American Horror Story: Roanoke - Chapter 6

 It was cool that this was directed by Angela Bassett, considering Chapter 6 is that now expected American Horror Story "reset", a twist midway through the season that takes what you had experienced and turns everything on its head. In this case, a producer (Cheyenne Jackson) of the Roanoke show is able to get greenlit a return to the Roanoke, North Carolina home supposedly haunted, particularly during the blood moon when the lost colony (and those murdered on the land, in the house) once again emerge to attack and kill anyone occupying their domain. So the actual people, Matt, Shelby, Lee, and the actors that portrayed them, Audrey (Paulson), Dominic (Gooding, Jr.), and Monet (Bassett), are lured to the Roanoke house for a reality show 13-episode season to monetize the popularity of the reenacted show. Jackson's Sidney really sets his sights on this show featuring lots of gimmicks designed to scare those staying in the house (including Evan Peters' Rory, who played Edward Mott, having romanced Audrey and later wed her) and melodrama (he promises Shelby not to include Dominic in the list of folks staying at Roanoke, lying to her, knowing she, in a moment of weakness, had a one-night stand with him during a bad phase with Matt due to their story's notoriety). Bates' Agnes, who "got too deep in the role of The Butcher", seems to be unstable, having adopted some seriously disturbing traits--including keeping props in her home, including the hatchet and a pig's head--including the accent and language of the character she was portraying when presented by Sidney with a restraining order, telling her not to show up at the Roanoke house. With lots and lots of cameras installed (one of the crew has a "mishap accident" with a chainsaw that "turns on him", killing the guy), almost nothing could happen and not be recorded. Included are intertitles to tell us that no one survives the stay, with all the "found footage" revealing all that transpires while the reality show "participants" encounter visitations wielding lots of weapons to slice and stab them.

Shelby tries to convince Matt the one time fling with Dominic was a mistake and she badly wants him back. Agnes tries to convince Sidney she did not leave animal guts on the grounds for them to find. Sidney's assistant tries to flee the production site and is attacked by a spirit in her backseat, causing her to wreck. Audrey is clearly very defensive about any remarks she might consider slights against her age in comparison to Rory. I was surprised Peters leaves the season as he does so early...his Rory was to be cast in a Brad Pitt film, planning to leave Sidney's show. Audrey encounters the pig-headed ghoul while showering. Lee accuses Monet of portraying her as a monster with a backlash ruining her life due to Mason's death not being solved...their time alone is quite intense, with Monet considering Lee a mess she had to bring to life on screen. Matt and Dominic have a physical altercation with Shelby telling Sidney in a camera to fuck himself for this obvious swerve for dramatic purposes. Lee and Shelby once again are at odds. So Sidney is getting plenty of what he wanted...and then some when Rory is killed and the ghouls show up on camera looking to make the blood moon privilege letting them return an advantage they'll capitalize on.

Fans of found footage or reality horror should probably enjoy this. The American Horror Story team certainly did their homework and use the popular subgenre tropes for all their worth. And this new route the season takes allows for plenty of off screen Hollywood insider "footage" following Sidney, full of excitement and vigor, as he orchestrates this whole return (three nights in hell) to a setting during the worst time imaginable. 4/5

***The portrayal of Hollywood actors is as you might expect: self-absorbed, condescending, and uppity. I did enjoy the actors opposite those they portray. The clear difference in Hollywood elite and regular folk is glaring, and appropriately so. Hollywood royalty don't often mingle with the peasants.***