We have one real problem with 'Teacup' and it has everything to do with the cast
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: As horror fans, our expectations were high for 'Teacup' especially with James Wan, the man behind 'The Conjuring' universe, backing the project. Moreover, the Peacock series is based on Robert R McCammon's remarkable novel 'Stinger', so we had no reason to skip this one. Unfortunately, we don't always get what we anticipate.
The series premiered on October 10 with two episodes, followed by the release of two more this Thursday, October 17. The series wastes no time, introducing you to the tension surrounding the town. Maggie (Yvonne Strahovski) and James's (Scott Speedman) son seem possessed, there's a blue line that they must not cross at any cost, and a masked man briefly appeared to warn them against the dangers. The plot is promising and intriguing, but it isn't enough to hold our attention.
'Teacup' lacks good performances
One of the many things about 'Teacup' that bothers us is the performance of each cast member. We chose not to judge in the premiere episodes, even though fans were quick to call it out. But sadly, it doesn't get any better in further episodes.
The scene where a charming lieutenant visits the ranch, and Maggie gets suspicious of him in Episode 4, is when we truly lost it. I mean, why do they look constipated? The dialogue delivery is so unconvincing that you neither feel the horrors, nor the empathy towards any of the characters.
Arlo (Caleb Dolden) is an adorable child, who no longer has control of him. Someone is in his head, as he claims, but you can't really feel the switch between his real and his altered personality. However, being the youngest of all the cast, we can't judge him, especially when the experienced actors terribly fail to impress us.
Donald Kelly (Boris McGiver) has just witnessed his wife's untimely death and yet, it doesn't evoke any emotions either. Meryl Chenoweth (Émilie Bierre), the teenage daughter of Maggie and James, is just too calm and sorted for her age, keeping in mind all the terrors and chaos going around.
'Teacup' falls prey to poor pacing
I'll be honest! Getting through Episodes 3 and 4 of 'Teacup' felt like a real chore. Thirty minutes felt like an hour, with several moments so dull they were hard to sit through. In a horror film or series, you expect an adrenaline rush and edge-of-your-seat suspense, but this fell far short of that.
The series not only lacks horror but also feels extremely slow. Couldn't we have a 90-minute-long film instead of eight episodes? For now, we can only hope that it gets better in the upcoming weeks.
'Teacup' Episodes 1 to 4 are available to stream on Peacock