Carnival Row is a gruesome surprise horror fans shouldn’t miss out on

Carnival Row is Amazon’s latest original series. The dark fantasy show is a gruesome surprise that should be the perfect fit for horror fans.

I’ve been anticipating Carnival Row since the series was first announced. But I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do now. The dark fantasy series is surprisingly grim and packs more intestines than your average episode of The Walking Dead.

The story centers around Burgue, a city predominantly composed of human citizens but one that allows for the fae (non-human species) to live there in supposed harmony. Of course, racism is alive and well in Burgue. The humans have all types of slurs for the fae, which includes all sorts of creatures such as actual fairies and Puck (goat-like creatures).

Carnival Row is savvy in the way it approaches important and topical issues such as discrimination and immigration. But beyond that, the series is an immersive fantasy with a sinister heart.

The first episode focuses on Inspector Philo (played by Orlando Bloom), trying to track down Unseelie Jack, an oaf who has been bludgeoning fae and leaving them for dead. But if you thought Jack was bad, just wait until you meet the Dark God that wakes by the end of episode one when our story really kicks off.

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By the end of the first episode, we’ve witnessed our first murder. Episode two starts with a long-winding trail of intestines; seriously, it’s a lot. Then there’s even more later in the hour when an animal gets sacrificed! Yes, there is magic, witchcraft, and creepy rituals galore.

We won’t even begin to touch on what the “Dark God” is composed of, or what Philo has to create to learn the truth about it. But trust me, the series is full of an unexpected grimness I felt inexplicably drawn to as a horror fan.

Joining Bloom as one of the lead cast members is Cara Delevingne who plays Vignette Stonemoss, a fairy from a war-torn country who is trying to find her place in the Burgue, which is no easy feat.

All eight episodes of the show are streaming on Amazon Prime right now. If you like The Witcher, Game of Thrones, or any other dark fantasy series, then this is a show you can’t miss.

As an added bonus, Carnival Row has already been renewed for a second season!

Watch the official series trailer below: 

Are you planning on watching Carnival Row? If you’ve already watched it, what did you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Season one of Carnival Row is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.