Review by CJ

Director:
Ryan Murphy, Bradley Buecker, Loni Peristere, Michael Goi, Michael Uppendahl

Writer:
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Todd Kubrak, Tim Minear, James Wong, Jennifer Salt, Ned Martel, John J. Gray

Starring:
Kathy Bates, Denis O’Hare, Sarah Paulson, Wes Bentley, Lady Gaga, Matt Bomer, Finn Wittrock, Evan Peters, Mare Winningham

Other notable appearances:
Chloë Sevigny, Cheyenne Jackson, Angela Bassett, Lily Rabe, John Carroll Lynch, Seth Gabel, Anthony Ruivivar, Naomi Campbell, Darren Criss, Alexandra Daddario, Gabourey Sidibe, Lindsay Pulsipher

Running time:
45-74 minutes per episode

Number of episodes:
12

When John Lowe’s (Bentley) son is abducted from a carnival, his life takes a downward spiral. He soon finds himself living in the Hotel Cortez, which is home to more than meets the eye.

Season five of American Horror Story, also known as Hotel, is hands down my favourite season of AHS thus far. The story of a haunted hotel is not a new one, but AHS: Hotel owns it and pays homage to many of its predecessors.

There were so many stand out performances that I couldn’t possible pick just one favourite. Among my favourites though were Denis O’Hare as Liz Taylor, Mare Winningham as Mrs Evers and Lady Gaga as the Countess.

AHS: Hotel follows the tradition of past AHS seasons by introducing a lot of characters quickly and then slowly introducing their past tragedies and triumphs. I love this format as it leaves just enough mystery to keep the viewer hooked but rarely leaves a thread unravelled.

The characters who inhabit the Hotel Cortez are dynamic, varied and fascinating. I loved watching these characters be brought to life with great writing, good acting and some killer twists.

Another element I really enjoyed was the hints and characters that popped up in AHS: Hotel from AHS: Murder House and AHS: Coven.

This season of AHS is just as gory as past seasons, so squeamish viewers should beware. Otherwise, I highly recommend AHS: Hotel to anyone who loves a great television horror with well-written stories and remarkable characters.

Rating:

“Oh, come on. You telling people to stop killing is like Colonel Sanders telling us to stop eating chicken.”
“I’m not familiar with your military friend and his fondness for poultry, but my killing days are over.”