Duffer Bros. New 8-Part Netflix Horror Series Bests Stranger Things Season 5 In Rotten Tomatoes Score Debut

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen has debuted to a strong Rotten Tomatoes score, rivaling that of Stranger Things‘ final season. Produced by the Duffer Brothers, the horror mystery series follows couple Rachel (Camila Morrone) and Nickey (Adam DiMarco), whose engagement and subsequent week leading to marriage is filled with cryptic terror.

Now, Rotten Tomatoes has revealed the debut score for Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, revealing mostly positive reviews for the new series. As of writing, the show holds an 86% based on seven critic reviews. This puts the movie above Stranger Things season 5, which currently sits at a Certified Fresh 82% based on 161 reviews from critics.

Why Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen Is Getting Such Positive Reviews

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen reviews have praised the show for its terrifying mystery, which centers on the core couple, but grows outward through their interactions with Nickey’s family. Not only does this lead to various horrors, from cryptic terror to in-your-face gore, but it also deepens the family-centric mystery Rachel is forced to contend with.

The show, created by Haley Z. Boston, has also earned praise for its constantly unsettling atmosphere, maintained by characters who elevate the series’ approach to Rachel’s scarily approaching marriage. The characters in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen are praised for all having unique elements about them that make everyone stand out.

It helps that this is the first TV show since Stranger Things that the Duffer Brothers have been attached to. While the pair serve as executive producers instead of writers, directors, or creators, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen benefits from their backing, while proving the layered stories they’re willing to engage with beyond their most popular series.

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen also has a definitive ending, with the intention of the eight-episode show being a miniseries. This means that, when credits roll in the finale, it delivers a fitting conclusion that justifies all the buildup throughout. It’s an approach that makes the storytelling tight by answering as many questions as possible before its curtain call.

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen Bodes Well For The Duffer Brothers In 2026

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is the first of three TV shows coming out in 2026 that will have the Duffer Brothers attached as executive producers. The second of these is Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an animated spinoff of Stranger Things that takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of the original show. The series is set to arrive on April 23.

As for original series unconnected to the supernatural juggernaut, there’s The Boroughs. Billed as a sci-fi series, the show follows a group of people living in a retirement community teaming up “to stop an otherworldly threat.” The show, which stars Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Clarke Peters, and Alfred Molina, arrives on Netflix on May 21.

The positive reviews for Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen are just the start for the series, which is seemingly set for success thanks to both critical reception and the Duffer Brothers’ name recognition. Since the series stands out so well on its own, it will likely make waves on Netflix in the coming days.