Hands up who else loved Sabrina as a kid? When Netflix announced it was remaking the 90s favourite, everyone was expecting talking cats and chokers. But the new series couldn’t be further from love potions and prom politics (although Baxter High has its fair share of dramas). There’s not a rhinestone in sight in this dark reinvention of our favourite teenage witch. Lace collars, however? They’ve never looked better. The show, much like it’s Archie Comics companion series, Riverdale, is a teen dream. If you’ve ever wondered whether the youth of day are missing out on treasures like Buffy, then fear not. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina brings all the gore and girl power of a cheesy supernatural show to the Netflix generation. Where Stranger Things has been lorded a cult classic by virtue of it’s amazing cinematography, characters and cliche-free plot line, Sabrina is old-school horror with a sense of humour. The self-conscious pastiche has guilty pleasure written all over it. The basis of the story won’t be unfamiliar to you. Teenage witch lives with eccentric aunts and tries to balance mortal life with supernatural powers. Add in a determined dark lord, three weird sisters, an academy of unseen arts, some succubitches and a resurrection or two and you’ve got the 10 episode strong series. Kiernan Shipka is undoubtedly brilliant. Her somewhat drawling and ironic delivery is so woke - she is the founder of her high school’s Women's Intersectional Cultural and Creative Association after all - it makes the deliciously retro backdrop all the more enjoyable. Regardless of some of the questionable story arcs and Buffy-esque makeup jobs, Shipka’s interpretation of Sabrina is exactly what the contemporary reincarnation should be: empathetic, razor sharp and tenacious.
Watch The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix now.