Binge-watching the old vs new 'Twilight Zone' episodes side by side made me flip

I finally did a full compare of the 1959 run against the 2019 reboot, 10 episodes each on a weekend. The old ones win because they let a twist sit with you for 20 minutes, while the new ones rush past it in 45. The episode 'Night Call' from 1964 still creeps me out more than any Jordan Peele scene. Anyone else find the pacing kills the newer revivals?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_john20d ago

Wow, this hits so hard! I did basically the same thing last month and came away with the exact same feeling. The old show gives you time to sit with the dread, to let that final line or image crawl under your skin before the credits roll. The new ones are so busy trying to be clever and timely that they forget to actually scare you or make you think. "Night Call" is a perfect example, that phone ringing in the dark still gets me even now. The 2019 version has good production value but it feels like it's checking boxes instead of building a mood. Pacing is everything in this genre and the new ones just don't respect it.

caleb_thomas9319d ago

Saw a video essay saying the old pacing made dread feel earned, totally agree with you.