Within the first two episodes of the newest season of American Horror Stories, there is already a notable shift in its content. Unlike the first season of American Horror Stories which sporadically starred any of the horror franchise’s alumni, its second season has made a habit of it. Last week saw the return of Denis O’Hare and this week, “Aura” features the return of American Horror Story’s Gabourey Sidibe, who has starred in Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, and Apocalypse, as well as Greenfield, who also appeared in Hotel. Unlike O’Hare’s character in “Dollhouse,” Sidibe and Greenfield aren’t required to rely on their past characters to create the spin-off’s freaky atmosphere.
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“Aura” uses one of Murphy and Falchuk’s most explored horror tactics: ghosts. However, “Aura” doesn’t use ghosts in the way their shows traditionally have over the years. Instead, “Aura” introduces a Black Mirror-style twist. “Aura” begins with a very Black Mirror-esque commercial for Aura, a security camera that latches onto the front door that allows its users to check its footage through an app. Jaslyn (Sidibe) is goaded into buying one by a store patron that insists he and his wife have been able to sleep peacefully since investing in one. The $200 purchase angers Jaslyn’s husband Bryce (Greenfield), who chastises her investment for not being part of the plan.
The conversation between the couple quickly takes an ominous turn as Bryce begins to sympathize with Jaslyn’s traumatic past. “Aura” reveals that as a child, she and her family were the subjects of a home invasion that has given Jaslyn severe anxiety about her safety. If the episode’s title and product name aren’t suggestion enough, “Aura” quickly raises questions about the camera’s reliability. Jaslyn receives a number of notifications that signal movement outside the front door, which include a man who identifies her by name and pleads to be let in the house. After the police are called, a neighbor arrives to lend his security camera footage to capture the suspect, only to find that there is no one actually outside their front door.
“Aura” creates a fairly standard horror atmosphere. The basis of a couple with a traumatic past moving into a new neighborhood and quickly running into strange events already provides the episode with everything it needs. Its suspenseful and ominous nature is amplified by the use of standard tropes: asking “who is it?” when a threat is posed at the front door, there being no sign of the threat upon investigation, and of course, the one character who severely doubts the validity of what’s happening. “Aura” uses the basis of one’s past coming back to haunt them to create this sinister atmosphere on both a physical and emotional level.
This discovery quickly leads to the assumption that the American Horror Story franchise is once again relying on ghosts. American Horror Story: Murder House and Hotel both dealt with properties that were haunted by the ghosts of those that died on the premises. Murder House even used the tactic of a stranger showing up outside the main character’s house in hopes of being let inside. That assumption is eventually proved correct but “Aura” doesn’t make it as simple as that. Instead, “Aura” blends elements of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, Mike Flanagan’s countless horror series and films, and American Horror Story to create one strangely knotted episode.
After years of working with the American Horror Story franchise, Sidibe proves that she’s capable of playing a strong character outside of Queenie. Despite having appeared in four seasons of the horror series, Sidibe has played Queenie in three of those seasons. With her new role in American Horror Stories, she proves that she can separate herself from the notorious Coven character when given the chance. Greenfield also does a great job of demonstrating a new side of himself. Often associated with his comedic roles, Greenfield proves he has far more versatility up his sleeve when he is provided with an opportunity to do more than deliver quotable one-liners. Joel Swetow is particularly horrifying in “Aura,” and his presence fuels American Horror Stories with the frightening start it needed.
With the task posed by American Horror Stories to create a functioning horror story that fits into roughly 45 minutes, the details of each episode have to be strategic. What “Aura” does well is to include fragments of a character’s life that are relevant to the atmosphere, but disables them from having a life of their own. The home invasion Jaslyn experienced as a child does nothing more than fuel her present anxiety. American Horror Stories could have designed an entire narrative around the intruder’s freaky bunny mask coming back to haunt her, but it doesn’t. On some level, it’s a surprising choice given the turn “Aura” takes with Bryce’s backstory, but it’s a choice that serves “Aura” incredibly well. Last week, “Dollhouse” proved that American Horror Stories can use its platform to continue to explore previous seasons of American Horror Story, but “Aura” proves the series can also tell a compelling, original story.
American Horror Stories is now streaming on Hulu.
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