7 Reasons You Should Watch Wednesday on Netflix
This winter, Netflix took us back to the world of The Addams Family, who’ve been around since the ’30s. In that time, they’ve been comic characters, on TV, in Saturday morning cartoons, in live action movies, in computer-animated movies, and regrettably, in a direct-to-video release. Now they’re back in the form of a Netflix series that follows Wednesday Addams, and boy are we hyped.
Jenna Ortega Is Amazing
This version of Wednesday Addams is played by actress Jenna Ortega, and she’s nailed Wednesday’s trademark deadpan delivery with kooky and spooky style. This version of Wednesday also has powers; nearly everyone at her new school, Nevermore Academy, does.
Luis Guzmán & Catherine Zeta-Jones Are Great Too
Guzmán plays Gomez and Zeta-Jones is Morticia. If you’re familiar with the comics, Guzmán looks a lot more like cartoonist Addams’s original design for Gomez than any of the previous actors—no shade to the endlessly suave Raul Julia, of course.
It’s a Murder Mystery
Someone is killing people in and around Nevermore Academy, and it’s up to Wednesday to figure it all out. Well, it technically isn’t up to her, but she’s going to do it anyway, because Wednesday is an outsider amongst outsiders and she loves stuff like murder.
We Meet More of the Addams People
In The Addams Family back in 1991, we sort of meet the extended family (and maybe friends?) of the Addams family in that scene where Fester and Gomez dance the mamushka. So we know there are other monstrous gothic weirdoes besides the Addams family out there, but we’ve never really met them.
Until now, of course. With Wednesday going to Nevermore Academy, where her classmates are telekinetics and werewolves. It’s kind of like Hogwarts, but for goths.
The Return of Tim Burton & Danny Elfman
Few directors are as idiosyncratic as Tim Burton, whose art direction is influenced by everything creepy, stripy, and German Expressionist. And Danny Elfman is one of those Hollywood composers people can identify just by hearing a trailer. The two have created some of the most iconic, quirky, and joyfully macabre stuff out there, including Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and Beetlejuice. If it looks like Wednesday is the kind of thing made by a bunch of filmmakers who grew up on Burton and Elfman, you’re right—but those two are involved too. Elfman did the music and Burton directed the first four episodes. It’s a real joy to see them doing stuff again.
Plus, There’s Christina Ricci
Ricci of course played Wednesday in the 1991 film, and as a nod to the character, she’s back in Wednesday. In this iteration of the characters, she plays botany teacher and dorm mother at spooky Nevermore Academy.
Oh Yeah, the Wednesday Dance
Jenna Ortega choreographed it herself. It’s easily a highlight of the series.
