HBO’s The Outsider will be your new obsession
HBO has recreated one of Stephen King’s gripping novels for the small screen, and it’s safe to say viewers are hooked.
A new HBO series has been generating a whole lot of noise since it premiered a couple of weeks ago, with some industry professionals declaring it “unmissable TV”.
The Outsider, available to stream on Foxtel Now, is an adaptation of Stephen King’s 2018 novel of the same name.
King, as most movie and book buffs would know, is the fabled horror author responsible for stories including It, The Shining and Misery, all of which have been brought to the big screen.
But The Outsider has been remade for the small screen and so far – four episodes in – viewers are hooked.
And pretty terrified.
Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Mare Winningham, Jason Bateman and Cynthia Erivo, The Outsider is a who dunnit murder mystery with chilling supernatural elements (der, it’s Stephen King).
It opens as young boy Frankie Peterson is found brutally murdered and violated in the woods of the local town in Georgia. The body is in horrific shape, with bite marks, evidence of sodomy and lots of blood.
Several witnesses and DNA evidence place earnest Little League coach Terry Maitland (Bateman) as a potential suspect.
The core of the mystery hinges on strong evidence that Maitland both commited the crime but was also in a different city at the same time.
Confused? Yep.
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The show’s popularity has soared in the US since the first episode aired earlier this month, with live viewership up 36 per cent and a combined 6.7 million series debut views.
Viewers have swarmed to Twitter to urge others to tune in, including US TV broadcaster and critic, Joe Budden.
Stayed in & started The Outsider….. great decision.
— Joe Budden (@JoeBudden) January 26, 2020
Am I the only one watching the outsider on hbo it’s actually incredible!
— Nacho Picasso (@NachoPicasso) January 23, 2020
#TheOutsider is mental. I’m obsessed
— ruth (@ruthshelleyx) January 28, 2020
The Outsider is the best tv show EVER
— Vogue Williams (@VogueWilliams) January 27, 2020
If anyone is looking for a good show - The Outsider on HBO is absolutely nuts
— “luke†(@LucasJ_Scott) January 28, 2020
Who is watching The Outsider because it’s out True Detectiving True Detective it’s so damn creepy and good at the same time HBO still does it the best #TheOutsider
— InAWhisper (@whisperandmoan) January 27, 2020
We’ve been catching up with #theoutsider tonight. Absolutely unmissable TV. pic.twitter.com/2JtDKZOUQZ
— Paul Kane (@PaulKaneShadow) January 21, 2020
And then there were others who were just straight up petrified.
I can confirm that it was indeed a bad idea to start watching #TheOutsider before bed. I had to keep my diffuser & Schitt's Creek on to go to sleep. But damn #TheOutsider is insane & I will keep watching even if I'll be like this. pic.twitter.com/zSuczOsF9X
— Paige Catton (@PaigeCatton) January 28, 2020
The outsider is so messed up. Always have to watch something funny afterwards #TheOutsider pic.twitter.com/OavGSiohfx
— Dave Glassey 🦠(@HotTubDave31) January 28, 2020
My dad started watching The Outsider #TheOutsiderHBO pic.twitter.com/yX0aEpKWUn
— Will Gough (@Goughy_7) January 21, 2020
I recommend The Outsider to anyone who feels they've maybe been sleeping too well lately.
— Worst Cass Scenario (@WorstCassie) January 26, 2020
King and Bateman are among the show’s executive producers, while Bateman also directed the first two episodes.
The Outsider is available to stream on Foxtel Now, with a new episode dropping every Monday