American Horror Story: 1984
A slasher-inspired season set at a reopened summer camp.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
American Horror Story: 1984 is the ninth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. Subtitled 1984, the season focuses on the staff of a summer camp reopening after a massacre 14 years prior, and has been described as being heavily influenced by classic slasher films such as Friday the 13th (1980) and Halloween (1978). It was broadcast from September 18 to November 13, 2019, consisting of nine episodes, making it the shortest season in the series.
- field
- Television
- genre
- Horror anthology
- network
- FX
- episodes
- 9
- premiere_date
- September 18, 2019
- finale_date
- November 13, 2019
- production_company
- 20th Century Fox Television
Lore & Background
The season's ensemble cast includes Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, and Cody Fern, and marks the first season not to feature cast mainstays Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. While it has no direct connection to any previous iteration, it includes similar 'Hell mouths' of ghostly properties such as Murder House, Hotel, and Roanoke. The season was renewed on January 12, 2017, alongside Apocalypse, and its title was announced by Ryan Murphy on April 10, 2019. Filming began on July 11, 2019, and the official trailer was released on August 26, 2019. The opening credits, inspired by a fan-made concept by Corey Vega, were revealed on September 12, 2019, and Vega was invited to work with Kyle Cooper on the official sequence.
Reader's Guide
American Horror Story: 1984 received positive reviews, holding an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 170 reviews, with the critical consensus calling it 'a near-perfect blend of slasher tropes and American Horror Story's trademark twists.' However, the portrayal of Richard Ramirez drew criticism, including from the families of Ramirez's victims, who accused the show of glamorising him. The season concluded with nine episodes, one fewer than originally ordered, making it the shortest season in the series and the third after Murder House and Hotel to reduce its episode count. Its significance lies in its departure from the series' usual cast lineup and its focused homage to 1980s slasher films.
Did You Know?
- The season is the first not to feature cast mainstays Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters.
- The opening credits were inspired by a fan-made concept by Corey Vega, who was invited to work on the official sequence.
- The season originally ordered 10 episodes but concluded with nine, making it the shortest in the series.
- The portrayal of Richard Ramirez received criticism from the families of his victims for glamorising him.
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