Things kick up a notch in the third episode of BBC’s comedy horror. Here’s our thoughts on Video Nasty episode 3.
After two episodes of setting up the scene, Video Nasty finally gets into the meat of the story in episode 3, entitled Fangoria Fangirl after Billy’s pen pal. The series has teased its horror elements in its previous episodes and good things come to those who wait as Video Nasty shifts gears.
This time, Billy, Con and Zoe have reached their destination of Ashfield, a small, quaint English village in the Midlands. They’re due to meet Billy’s penpal at the local pub, but something’s a little off as the trio ran into someone in a disturbing witch doctor mask in the woods.
The teens think it was just someone local dressed up for Ashdale’s annual festival, which pays respects for those who lost their lives during the plague when Ashdale did whatever it could to keep the disease out of the village. What the trio still don’t know is that Billy’s pen pal has been brutally murdered and, thanks to a tip from the creepy driver who picked the teens up, they’re wanted for questioning.
Episode 3 is full of exciting turns and I was certainly glued to my screen the entire time. Now that the plot feels like it’s finally on the move, there’s more room to develop those other themes that were hinted at in the first two episodes.
At the pub, when it seems that Fangoria Fangirl won’t show up, Zoe and Billy are left alone after Con goes to find out where she lives. The two decide to play Truth Or Dare, which leads to some rare, surprising bonding between the two. After angering Billy by asking about his mother, Zoe tells Billy about her dad’s affair, the reason why she’s been struggling lately. Despite episode 3 being very plot-heavy, moments like this are very welcome and give Video Nasty a lot of depth.
Video Nasty continues to nail its sense of nostalgia towards video nasties and horror in general as well. “I watch skulls getting drilled. I’m not a dry shite,” Billy proudly proclaims when Zoe makes fun of him for not drinking. Any horror fan will recognise this remark. We’ve all rightfully insisted that we’re tougher than we seem because we didn’t puke while watching Cannibal Holocaust. Zoe is still uninterested in watching such films, something that comes at a price in episode 3…
Read more: Video Nasty episode 2 review | Nothing nasty about this episode
The second half of the episode is where things get really interesting. There are plenty of revelations, one might even say one or two too many. Video Nasty is clearly designed to be a coming-of-age drama as well as a horror comedy and episode 3 hints that the series might focus on sexuality and budding relationships. Con is still worried Billy is only interested in his pen pal rather than getting the tape and their friendship is about to reach a breaking point once Billy finds out Con doesn’t want to move to London to make tea on film sets.
Video Nasty finds a new gear with episode 3, something the series definitely needed. The episode hints at some more horror in the future, but it remains unclear if a BBC production could commit to the level of gore the series is clearly interested in.
All episodes of Video Nasty are now available on BBC iPlayer and the series premieres on BBC Three on 9th January.
