The show commits to its horror roots. Episode 5 (“Dreams in a Witch House”) is a terrifying, Lynchian detour. The Faustian bargain themes—Sabrina signing her name in the Book of the Beast—are handled with surprising moral weight.
Here’s a proper, structured review of , broken into three key critical angles: tone/storytelling, performances/characters, and horror vs. teen drama balance. Overall Verdict: A Wickedly Ambitious, Uneven Brew Rating: 3.5/5 stars (or 7/10) Best for: Fans of Riverdale who want more genuine horror, plus anyone who wished The Craft or Rosemary’s Baby had a TV budget. 1. Tone & Storytelling – Darkly Delicious, Then Overstuffed From its first frame, this is not the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch . Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa plunges us into a gothic, satanic-panic aesthetic: blood rituals, possessed dolls, and a church that worships the Dark Lord. The production design (spell books, the Academy of Unseen Arts, the haunted mines) is genuinely sumptuous. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 1 - three...
The “half-witch, half-mortal” premise is abandoned by episode 4. Sabrina chooses magic early, then spends the rest of the season dealing with consequences—so the central identity crisis fizzles. 2. Performances & Characters – Kiernan Shipka Carries a Coven Kiernan Shipka (Sabrina) is a revelation. She balances steel-eyed resolve with vulnerable teenage confusion. When she delivers a spell, you believe she could actually command hellfire. Her only weakness: the script occasionally makes her solve problems too easily, reducing dramatic tension. The show commits to its horror roots
The season struggles with plot overload . You have: a witch trial, a high school harassment subplot, a exorcism, a cannibalistic feast, a ghostly ex-boyfriend, a Satanic pope, and a climate-change demon. By episodes 9-10, the pacing feels frantic, and some horror beats lose impact because nothing has room to breathe. Here’s a proper, structured review of , broken
Yes—if you can accept that the show will never balance its tones perfectly, but the highs (any scene with Michelle Gomez or Miranda Otto) are worth the slog.