Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen might have one of the most ominous titles ever gifted to a horror series on television, and upon watching the limited series, you’ll immediately see that it more than lives up to those menacing vibes. Yet despite its foreboding title, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is at the center of some very good news for Netflix. During its debut week on the streamer, the series pulled in a massive 28 million hours of view time, according to Netflix’s official site Tudum. This puts Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen at the #2 spot on Netflix’s Top 10, right under One Piece.
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen also boasts some strong reviews, with the series currently sittingat 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Most critics point to the slowly growing atmosphere of dread and the disturbing visuals as key reasons to tune in, while remaining split on its slow-burning approach. In her review, Collider’s Jasneet Singh wrote: “The show will leave you writhing in discomfort at every moment, whether it’s because you’re cringing at all-too-relatable interactions or are lost in the dizzying kaleidoscope of too-wide smiles and palpable fear.” All of these signs confirm that series creator Haley Z. Boston has created the first horror hit of 2026.
‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ Puts a Macabre Spin on Marriage
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen takes place during the week that a young couple, Rachel (Camila Morrone) and Nicky (Adam DiMarco), are set to be married. From the opening of the very first episode, “Never Get on One Knee,” the ominous vibes are present, especially when blood starts trickling down the hallway as Rachel and Nicky exchange vows. It’s a sign that the series intends to live up to its title, and the “something very bad” is a dire portent: Rachel’s family carries a curse that will cause her to die horribly if she doesn’t marry her soulmate, and if she chooses not to get married, the curse will spread to Nicky’s family. Haley Z. Boston discussed the themes behind the series with Tudum, saying that Rachel’s quest to learn if Nicky really is her soulmate is a matter of faith.
“It was important to me that the curse was a representation of doubt…When Rachel ultimately finds out about the curse, she begins to question her relationship and finds out that the way to survive is to believe that the person is your soulmate. You could be told, ‘you have to believe this person is your soulmate,’ and maybe that seems simple, but belief is not something you can fake.”
If the idea of a curse that causes you to bleed to death isn’t terrifying enough, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen packs each episode full of disturbing imagery. Nicky’s family has a collection of taxidermied dogs whose faces are fixed in a haunting stare. In a diner, Rachel draws a stick figure that appears to be bleeding to death, foreshadowing the grisly fate that could await her. The creepiest element in the series, however, is “The Witness” (Zlatko Burić), a mysterious man cursed to witness Rachel’s bloodline get married and potentially die. However, he takes a rather perverse delight in the carnage that comes, drinking and eating while people die. It’s a burst of black humor that will keep viewers on their toes.
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‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ Marks the End of an Era at Netflix
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen isn’t the first time Haley Z. Boston has crafted a macabre tale for Netflix; she previously worked on horror series for the streamer, including Brand New Cherry Flavor and Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. What makes Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen stand out, and what more than likely drew viewers to the project, is the fact that Ross & Matt Duffer serve as executive producers on the series. The duo previously gave Netflix one of its biggest hits with Stranger Things, and even in a producing role, they still seem to have the touch for horror.
However, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen also marks the end of an era at Netflix as the Duffers are set to depart the streamer for a lucrative deal at Paramount. Still, the fact that the series is a smash hit shows that they’re going out on a high note and that unique horror stories will continue to be told.
