After two relatively light (if surprisingly emotional) episodes, Doctor Who dived deep into pure horror with this week's "The Well". Russell T Davies and Sharma Angel-Walfall's episode gave extremely strong vibes of classic 80s sci-fi/horror movies, especially with its highly expendable cast of characters. But did it translate that kind of story well for a family audience?
Like many other fans, Doctor Who was my introduction to horror. So it probably won't surprise you to know that I have a soft spot for the scarier stories. And "The Well" is an extremely effective slice of horror.
The story initially has a slow pace, but that works well in its favor. It carefully builds up a sense of atmosphere and dread. The moment we see nothing but bodies everywhere, we know that it's only a matter of time before most of the military team meet a similar fate.
Unseen monster
One of the best elements of "The Well" is its central monster. Doctor Who is often remembered for its scary monsters, and "The Well" has quite possibly one of the most terrifying monsters of all. What really helps is that, like many of the best monsters in film, we never truly see it. A brief glimpse, something out of the corner of your eye, but we never see it in full. It's extremely effective, especially when we find out how the monster kills.
It's not just the monster itself that drives the story. It's the human characters, as well. Some are extremely likable and clever. But some are annoying, even dangerous. One of the most horrific scenes in the story happens because of the reckless, even outright stupid decisions one character makes.
Funnily enough, that's not a criticism. A lot of great horror movies have the classic enemy within the group - the one that goes against every smart decision or does nothing but complain, constantly at odds with the actual heroes, and putting everyone else's lives at risk. Those characters help to push the story forward in their own way. More than that, they're all too believable. Including a mix of characters that are both likable and loathsome is one more way that "The Well" works so well.
From start to finish, "The Well" is a brilliant horror story. An extremely effective and atmospheric story that uses both its monster and its human characters well. An excellent Doctor Who episode, and a story I'm already eager to rewatch.