Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 26, 2018
Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 339 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 199 out of 339
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 339
  3. Negative: 104 out of 339

Review this tv show

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

User Reviews

view
per page
  1. PumpedupKicks
    Nov 24, 2018
    6
    As the season progressed, the show was lost on the storyline. What was all that Blurring around the corners for?? The twists are good but as many stated doesn't stay true to the original story.
  2. claven
    Nov 5, 2018
    4
    Decently acted, but very boring. Not funny at all, the writing has so many holes it could as well be named The Chilling Swiss Cheese of How Not To Write Scripts, and it generally doesn't really make you care about any of the characters. It's fairly mystifying why Netflix already ordered a second season of this completely forgettable show.
  3. Vel
    Nov 7, 2018
    4
    Watched about halfway through the first season. It has real potential, but it simply squanders it trying to push a specific agenda. That's not say I disagree entirely with the agenda being pushed, but you can't simply have your character, every 15 minutes or so, stand up and complain about the patriarchy. it's like every episode is centered around a college student's essay on the feminism,Watched about halfway through the first season. It has real potential, but it simply squanders it trying to push a specific agenda. That's not say I disagree entirely with the agenda being pushed, but you can't simply have your character, every 15 minutes or so, stand up and complain about the patriarchy. it's like every episode is centered around a college student's essay on the feminism, instead of, you know, maybe an actual story or plot-line. I would suggest skipping this and finding a show that has an actual story to tell.

    Also, as others have mentioned, the whole "fuzzy edge" camera work is annoying and distracting. The acting is good, but anyone says the show is "deep" or "clever" is simply full of it.    … Expand
  4. entitet
    Oct 31, 2018
    4
    I fail to understand which public this show is aiming at. It has an adult undertone with some pretty graphic content, but it's all wrapped up in preteen/early teen dialogues, relationships, plotlines and issues. It all feels so amateurish, uninspired and on the nose-"edgy." If the writers of this show were a bunch of angry edgy rabid teenagers who hates the world it would make sense, butI fail to understand which public this show is aiming at. It has an adult undertone with some pretty graphic content, but it's all wrapped up in preteen/early teen dialogues, relationships, plotlines and issues. It all feels so amateurish, uninspired and on the nose-"edgy." If the writers of this show were a bunch of angry edgy rabid teenagers who hates the world it would make sense, but the writer is a grown man. And oh, i'm pretty sure they hired Kiernan Shipka just because she looks like the original Sabrina, cause it can't be because of her wooden unemotional acting skills.… Expand
  5. gnarmac
    Oct 30, 2018
    4
    I was excited based on previews but after the pilot I don't think I can watch anymore. The "what year is this" idea is fun and I've seen it used successfully elsewhere but it doesn't really work here (it's the 1960s, but woke!). Sabrina is played in a very polished, actor-ly way, which works against the dark vibe the show is otherwise trying to establish. I was really primed to like thisI was excited based on previews but after the pilot I don't think I can watch anymore. The "what year is this" idea is fun and I've seen it used successfully elsewhere but it doesn't really work here (it's the 1960s, but woke!). Sabrina is played in a very polished, actor-ly way, which works against the dark vibe the show is otherwise trying to establish. I was really primed to like this but couldn't find anything compelling or interesting in the first episode.… Expand
  6. Ittiaces
    Oct 27, 2018
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly, it just goes downhill from the first episode. Starts out with potential for sure, but then it's just rinse and repeat. I even started skipping some sections out of sheer boredom. It looks and feels like an updated Buffy more than Sabrina, and Salem doesn't talk?... COME ON! That was one of the best things about the original show and would have been some much needed comic relief in this one. Dig into that Netflix budget and pay for a little CG, it'd be worth it. It's pretty much devoid of humour, they should have gone down the Evil Dead route and made it dark with the comedy intact.
    As a few others have mentioned, the writing is sloppy in places and there are plenty of cliches. Some great actors involved and somehow they all come off as wooden and flat. There isn't one endearing character for me in the entire cast. I'm not writing this as a die-hard original Sabrina fan but I definitely enjoyed it a whole lot more than this incarnation. Also, I don't care how hold Melissa Joan Hart is but if you'd put her in this show I bet she would've still kicked ass!    … Expand
  7. Gar
    Oct 29, 2018
    5
    First episodes seemed interesting with the darker style which is a nice excuse for a reboot. However after a few episodes it starts to get repetitive. I also wish the directors would focus the bloody camera. Why does EVERY scene have to out of focus? There is a reason no other directors go for that style, it is obnoxious.
  8. redfrost
    Nov 2, 2018
    5
    You cannot trust critic review anymore in these days.
    Always check the user score, always.
  9. Varhe20
    Nov 3, 2018
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For someone who enjoys supernatural and magical shows this series is enjoyable, but extremely flawed. The plot for example felt weak. Going to a magical school and studying magic sounds awesome and exciting until you see that the only thing they seem to be doing there are choir practice and bullying. Not a lot actually happens in this show even though the episodes are hour long. A lot of teen drama, with little significance.

    The characters for the most part felt weak as well. Aunt Zelda was the only high point of this series. We see her growing and eventually the Zelda we saw at the beginning of the series is completely different to the Zelda we see at the end of the series. Her love for her family grows stronger than her love for the dark lord.

    The show also had some great effects, but it did include some bizarre choices, like the blurring effect which I guess was supposed to create some sort of atmosphere, but failed miserably. If you have nothing else to do and enjoy supernatural and magical stuff this show can be enjoyed.    … Expand
  10. jasper6333
    Oct 27, 2018
    5
    The show is trying very hard to set the mood, and fails most of the time..... resulting in a show that is not bad but is also not good in my opinion....
  11. Chris725364
    Oct 26, 2018
    5
    The show is about a 6 with highs at about at a 7 and lows about at a 4 and it has an ending that I would give a solid zero, but so far it's the best of the remakes, it has a bit of strong feminism in bits, but it's not throughout all of the episodes and can be overlooked. The story is nothing amazing, but it's enjoyable to a degree, and If you like the charmed remake, you will like thisThe show is about a 6 with highs at about at a 7 and lows about at a 4 and it has an ending that I would give a solid zero, but so far it's the best of the remakes, it has a bit of strong feminism in bits, but it's not throughout all of the episodes and can be overlooked. The story is nothing amazing, but it's enjoyable to a degree, and If you like the charmed remake, you will like this show for it's not nearly as cringe.... and if you don't like the charmed remake this show is at least watchable.... still a bit cringe at places though, and ultimately has really meh ending… Expand
  12. mrpeyvan
    Oct 31, 2018
    4
    Being a fan of the original series, I was excited to see a new take on the series. I gave the show more than a few chances and watched the first 4 episodes. The show was cringey and tries too hard to be edgy and weird. They use out of focus cameras frequently to try and make sure the audience know that there are witches about but all it did was make my girlfriend question if her glassesBeing a fan of the original series, I was excited to see a new take on the series. I gave the show more than a few chances and watched the first 4 episodes. The show was cringey and tries too hard to be edgy and weird. They use out of focus cameras frequently to try and make sure the audience know that there are witches about but all it did was make my girlfriend question if her glasses were dirty.

    The story never picked up and kept the slow droll of a pace. At points, it got so bad that I caught myself looking at my phone more than focusing on the plot. It didn't even matter, since nothing really happens for most of the show. There seems to be more of a focus on inclusion than anything else in the show. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but does take away from what could be a moment where they could have added a reason for me to keep watching.

    Overall, they created an edgy teen drama that no other generation can enjoy. It is not something I would wish on anyone and if I caught my daughter watching it, I would definitely spend an episode watching it with her so I could point out the millions of plot holes they slowly develop.    … Expand
  13. Valeli
    Oct 28, 2018
    6
    A SJW show, yes. That said, it doesn't upset me so much here as it does in many other films that stuff has been forced into.

    Sabrina is a perfectly reasonable setting to use for these themes (vs clunkily forcing them into, i don't know, star wars). This one is meant to be about a woman, in highschool, being raised in a non-traditional family. You might not agree with the arguments or    A SJW show, yes. That said, it doesn't upset me so much here as it does in many other films that stuff has been forced into.

    Sabrina is a perfectly reasonable setting to use for these themes (vs clunkily forcing them into, i don't know, star wars). This one is meant to be about a woman, in highschool, being raised in a non-traditional family. You might not agree with the arguments or whatever, and sometimes the writing does go annoyingly overboard with the men-are-evil shtick, but thematically it works.

    If the themes themselves massively trigger you, avoid this (also maybe ask yourself why themes like not arbitrarily ripping on people triggers you? Reevaluate your life a bit?).

    If it's just forcing of those themes into completely inappropriate shows that upsets you though (as is generally the case with me), I think you can probably still find this series enjoyable. The directing and picture quality is very good - it's definitely nice and atmospheric. Some of the scenes are a bit teen/preteen stuff, but that's what the old show was too so.... I can't say I'm shocked. The biggest drawback to me though is that Salem doesn't crack jokes anymore! I know they were trying to make it edgier or whatever, but seriously..... that cat /was/ the show.

    I'd give it a solid 6 or 7. It's not a masterpiece, but it's definitely fun enough to fill my Halloween-adjacent evening downtime.    … Expand
  14. EpycWyn
    Jul 10, 2019
    6
    The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Far-Left Witch has great stories, great styles, quality set design, and horribly forced morals that come off as heavy-handed beyond repair. Someone should have sat this writer down and told them the value of subtly instead of just blaring the 'white male bad' horn a thousand times overtly consistently throughout the first and second seasons. This showThe Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Far-Left Witch has great stories, great styles, quality set design, and horribly forced morals that come off as heavy-handed beyond repair. Someone should have sat this writer down and told them the value of subtly instead of just blaring the 'white male bad' horn a thousand times overtly consistently throughout the first and second seasons. This show would get an 8/10 from me if they had not relied on political/moral pandering with no room for thought, argumentation, or basic subtlety. You can be political in a show, you can be overt with politics, but if you say 'this right this wrong' with that being the entire argument with no opposing side, it will be as forced as it is childish and justly piss off viewers. This show is pandering incarnate because the director could not understand the value of nuance, subtle messaging, fair arguments, and basic empathy for their own viewers. Thus, this show gets a solid 6/10 because, had this issue not existed, I would love this show's entertainment value dealing with occult subjects normally too taboo to touch. This show is too cowardly to convey the other side's arguments but 'brave' enough to force its own down your throat at every turn, and deserves all the hate it gets for that.… Expand
  15. thelettere
    Mar 12, 2020
    4
    The actress playing Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) has the unusual quality of being both likable and unconvincing/uninteresting.

    The material doesn't help.

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Best TV Season of 2018
5
#5 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
6
#6 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Oct 31, 2018
    80
    Sabrina is also possessed by the spirit of Kevin Williamson’s script for Wes Craven’s “Scream”: there’s a giddy cleverness in how it shouts out its own tropes and knowing riffs, in the service of minting a Faustian coming-of-age tale in which the retro atmosphere mingles with progressive gender politics.
    Read full review
  2. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Oct 29, 2018
    80
    Chilling Adventures ends up being a surprisingly complex interrogation of power, aware both of the necessity of women claiming it and of the consequences that usually follow when that power is used for revenge.
    Read full review
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Margaret Lyons
    Oct 26, 2018
    60
    The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is frequently chilling, but it’s rarely much of an adventure.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »