American Horror Story: 1984

Watching American Horror Story: 1984 on DStv Now is worth it even if you’re not a gory horror fan. The supernatural ghost, demon and spirit vibe of the previous eight seasons is replaced with a “fun” comedy mocking 80s slasher movies. There’s still blood, though.

The cast list is full of familiar AHS faces like Emma Roberts, Dylan McDermott and John Carroll Lynch (remember Season 4’s half-face clown?). 1984 is also the first season without Evan Peters (troubled teen Tate in Season 1: Murder House) and Sarah Paulson (witch Cordelia in Season 3: Coven).

It’s set in 1984 and, like many slasher flicks, at a summer camp. The counsellors at Camp Redwood tell the story of a slaughtering at Redwood 14 years earlier by the groundskeeper… who has escaped from a nearby asylum. And suddenly people start dying.

Creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have taken cues from movies like Halloween (with knife-wielding masked killer Michael Myers) and Friday The 13th (with masked machete-swinging Jason Voorhees) – everything from masks and weapons, to characters’ clothes is spot on.

But it’s the storyline that wins this season, writes Laura Bradley of vanityfair.com: “More than anything, 1984 feels like a return to American Horror Story’s roots. The key to a great season is a combination of wit, gore and a strong theme. May the ’80s never die!”

American Horror Story S1-7 are streaming on Showmax.