merrin Dungey, and Mira Sorvino

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