Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen (2026) Review

Netflix's Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen turns the excitement of an upcoming wedding into a deeply unsettling horror experience, blending family dysfunction, psychological tension, disturbing revelations, and an unforgettable exploration of love, marriage, and soulmates.

Horror series have always excelled at making the mundane scary. The genre relishes in taking the familiar experiences and twisting them into something uncomfortable. Be it a family moving into a purportedly haunted house, strangers getting stuck in an unusual environment, or an innocent celebration progressively turning into a nightmare. 

Netflix’s new horror movie Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen takes a similar tack, layering an increasingly distressing horror story onto one of life's happiest events. But this limited series is especially compelling because it mixes supernatural elements with complicated relationships, familial expectations, and the ambiguity of love and commitment.

The project is bolstered by creator Haley Z. Boston's experience on Netflix’s Brand New Cherry Flavor and an episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.

Her past work has explored strange horror ideas and disquieting narratives, and those characteristics are immediately evident here. Boston doesn’t rely on typical horror tricks; instead, it constructs a universe where weird things happen, awkward discussions unfold, and unsettling familial relationships become equally frightening over time.

An exceptional directing staff of Axelle Carolyn, Lisa Brühlmann, and Weronika Tofilska also supports the series. They’ve worked on shows including The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Midnight Club, Servant, and Baby Reindeer. The program has a distinctive look, thanks to a team of filmmakers that know how to produce atmospheric, character-driven stories.

Over eight episodes, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen cultivates a mood in which something is always amiss, even when the protagonists are engaged in activities that seem perfectly normal. The series stars Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco as Rachel and Nicky and also features Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ted Levine, Gus Birney, Karla Crome, Jeff Wilbusch and Zlatko Burić.

The program has a lot going for it: the cast is seasoned, the creative team is intriguing, and the premise is off-beat horror. Luckily, they work together to create something really special. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen follows Rachel and her fiancé, Nicky, as they head to his family’s holiday house for their upcoming wedding.

The couple should be enjoying one of the greatest times of their relationship with just five days to go before the ceremony. They seem in love, comfortable with each other, and eager for their future together. But Rachel can’t shake the sensation that something dreadful is about to happen. Her suspicions are initially expressed as superstition and paranoia, and it is difficult to ascertain whether her fears are rooted in reality.

The show deliberately keeps its audience in suspense, using small details, odd conversations, and puzzling responses to build its central mystery. Almost every interaction carries a sense of unease, even when nothing really scary is happening.

The series begins with snippets of the wedding’s festivities, then takes the audience through the five days leading up to it.

This structure quickly sets up that the celebration will not end in peace, even if the series is careful not to show exactly how everything will unfold. It doesn’t solve its puzzles right away, but it slowly reveals facts about the family, their relationships, and the odd circumstances behind Rachel’s mounting worry. One of the best parts of the storytelling is how it uses Nicky's family to build suspense.

His relatives aren't exactly a friendly bunch, and Rachel quickly realizes that joining this family could be a little harder than she planned. His parents and his brothers are all different people, with their own problems and convoluted history. It is a place where the most pleasant-sounding conversations can turn very uncomfortable very fast.

The family gathering is all the more effective because no one in the series is ever a clear-cut villain or hero. Their conversations indicate distinct expectations about marriage, relationships, and family obligations. The series includes fun characters, irritating characters, and characters who become much more complicated as the story progresses.

I am especially interested in Rachel’s role in this environment. She wants to build a warm relationship with her prospective relatives, but their strange expectations and behavior always put her in unpleasant situations. She is shown as a confident, capable woman who knows what she wants, but she often gives in to avoid creating further problems.

This leads to frustrating situations, since her willingness to accommodate everyone doesn't always seem compatible with her established personality. But these situations also help to fuel the show’s fundamental strength: making the audience uncomfortable. The more Rachel tries to keep the peace, the more it becomes apparent that something is seriously wrong with the family and the events surrounding the wedding.

The supernatural mythology becomes clearer as the episodes go. The series presents a terrifying curse related to Nicky’s genealogy and the idea of marrying one’s soulmate. Marriage is no longer a vow between two people; it becomes a possibly life-threatening decision with ramifications for the entire family.

The core idea's strength is that it takes a familiar romantic notion and spins it into something terrifying.

So what does it really mean to marry your soul mate? Does anyone ever really know when they have found the right person? And what if the repercussions of making the incorrect choice are far worse than an unhappy marriage? These questions give the series a fascinating footing beyond its mystery. The curse becomes a way to interrogate the expectations placed on romantic relationships and how easily the idea of finding the perfect companion can become an obsession.

The last episodes bring these pieces together in increasingly unsettling revelations. Rachel's perception of Nicky, his family, and the curse shifts radically, as the impending wedding becomes a frantic effort to avert tragedy. The tragedy is compounded as the family starts to care more about their own survival than Rachel’s.

The ending really leans into the series' scary identity. The tale ultimately delivers the savagery promised at the beginning after spending most of its runtime building tension through awkward conversations and foreboding occurrences. The curse spreads to the whole family, and the wedded members suffer dreadful repercussions, whether they believed they married their soulmates.

But the biggest development concerns Rachel's connection with Nicky. Their last meeting reveals the difficulties that have been there all along in their relationship. Nicky struggles to grasp Rachel’s ideas, and Rachel realizes that the person she trusted may not understand or respect her as much as she thought.

Another terrible complication arises when Nicky decides not to marry Rachel, reportedly because he thinks it's best for her. This shows how much he prioritizes his own idea of their connection over what Rachel has repeatedly told him. The dispute between them is a key emotional turning point because it makes Rachel rethink whether it’s really love or whether Nicky just likes the idea of having a wife, a marriage, and a normal future.

Things get much more distressing as the family tries to save itself by forcing Rachel and Nicky into marriage.

Rachel agrees ultimately, but her notion that Nicky is her soulmate has already been broken. The results are terrible, and her death is one of the most emotionally gripping moments in the series. But Nicky’s survival adds another depth of discomfort to the ending. He thinks Rachel is his soulmate, and that lets him avoid the immediate repercussions, even after everything between them.

The other family members also offer some unique viewpoints in the climax. Despite their flawed relationship and her infidelity, Boris believes Victoria to be his soulmate. Jules and Nelly also show that a relationship doesn't have to be perfect to have true love and understanding. These connections emphasize one of the show's most essential principles: finding a soulmate isn’t about finding a perfect person. It's about finding someone you can have a real relationship with.

Rachel is, of course, the main character, yet the supporting cast does a lot to make the familial relationships believable and interesting. Camila Morrone is great, especially as Rachel’s emotional journey takes her through fear, uncertainty, resolve, and sadness. Rachel's performance gives the audience deep access to her psychological issues.

The character slowly learns things that change all she thought she knew about her history, her present, and her destiny. Morrone handles these developments well, making Rachel an emotionally compelling protagonist even when her decisions infuriate the audience. Adam DiMarco also strengthens the show's central relationship as Nicky.

At first, he seems like a kind, supportive partner, but the series slowly reveals the paradoxes of his personality. The novel delves into his expectations of marriage and his inability to truly grasp Rachel’s fears, and their connection becomes increasingly problematic. Gus Birney’s Porsche is one of the more memorable supporting characters.

Her character often makes annoying decisions and requests, but Birney gives her an amusing personality that makes her hard to ignore. Karla Crome’s Nell also has a fascinating character arc, with developments that make her more compelling as the story progresses.

Ted Levine and Jennifer Jason Leigh contribute to the difficult family dynamic, while the rest of the ensemble suggests everyone has something to hide.

The people don’t always get along, but the faults of their relationships make the family feel like it has a history. The show’s eight-episode structure lets the mystery unfold gradually, but this technique often creates pacing issues. Some conversations and situations drag on longer than they need to, and some revelations take a long time to arrive.

The intentional storytelling is especially effective in the early episodes, since the mystery around Rachel's anxieties creates a strong sense of anticipation. Yet at times the series feels reluctant to move forward, and certain episodes run longer than they should. It’s also painful to watch Rachel constantly sell herself short, because that might undercut her persona's power. But as the supernatural mythology emerges, these developments eventually take on greater significance.

Once we have a better idea of the curse, prior exchanges start to make a lot more sense. The plot is also more distressing because the audience knows the impact of the decisions being made, even if the protagonists themselves do not. The climax is definitely controversial in some ways, but it's certainly brave enough to go through with the established darkness.

A brighter ending could have been more reassuring, but it would have betrayed the mood and themes the series had painstakingly built up. Visually, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen does a great job of generating an uneasy atmosphere without constantly relying on classic horror visuals. The family holiday home is an intriguing location, mixing lovely surroundings with a growing sense of oppression.

The direction often employs close-ups and meticulously built framing to show subtle changes in the characters’ expressions. An awkward reply or a flicker of uncertainty can be potent when the camera holds it. These graphic choices focus the viewer’s attention on elements that could otherwise seem inconsequential. It uses unconventional camera angles, such as frightening fisheye shots that suggest death's presence.

These moments make it feel like something is always watching the protagonists, even when the danger isn’t obvious. The directors deserve a lot of credit for keeping a consistent visual identity throughout the series. The visuals grow increasingly horrific as the story advances toward its climax, so the last episodes feel like a natural progression rather than a separate production. 

The more visceral passages of the conclusion work particularly well because they contrast with the more controlled atmosphere built up before. The end product is a visually distinct and intentionally unsettling horror experience.

Another aspect of the overall experience worth mentioning is the sound design, but the series’ most potent creative triumphs lie more in its directing, performances, and mood.

The unpleasant atmosphere throughout the episodes relies heavily on how particular events are presented. Conversations, pauses, and the tension between characters make routine situations unpleasant. Not every moment needs to announce itself with a loud scare, and the series lets its moments breathe. The direction and overall presentation also contribute to a persistent feeling of dread, especially as the tale heads toward its increasingly chaotic end.

The sound design works within this larger horror presentation but doesn't pop as much as the visual storyline or the performers. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is an impressive Netflix horror drama that twists a typical family celebration into something terribly unpleasant. Its greatest triumph is how it blends supernatural horror with an examination of relationships, family expectations, marriage, and the challenging question of whether anyone can really know who their soulmate is.

Haley Z. Boston brings a unique concept, a superb ensemble, and impressive direction, with a central mystery that becomes harder and harder to ignore. Camila Morrone is especially impressive as Rachel, giving the series the emotional underpinning it needs. The supporting cast also helps depict a dysfunctional household that is fascinating, difficult, and occasionally scary.

But the series isn't without its flaws. At times, the pacing drags, and Rachel's constant readiness to compromise doesn't feel consistent with the person she's been established as. Some scenarios also prolong the uncomfortable atmosphere longer than necessary. Also, the finale’s dedication to its darkest concepts may not satisfy everyone, particularly viewers expecting a more traditional resolution.

But despite these failings, the show still leaves a lasting impression. Its exploration of soulmates and marriage provides a surprisingly profound basis for its supernatural elements, and its closing episodes deliver the kind of frightening payoff promised in the introduction. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen may not be an easy series to rewatch, but it certainly gives you much to think about when the credits roll.

It’s unpleasant, weird, emotionally demanding, and often violent, but these are the very things that set it apart. At the end of the day, this horror series knows the scary potential of perfect love. Sometimes the person standing next to you at the altar may not be who you believe they are.