Movies are awesome, but I really need to get into more series. Screambox came in for the kill with its original series The Trouble with Tessa, the story about a disgraced documentarian thrown into a local town’s mysterious trenches when she unearths a box of old tapes in the rental home she’s staying at. I’ve watched the first two episodes, and I am so ready to stream the rest! Here’s why…
*Watch out, spoilers coming!*
Right from the beginning, The Trouble with Tessa (episode 1) packs in the chaos and confusion when we watch Tessa (played by Katrin Nugent) check in to her rental. We hear snippets of supposed “rules” and a town curfew, but not much else. Tessa stays in for the night, adding to the chaos by drinking and having an impromptu fashion show — clearly she’s dealing with something. She is unnerved by noises coming from the basement and ashamed for leaving her documentary partner Aaron to deal with legal fallout, but those fears are quelled when she meets her odd but kindly neighbor Betsy. Another night of investigating the startling basement thuds leads her to a box of VHS tapes and audio cassettes that hint at a possible murder.
If the first episode didn’t reel you in (which if it didn’t, how?!), episode 2 shows us exactly why The Trouble with Tessa is competing for the top horror series streaming spot. Tessa decides to spend some time checking out the Lowery archives (under sneaking suspicion from the librarian) and grab a cider at the bar (disgruntling patrons with her questions about the rental house). But her talk with local Freddy (Alexander Platt) brings us just a little closer to the underlying mystery the citizens of Lowery are obviously hiding.
At 20 minutes a pop, each episode of The Trouble with Tessa chips away at the mystery, leading us — like horses with blinders — to the heart of Lowery. We are never given too much at once; each episode is expertly crafted to keep us begging for more. I have a feeling The Trouble with Tessa will be so bingeworthy that, like the town, time somehow goes both slower and faster as we swim through this whirlpool of plot.
As Tessa investigates a possible crime, we figure out more to the story in time with her. It’s almost like we’re standing in her shoes. Nugent is likeable and sneaky, someone the audience can empathize with but also one we know has a habit of stirring up trouble, as the title suggests. The Trouble with Tessa itself is wrapped in all sorts of plot layers as well. We have the big city versus a small town. Overly friendly neighbors. Hidden crime and entities that seem to want to do harm to those just trying to live a peaceful life. There is even a background plot of Tessa’s legal troubles back home.
The Trouble with Tessa feels like a true crime docudrama and rural monster movie all in one. It has something for everyone — shorter episodes perfect for fitting into a tight schedule, dark spaces and jump scares, and the excitement and pull of a mystery waiting to be solved. I am already infatuated with The Trouble with Tessa just two episodes in. I don’t know if it is because of the beautifully shot sequences or the pacing or disturbing underbelly Lowery is trying to erase. Perhaps it is knowing that danger is ahead for Tessa, and she’s taking us along with her.
… Count me in!
Stream The Trouble with Tessa now on Screambox! Follow Tessa and her troubles on Instagram.
