The term cult classic has been heavily abused over the years, and mainstream shows from The X-Files To Arrested development To Lost were incorrectly labelled as such. But MGM+’s Out of is a prime example of how a true cult classic is made, its low-budget B-movie fun flying under the radar of awards shows and cultural ubiquity while each season outdoes the last. And the series rewards the lucky few who have first episode.
This does not mean that Latecomers to this sci-fi horror series now can’t keep up with those who have watched every episode. It would be difficult to find anyone who could come up with a comprehensive theory about what exactly is going on here. And this heartbreaking and impressively stark third season leaves you none the wiser as to why it all happens.
Out of continues to follow a cursed town in Central America that none of the residents can leave, and who are tormented at nightfall by grinning, sadistic creatures with grotesque fangs and hands that transform into razor-sharp claws. This town has existed in this form for decades, barely surviving as hapless new residents arrive when they get lost in the nearby woods. Things drastically improved with the arrival of Sheriff Stevens (the consistently exemplary Harold Perrineau), who helped the human population defend themselves and strategize. But this place has its divisions, and many residents, including his son Ellis (Corteon Moore), choose to live communally in Colony House, with less rigid ideas about how to deal with the endless horrors.
These horror scenes provide some wonderfully gruesome scenes of spilled intestines and ripped open scalps, allegories for the currently fractured politics that permeates the country. They also provide ample opportunity for the talented supporting cast to stare into the distance and deliver great monologues about trauma. But, to put it mildly, it Is much. In this series, the sharp-toothed nocturnal sadists are somehow the least of the central ensemble’s problems, and there are an abundance of ghosts, creepy children, evil trees, and a cursed pregnancy to contend with. To make matters worse, their carefully tended crops have rotted in the ground, and with an increasingly starving population, not even the gentle bovine members of the community are safe.
While we remain confused as to why these poor, unfortunate souls must endure such torment, the show’s mythology pushes forward with tiny tidbits of information and recurring symbols that point to a single evil as its source. Season two ended with a lone escapee in the form of Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno), who was pushed out of a lighthouse by one of the aforementioned creepy children and woke up in a hospital. Unfortunately for her, though, her family remains trapped and she has no intention of leaving them behind. It’s a testament to the slowly budding chemistry between Moreno and Eion Baily, who plays her husband Jim, that there’s never any doubt as to why they’re fighting so hard to reunite, despite entering the series with a broken marriage.
This season also offers more time for Out of Fan favorite Victor (Scott McCord), who has been trapped in the town since childhood and has lived there the longest. His “enter a scene with a disturbed expression, say something ominous and leave” gimmick remains, but this time he’s got a little more to do, and his connection to a – you guessed it – creepy kid might be the key to opening the entire puzzle box.
But what keeps the residents alive is the same thing that keeps cult fans hooked. The world dangles just enough hope and contains just enough moments of genuine warmth to lighten all the violence and despair. It’s just short of being unrelentingly miserable, despite being set in a world where the best-case scenario is a creepy kid pushing you out of a lighthouse, or that particular ghost haunting you turns out to be a decent conversationalist.
And while the fifth (and final) part of the 10-episode season ends with a moment that’s astonishingly nihilistic and cruel, with a classic B-movie delivery, it’s not a cheap shock value. That’s largely thanks to Perrineau’s compelling performance. Stevens’ reaction to yet another way the city can punish her is a crucial step in his hero’s journey, and the development of this character remains the most interesting part of the series.
How much longer the show can sustain the suspense with so few concrete answers remains to be seen. Still, the show has managed to lean on real emotional stakes, and after three seasons, we really care about these characters despite their frequent missteps and yearn for them to find the inner strength to keep fighting for survival in this coldly lit hellscape. It’s this balance that Out of not just a good show, but a potential cult classic, with enough charisma to keep us coming back.
Out of Season three starts on September 22nd on MGM+
