Created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, “American Horror Story” premiered on Sept. 14 on FX for its sixth season. The new season, following the trend of the show, is based on something entirely different from the previous seasons. These themes have varied from haunted circuses to hotels, insane asylums, and the current “Roanoke Nightmare” inspired by the lost colony of Roanoke. “My Roanoke Nightmare” is a metaphor for all the mysterious troubles the main character (played by Sarah Paulson) experiences after moving into her new haunted house to escape from past misfortune.  

This new season brings many new intriguing aspects of film and plot to TV screens. Instead of basing the show off of pure imagination, directors draw the plot from a true story. Also, instead of applying the same format of film the directors have utilized throughout the last five seasons of the series, Season 6 now provides insight on the actors’ personal lives before, during and after the major event of the episode by implementing the film format of a documentary. By incorporating the narration of the main characters from after the scenario and flashbacks from before and during the event, the directors allow the audience to view what is happening from a multitude of perspectives.

Although the show was well directed and creative, the utilization of two different characters — one to play the stunt role and one to perform the interview role — was quite confusing. Even though there was most likely an underlying motive for doing this, it was extremely difficult to understand. It would have been nice to see the same characters performing the stunts as well as the interviews so the figures could have stayed consistent throughout, making the complex film style easier to comprehend.

Overall, the risks the directors took in producing American Horror Story prevailed. The show’s spine-chilling twists, suspenseful mood and creative risks have reassured audiences that the filmmakers still possess outlandish, terrifying ideas that are sure to leave watchers sleeping with a nightlight and checking behind their shower curtain every time they use the restroom. It’s not a surprise that this season’s premiere gets a rating of an A and also has us anxiously anticipating episode two.