They’re spooky, they’re kooky, they’re the Addams Family. We’ve all grown up watching the Addams Family every fall season. For some people, this means the black and white TV show from 1964 or the movies from 1991 and 1993. I loved the movies and Wednesday was always my favorite character with her deadpan stare and dark humor. When I heard Netflix was making its own TV show about Wednesday Addams I knew I had to watch it to see if it lived up to the past Wednesdays. Netflix’s Wednesday was absolutely amazing and everything I could have hoped for as a more modern reboot. The new Netflix show stars Jenna Ortega as Wednesday as well as many other talented actors and actresses. It’s also directed by Tim Burton so it goes without saying that it’s going to have that creepy element we all love. The characters were well-rounded, the outfits were absolutely stunning, and the plot had me on the edge of my seat.
The plot of the show begins with Wednesday being sent to a new boarding school for outcasts called Nevermore Academy. She got kicked out of her old school for putting piranhas in the pool. Nevermore Academy is for students who are a little…different. The student body consists of gorgons, vampires, werewolves, sirens, and now, Wednesday Addams. Wednesday seems to have her mother’s psychic ability. Once trouble starts brewing in Nevermore Academy and the town beyond, it’s up to Wednesday and her new friends to investigate. These friends consist of Enid, her new roommate, Xavier, the tortured artist, Eugene, and Tyler who’s a ‘normie’ from town. We watch as this odd group of friends try to unmask the monster that’s been killing locals and Nevermore students.
I’ve seen a lot of people commenting on the new show saying, “Wednesday Addams is too dark”, and “she seems very odd or evil”. All I have to say to this is have they seen The Addams Family movies? Wednesday in the movies is extremely dark and twisted. I mean in the movies we watch her electrocute her brother, Pugsley, and try to throw her baby brother off the house’s roof. If anything, Wednesday is tamer in this new show by comparison. Personally, I think Jenna Ortega did an outstanding job portraying Wednesday. She perfectly encapsulated the creepy and odd way Wednesday interacts with other people. Some of my favorite interactions are between Wednesday and her roommate, Enid, who is a ball of absolute sunshine. Their friendship is the epitome of the rain and sunshine trope.
Last but certainly not least, the outfits. Wednesday’s outfits are absolutely iconic. They’re dark and creepy, and yet I’m completely obsessed with them. She dresses in all black the way everything is styled is very Wednesday but also very modern as well. My favorite outfit of hers has to be the dress she wears to the Rav’n dance that Nevermore Academy holds for their students. I definitely think we’ll be seeing a lot of Wednesday Addams doppelgangers for Halloween 2023.
Netflix’s Wednesday is worth watching if you loved the characters from the original movies and tv show or if you love a good mystery. I guarantee you won’t see the ending coming.