Apple TV’s New Horror Series Lands Rare Perfect RT Score As It Draws Stephen King Comparisons

Apple TV has a new horror hit on their hand with Widow’s Bay‘s Rotten Tomatoes debut.

Created by Ghostbusters and Haunted Mansion alum Katie Dippold, the Apple TV horror series is set in the eponymous town off the coast of New England, centered on its mayor, Tom Loftis, as he aims to revitalize the town into a tourist destination. However, Tom finds himself experiencing pushback from the locals, who believe the island is cursed and fear the arrival of more newcomers will unleash an evil that’s remained dormant for decades.

With a few days remaining until the show’s premiere on April 29, the first reviews for Widow’s Bay have begun rolling out, earning its Rotten Tomatoes debut. Based on 7 reviews at the time of writing, the Apple TV horror series has debuted to an impressive 100% approval score on the review aggregate, with many reviews praising its Stephen King-like vibe.

Perry Mason alum Matthew Rhys leads the ensemble cast of Widow’s Bay as Tom, with the rest of the ensemble including My Lady Jane‘s Kate O’Flynn, Barry vet Stephen Root, Presumed Innocent’s Kingston Rumi Southwick, Snowfall‘s Kevin Carroll and Bookie‘s Dale Dickey. In addition to being penned and executive produced by Dippold, the series also has Atlanta and Mr. & Mrs. Smith vet Hiro Murai as a director and EP.

With Widow’s Bay getting off to such a strong start on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear that critics are enamored with the Apple TV horror series. ScreenRant‘s Angel Shaw was thoroughly positive in her review, praising it for being “like a Stephen King-style collection of chilling New England ghost stories,” while also praising its cast and having a similar balance between its suspense and comedy as fellow Apple TV series, Severance.

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The big question now is whether this critical acclaim will help Widow’s Bay become a streaming hit for Apple TV. Both Stephen King-inspired projects, and those directly adapting his works, often draw in a good crowd, regardless of platform, with Netflix’s Midnight Mass and MGM+’s From becoming hits for their respective platforms. The small-town horror feel of the series, in particular, is sure to draw early comparisons to the latter, and could even create something of a competition between them, as From season 4 is now underway.

Given Apple TV has also become one of the premiere homes for mystery-driven shows, from Severance to the Monterverse-connected Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the promise of another title like those garnering strong early reviews is sure to further give Widow’s Bay a boost. Whether or not this leads to future seasons is unclear, as Dippold has indicated she wrote the series in a largely-close-ended way, but has ideas for its potential future.

The first two episodes of Widow’s Bay premiere on Apple TV on April 29, followed by new episodes every Wednesday.