Review: ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ is creepy, complicated and addictive

Netflix decided 2026 wasn’t dark enough and gifted us "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen".

True to the title, yes, something bad happens.

And by “something bad", I mean your average wedding week - stress, awkward family moments, last-minute nerves, but turned up to 11 and slightly cursed. 

The series follows Rachel (Camila Morrone) and her fiancé Nicky (Adam DiMarco) as they prepare for a rustic wedding at a family estate.

At first, you’re like, “Cute, a wedding drama,” but quickly realise this is less "Say Yes to the Dress" and more: 'Why is everyone whispering legends while giving me side-eye'?”

The series takes its time. And by “takes its time", I mean really takes its time. It’s not that the story isn’t interesting, a mysterious family, a cursed history, ominous warnings, and a few very odd traditions pepper the week, but you will definitely be checking your watch during episode two.

The slow pacing builds atmosphere, sure, but it often feels like the show is lingering on a dinner scene just to remind you that yes, everything is tense.

Morrone holds the show together. She’s anxious, determined and just believable enough to make you care what happens to her.

DiMarco is quiet and awkward, which mostly works, though sometimes you wish he’d actually do something instead of silently brooding. The couple’s dynamic is the one thing you want to anchor the story, and for the most part, it does.

The rest of the family and guests? Let’s just say some of them feel more like an ongoing joke than a real threat. Their weirdness adds flavour, but it also distracts. You start asking yourself if the show is trying to unsettle you or just confuse you on purpose.

And yes, it’s visually dark. Not in a metaphorical sense - literally, you’ll need to crank up the brightness to see faces in several scenes. The cinematography leans heavily on shadows and dim rooms, which adds to the creep factor when you notice it, but also leaves you squinting more than gasping.  

It adds atmosphere, sure, but also, let me use my eyeballs.

If you love shows with curious, high-concept lore, this delivers big. The concept sticks with you: how all the pieces fit together, and how it explores marriage, soulmates, and the tension of “does this actually work?” It’s clever without ever feeling overstuffed, and that gives the series a layer of depth beyond creepy visuals.

The plot gradually introduces cursed family legends and wedding doom. The finale is memorable, confusing, and satisfying all at once.

You’ll talk about it the next day, debate what actually happened, and maybe rewatch to catch subtle cues you missed. Shadows, whispered warnings, and strange family theatrics are often funny in a “what is happening?” kind of way, exactly the mix you need to balance slow-burn tension with entertainment. 

Some will love it. Some will shrug and say, “I’ve been watching shadows for 45 minutes for this?”

So, what’s the verdict? "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen" isn’t perfect. It’s slow, it’s dark, and some plot threads feel unnecessarily complicated.

But it does a solid job of keeping you on edge, mostly because you never know when the next weird, tense, or odd moment will hit. It’s not jump-scare horror, and it’s not a wedding comedy; it’s somewhere in between, leaning heavily on suspense with moments of genuine curiosity and tension.

If you’re in the mood for a show that makes you squint at shadows, question what’s real, and occasionally laugh at how absurdly tense a wedding week can get, this will do the trick. Just be patient, the payoff isn’t immediate, but the ride is kind of worth it.

Rating: ★★★