Is Chambers Any Good? Worth Your Time? A Complete Review

The story of a teenager haunted by the donor of her heart transplant is a soggy and boring watch. The show wrestles with themes of privilege and grief but fails to explore any of them in-depth.

The horror is mediocre, and the writing is weak. An interesting premise is spoiled, and the show, which was ultimately canceled by Netflix in June, isn’t entertaining, dark or mysterious enough to merit a serious recommendation.

1. Article Summary

Chambers set off with an interesting premise with elements of supernatural horror entwined in a murder mystery. But it falters because of its slow pace and confusing themes and gives people the feeling that this story would be better off as a 90-minute movie instead of a 10-hour series.

2. Is It Worth Watching?

Fans of the teenage supernatural drama genre may be enticed by the new premise. The stellar cast as the acting doesn’t disappoint. But the slow pace and the try-hard attempts to tackle so many social issues leaves the series a confounding mess with a very predictable murder mystery at its heart.

Chambers | Season 1 Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

I. Plot

Chambers follows the life of Arizona teenager Sasha Yazzie trying to live a normal life. She has a boyfriend named TJ who loves and lives with her Uncle Frank after the death of her mother. When she tries to have sex with her boyfriend, their plans suffer an unforeseen setback as Sasha suffers a heart attack during foreplay. She is rushed to the hospital and is lucky to find a heart donor named Becky, who passed away that night.

Sasha soon experiences strange visions and nightmares, and her behavior starts changing; as she starts taking on more of Becky’s personality, Becky’s parents almost adopt her in a way. They invite her to go to Becky’s school and drive her car, and their motives remain hidden. Sasha suspects foul play behind Becky’s death and tries to solve the mystery to get her life back.

II. Cast & Performances

Sivan Alyra Rose gives an endearing performance as Sasha and displays maturity well beyond her years. She can dial things down to match creator Leah Rachel’s slow pace, which spoils the show but enhances her performances and emotions on screen.

Tony Goldwyn makes his first appearance since Scandal as Becky’s father, Ben. He plays the stereotypical rich white dad linked to mysterious cults. He is grieving but still has something to hide.

Academy award winner Uma Thurman shines as Nancy Lefevre, the mother lamenting the loss of her only child. In intimate moments of grief, her emotions are raw, and her portrayal of the grieving mother gives you goosebumps.

III. Detailed Review

The show doesn’t work because it can’t seem to decide on a particular theme to stick too. It could have been a show which explores how the supernatural becomes a coping mechanism for the onset of grief, and with powerful performances by Thurman and Goldwyn it would have worked. The way they incorporate Sasha into their crazy-rich lifestyle under the pretext of keeping a part of their daughter alive sets up the premise nicely, but the show shies away from this.

They could also have explored the power of privilege and how trauma mixed growing up poor combined can change a person. Sasha discovers a world unknown to her when she joins Becky’s school, which has nap rooms, personal life coaches, and free condoms. It could have showcased how a person who comes from nothing may be willing to go along with such a strange arrangement for getting materialistic benefits.

The show runs on a tangent to all of these, never really taking the time to explore its own potential and is satisfied with being a cheap supernatural thriller which could have been over in two hours. The audience figures out Becky’s takeover of Sasha way before anyone else does.

3. Final Thoughts

The actors do their best with a hazily written script. The show is a good watch for teenagers looking for something in the realm of Supernatural or 13 Reasons Why.

It is not the best in its genre and isn’t worth watching if you’re looking for something entertaining and fast-paced. But it could have been much more, and its cancellation has ensured that this just remains a show whose actors deserved better.

4. Grade

5. Info