Widow's Bay (2026)
The mayor of a New England town resolves to turn it into the next tourist hot spot, despite local warnings that it's cursed.
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27 films that influenced Widow's Bay
What critics say influenced Widow's Bay
…producing a tasteful homage to a classic inspiration, such as Jaws or Halloween…
…from a Jaws-like beach escape…
Widow’s Bay has plenty of other influences, of course. It’s been compared to Jaws, Twin Peaks and horror films like John Carpenter’s The Fog and Halloween.
If you ever wondered what might happen if the mayor from Jaws actually believed in the dangers of the shark but was also in a John Carpenter flick…
Loftis finds himself in the Murray Hamilton role in Jaws, assuring everyone that the resort is open for business, while realising that the uncomfortable truth is that something bad is happening in the small town of Widow’s Bay.
I had already watched a couple episodes of “Widow’s Bay” when I explained to my partner how the character of Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) was ignoring all signs that the island he leads is cursed so he can coax mainland tourists over to reinvigorate the local economy as the “next Martha’s Vineyard.” Without missing a beat, she said, “Never compare me to the Jaws mayor!”
John Carpenter's Halloween and The Fog…
Widow’s Bay has plenty of other influences, of course. It’s been compared to Jaws, Twin Peaks and horror films like John Carpenter’s The Fog and Halloween.
…producing a tasteful homage to a classic inspiration, such as Jaws or Halloween…
…a creepy masked killer sloooowly stalking a victim through an empty alley, Halloween-style…
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the later episode, “Your Baggage,” which is, in no uncertain terms, a reference to Carpenter’s seminal slasher film, 1978’s Halloween.
Dippold blends the warmth and humor of Parks and Recreation with Stephen King’s New England tales, Twin Peaks, Jaws, Halloween, and The Wicker Man, among others.
John Carpenter's Halloween and The Fog…
While no episode is exactly like 1980’s The Fog, there are a fair amount of homages throughout the series. For example, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!” gives us the show’s very first Carpenter-esque images, with the boat worker in the doorway evoking the ghostly lepers haunting Antonio Bay.
Widow’s Bay has plenty of other influences, of course. It’s been compared to Jaws, Twin Peaks and horror films like John Carpenter’s The Fog and Halloween.
…the vibe is very similar to John Carpenter’s The Fog, with mist blowing in and suggestions that the town has a dark past…
…did the words Tom screamed near the end of the first episode — “There’s something in the fog!” — sound familiar? That’s because they were part of the tagline for John Carpenter’s 1980 horror flick The Fog.
Creator Katie Dippold has packed in references to horror classics such as “The Fog” (1980)…
…reminded of Lost, Robert Eggers' The Witch, Twin Peaks…
Widow’s Bay has plenty of other influences, of course. It’s been compared to Jaws, Twin Peaks and horror films like John Carpenter’s The Fog and Halloween.
Does it seek to find that sweet spot between the absurd and terrifying a la “Twin Peaks”?
That’s why continuous narrative shows like Twin Peaks and Lost were absolute gamechangers; they didn’t give up their secrets over an episode, or even a season, and the point was to arouse curiosity and keep the audience guessing as to what they were actually watching.
Dippold blends the warmth and humor of Parks and Recreation with Stephen King’s New England tales, Twin Peaks, Jaws, Halloween, and The Wicker Man, among others.
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…combines the horror of Stephen King’s Castle Rock universe…
…reminded of Lost, Robert Eggers' The Witch, Twin Peaks, Castle Rock…
A show about King’s universe was already attempted: it was called Castle Rock and was well-regarded, but only lasted two seasons.
…reminded of Lost, Robert Eggers' The Witch…
…its winking take on period horror, à la Robert Eggers’s The Witch, keeps things wryly amusing…
…a mix between Leslie Knope and Courage the Cowardly Dog…
Dippold worked as producer and writer on Parks and Recreation, a sitcom defined by its cast chemistry and sense of found family.
The series creator, Katie Dippold, actually wrote the pilot for Widow’s Bay nearly 20 years ago as a spec script to land a gig on Parks and Recreation, where she ended up writing for over 30 episodes.
Widow’s Bay is good. Very, very good in a way that few shows that dip into horror are ever able to accomplish. That’s partly due to strong writing, led by creator Katie Dippold, a Parks and Recreation writer who also penned the two best Melissa McCarthy movies (Heat, Spy), as well as the woman-led Ghostbusters reboot and, ok, fine, a misfired Haunted Mansion movie for Disney.
That Katie Dippold (Parks and Recreation, The Heat) can make you laugh and gasp in the same episode is “proof of its excellence.”
But creator Katie Dippold – who has previously written The Heat and Parks and Recreation – gives it a brilliantly fresh spin…
…including a shot of Tom’s arrival to the inn that’s reminiscent of Psycho…
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The ‘Beach Reads’ episode evokes memories of Carrie, and there’s even a copy of The Shining visible in the bookmobile.
Does “Widow’s Bay” prove to be yet another anomalous mystery set in a place rife with supernatural earmarks that’s detached from the rest of the world like “Lost” or “From”?
However, the elephant in the room of references is, of course, LOST. While not explicitly explored until nearly the end of the first season, there’s no ifs, ands, or buts that one of the most influential TV series of the last 20 years is built into the bones of Widow’s Bay.
I found myself at times reminded of Lost…
That’s why continuous narrative shows like Twin Peaks and Lost were absolute gamechangers; they didn’t give up their secrets over an episode, or even a season, and the point was to arouse curiosity and keep the audience guessing as to what they were actually watching.