WARNING, this article contains spoiler warnings for the Netflix show: Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen
My emotional journey while watching Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen was deep and challenging. The show, from beginning to end, took me through every single emotion, made me question myself, and days later I’m thinking about it. The plot is based on a curse that has streamed through the main character Rachel’s bloodline, as the story takes place the week before her wedding. The curse mandates that Rachel must marry her soulmate before sunset on her wedding day, or she will bleed out to death. If she would refuse to marry, the curse would spread to the others bloodline. It’s a very twisted concept that comes off eerie, anxious, and unsettling. Many film factors help create this feeling for viewers. Although I could deep dive into every artistic element of this show, the main thing that stuck with me was the idea that a horror show is centered around finding your soulmate. Therefore in reality, especially with growing media pressures, this concept is as messy as the show described.Â
The idea of soulmates is a controversial topic for many. Some people do not believe in soulmates or soul ties. However, I don’t think you necessarily have to believe in such ideas for the meaning of the series to hit home. Although there is no bleeding out curse struck on finding your person, in a sense, choosing the “wrong person” may lead to the same concepts. Death serves as a metaphor for unfulfillment and living with the knowledge that something could have been the wrong choice.Â
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is filled with symbols and metaphors that drill in the idea of soulmate pressure. One of these symbols is a fox. At the beginning of the show, a fox is dead in a bathroom, keying in the uneasy feeling Rachel begins to have. As the show goes on, Nick’s (Rachel’s fiancĂ©) family hunts/traps foxes. The trapping scenes resemble how Rachel maybe feels trapped in her choice and feels hunted by the pressure of herself, his family, and the curse. Finally, at the end of the show, the fox is shown running free, resembling Rachel’s freedom.Â
I think soulmates and searches for love are often romanticized, dreamy, and filled with hope. However, this isn’t always reality, and I find it fascinating that this show takes such a dreamy idea and turns it into an unsettling horror film. Personality, one of my biggest fears in life is settling, and there is no gore necessary for this to be horrifying. Rachel not only feels trapped but also unseen and misunderstood. Nick explains to Rachel that she’s hard to love. I believe this is the real horror of the show. It’s not about the bleeding out; it’s about the fact that this person was supposed to love her unconditionally and promised eternity with her.Â
Perhaps the real curse that strikes us all is “to be loved is to be seen.” I truly think that everyone has someone that will truly hear them, see them, value them, and understand them. I have stripped the layers back and when I found that my previous partners couldn’t see me, I knew it was not meant to be. Rachel’s true curse was not the bloodline brutality, it was the idea of marrying someone who never fully loved her for her. The truth to it all is, settling and staying leads to dying in the same place, with the same person, knowing you were never fully you, or seen for who you are. I encourage myself daily to value my authenticity, and to never dilute the potency of who I am. Although horror is not for everyone, I think everyone should hear the deep message of, “Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen. Everyone deserves to be seen, and loved by someone fully. It’s easy to settle, it’s easy to stay comfortable. Its strong to chose yourself, for yourself.