It is the same old theme again, which never fails to terrify. A fan becomes obsessed with a celebrity. Not the cute, starry-eyed fan. They collect every bit of memorabilia, every insignificant souvenir, every poster and even social media footprints like a lunatic. Eventually, they think the celebrity owes them something and try to get close to them. And before we know it, dark and dangerous things start spilling out.
Amazon Prime’s next horror offering promises the exact taste of forbidden fruit. Helmed by the legendary Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, the series hits screens worldwide on March 17. It will make its debut at the upcoming SXSW festival. So far, we have gotten a glimpse of the teaser, and boy, oh boy, does it not terrify us to the core.
Dark Obsessions
Dominique Fishback stars as Dre, a young woman who quickly becomes obsessed with a Beyonce-like pop icon. The teaser shows Dre in various unstable, disjointed sequences as she displays startling behaviour. For example, we find her mopping blood on the floor while gyrating her hips and dancing like her favorite celebrity. In another frame, she is clad in a mask and carries an axe, following the celebrity as she drags herself along the floor in obvious agony. One can only take a guess as to the disturbing nature of such scenes.
Only one question is asked again and again throughout the trailer. “Who is your favorite artist?” Go ahead and take a hint. Glover himself has described the series as a “post truth Piano Teacher mixed with The King of Comedy.” Recently, such cinema exploring the dark minds of certain characters has become extremely popular. An obsession for a person far beyond the reach of an ordinary, everyday individual who then descends to the depths of insanity in their fandom. This is the central motif of such works.
Assorted Talents
Fishback also serves as one of the producers of the show. Damson Idris and Chloe Bailey star opposite her in the series as Dre’s boyfriend and sister, respectively. However, the most interesting name in the talented crew involved in the series is Malia Obama, the daughter of former President Barack Obama.
She is one of the writers and from the looks of it, has done a magnificent job. Janine Nabers of Watchmen fame serves as showrunner, while Glover himself directed the pilot episode. Swarm marks Glover’s first project under his overall deal with Amazon. There are several other works on the way that we can only guess are going to smash all records. After all, he did quit his deal with Disney-owned FX for this deal.
All in all, before Swarm premiers at SXSW next month, you might want to check up on your watchlist. There are some dark fan movies that may be right up your alley. Just make sure you keep your barf bags handy and get ready to close your eyes abruptly. Some of these movies can be rather…unnerving.
Also read: Reframing Negative Thoughts: A Few Facts
