Penny Dreadful is a gothic horror TV series that I and the wife loved when it aired from 2014 to 2016. With only 27 episodes spread across three seasons, Penny Dreadful is not a show that is going to demand a great deal of your time. It is a show that I felt got better and better with each season and I was legit bummed out when I found out the third season would be the last.
How to Download Penny Dreadful
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. For more gothic horror films, check out also our reviews of Sleepy Hollow or Interview with the Vampire.
The Movie Review
They managed to get a fantastic cast for this show. We have Eva Green as Vanessa Ives, the heroine of the show, Josh Hartnett as Ethan Chandler, Rory Kinnear as Frankenstein’s monster, and Reeve Carney as Dorian Grey and that is just those that sprung to mind. This is a very character-driven show and you will connect with many of them as you watch it.
I love the dark and gothic setting of the show and that is perhaps what I think of most when this show comes to mind, the whole look of it is just awesome. The set designs, costumes, and creature effects here are great and I also love the use of lighting. The whole show has this kind of Tim Burton creepy vibe that I get a real kick out of.
The first season has a lot going on as we meet who I consider to be our main character, Vanessa Ives. Vanessa has hired an American gunman to help her find her friend, Murry’s daughter who has been kidnaped by a mysterious creature. It starts fairly basic with the plot, but it just adds more and more layers to it.
Eventually, Lucifer shows up, takes a liking to Vanessa, and will do whatever it takes to make her his bride! I love how we have all kinds of iconic monsters and these classic characters like Dr. Frankenstein, Lucifer, Dorian Grey, Van Helsing, and more here and it is awesome whenever a new one is introduced.
The second season I feel moves at a much faster pace than the first. Vanessa is still wanted by Lucifer, but she is in even more danger as a coven of witches that serve him want to find her for their master! The leader of these witches is Evelyn Poole and she is awesome, she actually reminds me of someone that could have been in the Coven season of American Horror Story.
The other characters have their own stuff going on in season 2 as well, but it cleverly keeps many things and characters connected. Season 3 is my personal favorite and something that is epic in every sense of the word. Vanessa is still once again sought after, but this time the rise of Count Dracula is part of things too. I do not want to go into spoiler territory at all, but trust me, you are in for one hell of a wild ride!
I must admit, I kind of envy anyone that comes into this show as it would be so awesome to binge-watch all three seasons. This is a series that I have watched all the way through multiple times and I probably will watch it at least every couple of years. There are not many, if any, gothic horror TV shows that can match what this offers!
