--- title: "Widow's Bay: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/widows-bay/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/widows-bay" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Widow's Bay (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews lean warmly positive. Most critics take to Katie Dippold’s horror-comedy as something they have not quite seen before: a small-town workplace comedy that keeps tipping over into folk horror, and they credit Hiro Murai’s direction for a setting that feels lived in rather than built for the occasion. The praise clusters on the cast. Kate O’Flynn, as the mayor’s chief assistant, is singled out by nearly everyone; Matthew Rhys’s deadpan mayor and Stephen Root come up often too. The reservations are about balance and structure. Several critics find the mix uneven, with the show neither as scary nor as funny as it might be, and /Film in particular thinks the rules and mythology grow too complicated for their own good. Radio Times notes a sag in the middle around an unnecessary flashback episode, while Collider argues the slower start pays off once the horror takes over. The spread is narrow; nobody dislikes it, and the one mixed verdict is a matter of degree. ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 April 2026. The review praises the series as a wicked treat, highlighting Hiro Murai's direction of Katie Dippold's original horror-comedy about a mayor trying to revitalize a small, isolated community literally trapped by spirits. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/widows-bay-review-matthew-rhys-apple-series-1235190405/) ## The AV Club — Saloni Gajjar Rating A-. 24 April 2026. The review describes it as a sharply written, genre-bending series that meshes comedy and supernatural elements with a confident ensemble and striking sense of place. It singles out the performances, particularly Kate O’Flynn as Patricia, and the way it ruminates on trauma and the past through both scares and laughs. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/widows-bay-review-apple-tv) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 April 2026. The series is a rich, wonderful and laugh-out-loud blend of horror, comedy and small-town drama that defies categorisation. The critic singles out Kate O’Flynn’s glorious performance as the chief assistant for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/apr/29/widows-bay-review-matthew-rhys-intoxicating-comedy-horror-is-an-absolute-blast) ## Radio Times — Louise Griffin Rating 4/5. 29 April 2026. The critic praises the show's balance of comedy and horror, particularly Matthew Rhys's deadpan performance as the mayor, and the quirky characters. They note it sags in the middle with an unnecessary flashback episode but overall finds it refreshing and buoyed by strong lead performances. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/widows-bay-apple-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 April 2026. The critic finds it an uneven but intriguing mashup of cozy comedy and horror, praising the setting, tone, and performances especially by Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, and Kate O'Flynn, while noting it doesn't always deliver strong laughs or scares. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/widows-bay-review-matthew-rhys-apple-1236578528/) ## The Times — James Jackson Rating ★★★★☆. 29 April 2026. The comedy-horror is like nothing else, with wonderfully scary and peculiar tonal shifts. The critic highlights the show’s uncategorisable nature and its mystery elements as it gets more weird. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/widows-bay-review-matthew-rhys-apple-tv-jzklqkfcv) ## Den of Geek — Lacy Baugher Rating 4.5/5. 24 April 2026. The critic calls the series a delightfully oddball horror-comedy unlike anything else on TV, praising its mix of genuine scares, sharp humor, lived-in world-building by Hiro Murai, and strong ensemble performances that treat quirky characters with respect. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/widows-bay-review-a-sweet-and-scary-horror-story-that-feels-completely-original/) ## Collider — Emily Bernard Rating 7/10. 24 April 2026. The critic calls it Apple TV's weirdest, boldest show, praising its mix of dry workplace comedy, mystery, and trippy folk horror that improves as it fully embraces the genre in later episodes. They single out the bold storytelling choices, strong performances (especially from supporting cast in dedicated episodes), and the rewarding shift to horror elements after a slower start. [Read the review](https://collider.com/widows-bay-review-apple-tv-matthew-rhys-katie-dippold/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 6/10. 24 April 2026. The critic sees the series as a blend of Parks and Recreation's quirky town comedy with Midnight Mass-style dread and other horror tropes, praising its self-contained feel and room for lore while noting it struggles with overly complicated rules and mythology. The verdict highlights enjoyable Stephen King-ish elements in a remote island setting but finds it not as scary or funny as it could be. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2155619/widows-bay-review-apple-tv-horror-series/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/widows-bay.md