¡Que viva Dolores Roach! – Review of The Horror of Dolores Roach

Let me tell you what I thought about The Horror of Dolores Roach. after an unjust 16-year prison sentence, Dolores Roach (played by the Fabulous Justina Machado) returns to a gentrified Washington Heights, where she tries to assimilate back into society.  She reunites with an old stoner friend, Luis, who lets her live and work as a masseuse in the basement under his empanada shop. She quickly becomes known as “Magic Hands” for her skills – only to find out that she also has “killer hands”.

THE GOOD

From the start of the series, you are captured by the action of the characters, the wildness of uptown NYC streets, and the humor and horror of it all. As a native New Yorker, I can relate to many of the characters in the film just trying to survive in this bustling city. The darkness of The Horror of Dolores Roach was delightfully reminiscent of Sweeney Todd with the empanada shop selling a new specialty empanada that customers just can’t resist! Can you say Meat pies con sabor? The actors were so endearing, especially the phenomenal Justina Machado, who I’ve loved since Six Feet Under back in the day. Some new faces such as Alejandro Hernandez (Luis) Kita Updike (Nellie) along with familiar faces like Judy Reyes, Jessica Pimentel and Marc Macon, and the great Cyndi Lauper were all part of this wonderful casting. This show absolutely had me clapping, laughing out loud, and screaming at the TV. It is so enjoyable and fun for horror fans and non-horror fans alike. Based on the play and scripted podcast by Aaron Mark, which I have not listened to… yet, I binged through all 8 episodes and hoping for a second season.

THE BAD

With only 8 episodes long, I really want to see this series continue is my only complaint. It was at times, a bit too fast-paced but for someone like me with borderline ADHD, that might actually be a good thing. You can’t turn your attention to something else even if it is just getting a drink from the fridge otherwise you’ll miss something major. The start of the series was a bit confusing to me as it builds off of a one-woman play called “Empanada Loca” in which the original Dolores meets the play actress Dolores and that storyline was not clear or needed.

OVERALL

Between Yellowjackets, Bones and All, and Dahmer, cannibalism viewing is all the rage right now. I found The Horror of Dolores Roach fast and fun. Two essentials to capture my attention. It’s worth the watch!

Where to watch: 

Stream Now: http://bit.ly/WatchMorePrimeVideo