Hollywood history is replete with tales of young children possessed, preyed upon, or otherwise endangered by supernatural forces beyond their control. From The Exorcist to Poltergeist to Sinister and Annabelle Comes Home, the innocent vulnerability of children combined with the power and evil of supernatural menace makes for terrifying horror. In Before, starring and executive produced by Billy Crystal, a psychiatrist’s latest patient is a troubled little boy whose frightened, violent outbursts may stem from a deep personal connection between the two and the doctor’s tragically deceased wife. It’s a series with a unique central mystery and a stunning central performance from its young co-star, but it’s undone in part by too much repetition and insufficient payoff.

What Is ‘Before’ About?

In Before, child psychologist Dr. Eli Adler (Billy Crystal) is barely moved on from grieving the tragic loss of his wife Lynn (Judith Light) when he crosses paths with a young boy, Noah (Jacobi Jupe). An inquisitive child, wise beyond his years, Noah’s also a troubled, frequently silent child who frequently engages in sudden violent actions, and falls into fits of terror. What’s stranger is that there are oddities about Noah that can’t easily be explained, and he’s drawn to locations and knows languages that are frankly inexplicable. Dr. Adler attempts to explain the inexplicable while becoming dangerously obsessed with the mystery.

‘Before’ Has Promise, But Fails To Build To a Satisfying Crescendo

From its very first episodes, Before packs a mysterious punch. There’s a strong sense of tone that successfully persists as the series proceeds. Part of it is the isolation of a man on edge — Crystal’s Dr. Adler frequently finds himself isolated from his colleagues in his quest for answers about Noah — while part is due to the series’ willingness to bridge the audience into Noah’s terrified subjectivity. It becomes clear early on that Noah’s terror is attached to visions of what seems like ice and water, and suggestions that something is always in the shadows around the boy, waiting to reach out with a tentacled appendage. When Dr. Adler starts to make connections between Noah’s affliction and the untimely demise of his wife, there are layers of mystery to explore, providing an unsettling exploration that feels genuinely dangerous to the young boy.

Billy Crystal gives a strong performance as the protagonist at the series’ heart, landing the tougher emotional beats as his character’s obsession with the mystery grows. His inherent likability as a performer serves the narrative well: Dr. Adler may come across as increasingly unhinged as the narrative trucks along, but it’s easy to give him the benefit of the doubt when he seems, by all accounts, to intend well. The real shining star here is Jacobi Jupe as Noah, who succeeds at being harrowing despite relatively little dialogue at times. The boy’s terror at his visions, and his old soul vibes, are impressive testaments to the young co-star’s command of the screen. Before simply wouldn’t work without him.

A strong sense of tone and an excellent set of central performances aside, Before ultimately falters as the mysterious situation proceeds. It frequently feels locked in a repetitive cycle: Dr. Adler investigates an obscure clue while Noah has a scary vision, causing him to act out, and Dr. Adler makes a decreasingly hinged decision in response. The aftermath isolates Dr. Adler more, and so on. The scary experiences and visions are engaging, sure, but when the final secrets are revealed, their connection to said secrets could be much clearer and more organic. What’s worse is that the visions suggest greater and more interesting forces at play than what the viewer ultimately discovers to be true. There’s so much promise in the world of Before, but it lands with a muffled mumble instead of a barbaric yawp.

Related Watch Billy Crystal and Jacobi Jupe Play an Unsettling Game in ‘Before’ Sneak Peek [Exclusive] The thriller series debuts on October 25.

‘Before’ Suggests a Bigger Supernatural Finale and Doesn’t Deliver
Image via Apple TV+

On paper, Before has everything going for it: a stellar central cast including a haunting young star besieged by visions, gorgeously bleak cinematography, a keen command of tone, and an intriguing mystery at its heart. As any good mystery writer knows, however, a mysterious tale is only as good as its finale, and this is precisely where Before makes a series of missteps.

The most interesting and supernatural elements of Noah’s experience, the reason he’s so terrified, don’t adequately connect to the why behind the mystery, and its ultimate implications are far less intriguing than what the experiences suggest. While bigger supernatural mysteries are seemingly suggested by the boy’s terrified experiences, it ends up closer in experience to muted, mournful Gothic tales of personal woe, creating an ending that’s all sound and Noah’s fury, signifying… not quite nothing, but far short of an impactful something.

Before premieres October 25 on Apple TV+.

Before fails to build to as satisfying and impactful a conclusion as the narrative suggests.ProsBilly Crystal and Jacobi Jupe give exceptional performances, and Jupe in particular excels, landing the character’s terror and confusion.A strong, foreboding tone compliments the mysterious setup, creating a series that’s easy to get wrapped up in. ConsSome of the supernatural manifestations that Noah experiences don’t connect as clearly to the explanation behind the phenomena as they should.There’s a disjunction between the kind of supernatural explanation that’s promised and the actual explanation in practice, and the latter is much less exciting.

Eli Adler, a child psychiatrist reeling from the recent loss of his wife, finds his life disrupted when he begins treating Noah, a boy with unsettling ties to his past. As their bond deepens, buried memories resurface, and the supernatural mystery surrounding them unravels into something far darker.Release Date October 24, 2024 Seasons 1 Creator(s) Sarah Thorp Main Genre Drama Expand

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