The creepy and kooky Addams family was first known for the renowned 1964 television series and 1991 film featuring the iconic starlet Christina Ricci as the original Wednesday Addams. Fast forward thirty-one years and the newest addition to Tim Burton’s realm of morbidity which has taken 2022 by storm. The clear star is the clearly unengaged goth girl Wednesday, played by Jenna Ortega.
This year seems to be Ortega’s major breakout with memorable roles in X and Scream, but Wednesday is the crème de la crème of her tenacious acting abilities. Ortega didn’t have the easiest act to follow as Ricci was the absolute definition of Wednesday Addams. Saying this Ortega holds her own completely, in an older, teen version of Wednesday with a nuanced level of humanity blended with the almost comic deadpan glares to the viewer.
Ortega embodies the stoic and morbid character by personally choreographing that bizarre dance scene and not blinking in every shot she’s in. A dedication which goes above and beyond what I expected. A nostalgic addition by Burton was to add Ricci herself to the cast, playing Ms Marilyn Thornhill who holds our attention every time she appears on screen. Ortega had immense pressure to maintain the precedent that Ricci set – yet she does this exceptionally.
During the series, Wednesday is introduced to her peppy, pre-pubescent werewolf roommate Enid (Emma Myers). The dichotomy between the two roommates is exemplified by opposing visual colour palettes in their dorm room. Enid’s side is visually radiant with colour whereas Wednesday’s is black and grey with an undertone of death and dismay which embroils the whole series.
Throughout the series, there’s flashbacks to her parent’s days in Nevermore which was a great addition. It was a refreshing arrangement of idiosyncratic attraction which is reminiscent of the film. Not to mention the incredibly attractive young Gomez (Lucius Hoyos) and Morticia (Gwen Jones), whose edits have since taken over TikTok.
However, it’s a shame that the series tries to equip itself with an almost irritating Gen Z tone. Veganism, gender-neutral toilets, and the whitewashing of world history. Wednesday covers almost everything that tabloid journalists fear young people talk about in 2022.
Despite Burton’s credentials, the dialogue in the show lacks quality and is abundant with references that are frankly cringeworthy. Characters such as the needy and whiney Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) and Nevermore heartthrob Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White) can become grating at points and are so one note it becomes frustrating.
The structure of the show itself has a darker than usual take on the Addams Family which negates the undercurrent of family and love which is a trademark of the older incarnations in favour of a grittier take on characters which are less likeable in my opinion. The Addams’s don’t present as the rock-solid unit they used to be known as in the 90s. Also being filmed with modern CGI benefits the depiction of Thing massively, giving a scuttling disembodied hand more personality than half of the students at Nevermore.
Future seasons of Wednesday are expected to expand upon the Addams family itself which was what series one lacked the most. I anticipate a more stratified version of Gomez who is more than just a constant doter on Morticia. Though Ricci is a memorable reference to the wider meta of the Addams Family there was a tragic absence of the catchy theme tune which I expect caused uproar for the fanbase who expected to double-snap at least once within the eight-hour stint. Despite this, Wednesday is a world where Ortega holds the limelight and anchored this entire production. Hopefully the show can start to live up to her performance as for a show about vampires and werewolves, it has very little bite.
Image Credits – The MovieDB
3/5