Apple TV’s new horror series receives the ultimate praise from Guillermo del Toro.
Guillermo Del Toro’s movies often revolve around horror, fantasy, or science-fiction elements, including Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, Frankenstein, Cronos, Mimic, Hellboy, Crimson Peak, Pinocchio, Pacific Rim, and Blade II. The same is true in his television work, from Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities to The Strain. His filmmaking achievements have been recognized via The Shape of Water’s Academy Award wins for Best Picture and Best Director and Best Animated Feature Film for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
Del Toro has now given a glowing review to Apple TV’s new horror-comedy series Widow’s Bay. Season 1, which consists of 10 episodes, is centered on Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) who attempts to transform the titular New England town into a tourist destination despite the residents believing that the island is haunted. However, several supernatural incidents begin to convince Tom that the residents may have been correct all along.
On X, del Toro posted a review of Widow’s Bay and has nothing but high praise for the series: “If I may- in my estimation- #WidowsBay may very well be the best streaming series in a long time… and hands down one of the most mesmerizing acts of narrative prestidigitation in Horror.”
He is not the only one impressed by the show, as it has a “Certified Fresh” 97% score from 74 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a 92% audience score. In ScreenRant‘s Widow’s Bay review, Angel Shaw gives the series a near-perfect nine out of 10 stars, writes that it is “another TV show that understands the careful relationship between suspense and comedy,” and favorably compares it to Severance.
The deft balance between suspense and comedy is part of the “narrative prestidigitation” that del Toro refers to in his review, as Widow’s Bay will transition between something disturbing to mundane reality that makes some of the characters question whether the horror they experienced was real.
Along with Tom, his assistant Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) and older resident Wyck (Stephen Root) investigate what is really happening in the town as the supernatural phenomenon becomes increasingly more common. Other key characters include Tom’s son, Evan Loftis (Kingston Rumi Southwick), Sheriff Bechir Clemmons (Kevin Carroll), Reverend Bryce (Toby Huss), and the gossiping mayor’s office employee Rosemary (Dale Hickey).
In addition to the critical and audience acclaim, Widow’s Bay continues to be a streaming hit. As of this writing, it is in second place on Apple TV’s U.S. streaming chart and in third place worldwide, with Your Friends & Neighbors being the only show ahead of it on both charts. This comes after the release of seven episodes and three more still to go.
Widow’s Bay was created by Katie Dippold, who previously worked on Parks and Recreation. Multiple episodes are directed by Hiro Murai, who also executive produces alongside Dippold, and his prior credits include Atlanta, Legion, Snowfall, Barry, Station Eleven, The Bear, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Widow’s Bay is now streaming on Apple TV.
- Release Date
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April 28, 2026
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
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Katie Dippold
- Directors
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Sam Donovan, Andrew DeYoung, Hiro Murai, Ti West
- Writers
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Alberto Roldán, Neil Casey, Kelly Galuska, Colton Dunn, Dave Harris, Katie Dippold, Mackenzie Dohr