'Creepshow' Season 3 Director Greg Nicotero Feels Horror Makes 'Relevant Social Commentary' Without 'Preaching'

By Stephen Andrew

Creepshow Season 3 has debuted on Shudder, opening its new chapter with an episode that contains two very different but still astute takes on cultural issues. Executive producer Greg Nicotero directed the second segment, titled "Queen Bee," and in a recent conversation with PopCulture.com he shared that he feels horror movies and TV shows can make "relevant social commentary" without "preaching" to their audience. "I always feel like the horror genre probably gets away with it the best because it's a little more subversive," he said.

"It's not so much in your face that you feel like someone's preaching to you," Nicotero continued. "They're giving you context for things that are happening in the world but in a format that is more palatable than watching the news and having somebody say, 'Oh, how dare this happen.'" The horror icon says that this "was the reason" he "fell in love" with the "Queen Bee" story, which follows three friends who break into a hospital and attempt to get a photo of their favorite pop star's newborn baby. Things do not quite go as planned, and, instead, they end up shaking a hive they should have left alone.

"I wanted to do that episode as soon as I read the outline," Nicotero exclaimed, praising the story scripted by Erik Sandoval and Michael Rousselet. "I wanted to do it because I liked the idea of it being young people. It's probably the most modern story because a lot of our other stories have kind of a little bit of a retro feel to it." Nicotero explained that the story is "very modern in terms of the characterizations" by depicting fans who feel their blind devotion means they "have a right to invade this person's privacy."  Ultimately, their pursuit leads the three friends to a "point where it ends up going badly for them."

The other segment in the Creepshow Season 3 premiere is titled "Mums," directed by horror filmmaking legend Rusty Cundeiff, who is most well-known for co-creating the Tales from the Hood franchise, as well as helming the majority of Chappelle's Show from the director's chair. Nicotero praised the "very relevant social commentary" of "Mums," which follows a deep South teen whose father is a manipulative and violent character propelled by dangerous ideology. Speaking about this segment, and others like it over the course of Season 3, Nicotero said: "There are elements in there that I do think are relevant and presented in a way that are probably more easily accepted than in other ways." Creepshow Season 3, Episode 1 is now streaming, only on Shudder.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of