Slasher: Solstice, created by Aaron Martin, is set to premiere on Netflix on Thursday, May 23. As Martin readies for season three of the critically acclaimed psychological thriller anthology series, he tells Cynopsis why horror is having a moment – and maybe more.
Cynopsis: How is season 3 different than the first two?
Aaron Martin: Season 3, unlike the first two seasons, is set in a very urban environment. Season 1 was set in a small town, Season 2 in a remote campground. But Season 3, we play with the dangers of anonymity and disconnection in our big city lives. We also touch on new themes: intolerance, all the -ism’s. Also, in Season 3 we are telling all 8 episodes in a very compressed timeframe, across 24 hours on the longest day of the year. What is the same, however, is that we have a big ol’ mystery, huge character stories, and of course awesome kills.
Cynopsis: Why the anthology format?
Martin: When I pitched the series, it was, “What would happen if you mixed an Agatha Christie novel with an 80s slasher film?”, meaning that as much
as the kills are important, so is the mystery – and every mystery needs to be solved. That’s why we’re an anthology; each season is like one 8 hour slasher film. Also, willful suspension of disbelief can be suspended for only so long; at some point, if this was an ongoing series, you’d have to ask: Why the hell haven’t these people left this murderville???
Cynopsis: Why is a horror series winning such critical acclaim?
Martin: I think it’s because everyone loves to be scared – and, in these very scary times, there’s something comforting in being able to view terror from the outside. Maybe it’s a kind of therapy? I also think that genre, in general, is finally getting the respect it’s due. Everyone has upped their game in horror – with shows like American Horror Story and Haunting of Hill House, these are high-budget, high-quality, impactful series.
