Director: Edward Berger, Tim Meilants and others
Script: Victor LaValle, Soo Hugh, Shannon Goss, Tony Tost and others
Cast: Dan Stevens, Hampton Fluker, Judith Light, John Hickey, b, Chinaza Uche, Aasif Mandvi, CCH Pounder
Running time: 270 minutes
Year: 2026
Certificate: 15
Pepper (Dan Stevens), a working-class removals man who, through a combination of bad luck and a bad temper, finds himself wrongfully committed to New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital by the undercover cops who he’d attacked as they tried to prevent him from hurting his girlfriend’s abusive ex-partner.
The New Hyde is an institution filled with the kind of people society would rather forget, and, in some cases, their own relatives. Within the slowly decaying hospital, Pepper finds himself having to contend with patients who work against him, doctors who harbour grim secrets, and perhaps even the very Devil himself.
As Pepper navigates a hellscape where nothing is as it seems, he finds that the only path to freedom is to face down the entity, which thrives on the suffering of the patients within New Hyde’s walls. However, doing so may prove that the worst demons of all live inside him.
From its opening scenes, The Terror Season 3 hooks the viewer and reels them in as it layers mystery on top of mystery; murder on top of murder. For good reason I don’t want to give too much away about the plot itself, as I don’t want to reveal too much and spoil it for first-time viewers. However, what I can say is that the series continues the high standards set by the first season that I previously reviewed and might even surpass it in originality stakes.
The acting is first rate, especially Judith Light, who plays long-term inmate, Dory. Her character is pivotal to how the story unfolds, especially since she knows so much more than she initially lets on. And CCH Pounder is exemplary as the head nurse who’s no-nonsense way of dealing with things keeps things just on the right side of hysterical, in the alarming sense of the word.
The rest of the cast are very good too, with British actor Dan Stevens doing a good job as the main protagonist, Pepper. In fact, his playing of Pepper is incredibly nuanced, walking the fine line of making him both palatable and pain-in-the-arse. He clearly a good man, but is impetuous, with a short temper, characteristics that get him into hot water both financially and emotionally.
With an often unsettling location, disturbing visuals (all nicely shot and lit) and music that creates unease, Devil in Silver is a feast for fans of horror and psychological thrillers. Interestingly, there a smattering of Iron Maiden songs used early on in the series to reflect Pepper’s original profession, that of heavy metal drummer for thrashers Rhino. I’m guessing they couldn’t afford to use too many of the mega band’s oeuvre!
Fans of the original Dan Simmons inspired series should also check out this third season as the quality is also high and the story holds the viewer’s attention consistently. And, for me, it just cemented my distrust of seemingly endless hospital corridors and doctors who weld nasty – looking surgical tools…
Extras include:
An inside look at The Terror: The Devil in Silver (4 mins) – Essentially, an electronic press kit, this glossy lengthy teaser trailer, replete with micro interviews, does a good job of encouraging you to want to watch the series, but isn’t very useful to those who have already seen it as there’s not much to be gleaned from what are mostly just sound-bites. Ultimately, it seems that the story is more about broken systems and not so much about supernatural shenanigans.
Picture gallery (3 mins) – Includes a wide selection of stills from the mini-series.
