Foundation's Jared Harris Stole The Show In This Terrifying Ridley Scott Produced Horror Series

If you see David Kajganich's name in the credits, you should know you're in for a gnarly good time. Having dabbled in schlock earlier on in his career by scripting director Joel Schumacher's trashy yet entertaining 2009 horror flick "Blood Creek," Kajganich has since earned his bona fides by becoming one of filmmaker Luca Guadagnino's go-to writers. But for all the accolades he's amassed for his work on Guadagnino's bloody 2018 "Suspiria" re-imagining and his equally gory 2022 coming-of-age horror/romance drama "Bones and All," Kajganich's greatest achievement to date may well be the Ridley Scott produced first season of AMC's historical horror anthology series, "The Terror."

Developed by Kajganich based on Dan Simmons' 2007 novel of the same name, "The Terror" season 1 is a partly fictionalized account of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror's doomed expedition to try and locate the Northwest Passage in the mid-19th century. Jared Harris stars as Captain Francis Crozier, the Terror's Commanding Officer, and it's a role wholly worthy of the "Foundation" and "Mad Men" veteran's acting skills. When the Erebus and Terror inadvertently wind up stuck in place in the icy waters of the coldest region on Earth, Crozier is forced to do battle with the ever-growing danger of dwindling supplies, persistently dropping temperatures, and his crew's own deteriorating physical and mental well-being (among other things).

As if that wasn't enough, Crozier must also deal with his alcohol addiction, itself fueled in no small amount by his insecurities over his Irish heritage and the way it's led to him being prejudiced against by his English peers in the Royal Navy. No surprise, Harris makes a meal out of Crozier's struggles on "The Terror," and that includes his confrontation with a much more literal monster on the show.

For as much as "The Terror" season 1 is going for a sense of verisimilitude in terms of its historical details and frozen, claustrophobic scenery (which is pretty seamlessly rendered despite the show being shot almost entirely on sound stages), it's not afraid to delve into supernatural horror to drive its greater themes home. Indeed, as Crozier and his men soon discover, they're also being hunted by a creature called the Tuunbaq, which seems more than happy to snack on these increasingly scruffy white dudes who've suddenly shown up uninvited in its backyard. Just like the bearded guys in "The Thing," Crozier and his peers aren't sure who to be more afraid of: each other or whatever's out there waiting for them in the cold.

This is what makes "The Terror" season 1 feel as much like a Ridley Scott joint as a David Kajganich one. Kajganich often tells stories about outsiders that are full of body horror with an undercurrent of homoeroticism (being openly gay himself), and those elements are wholly present and accounted for here. Scott, meanwhile, has always been a historical revisionist, but he's only become more and more invested in examining the foibles of European colonialism and traditional masculinity over time, as evidenced by his efforts on movies like "Kingdom of Heaven" and the perspective-shifting "The Last Duel." As such, "The Terror" season 1 lies right at the nexus of where their interests collide, and the show is all the better for it.

Add that to the stellar performances by Jared Harris and his co-stars (which include "Game of Thrones" alums Tobias Menzies and Ciarán Hinds), and there's plenty to recommend "The Terror" season 1. Just maybe pull on a blanket before you watch it.