American Gothic

A prominent Boston family attempts to redefine itself in the wake of a chilling discovery that links their recently deceased patriarch to a string of murders spanning decades — amid the mounting suspicion that one of them may have been his accomplice.

American Gothic (2016) is a United States network drama mystery series created by Corinne Brinkerhoff for CBS. Set in present-day Boston, it follows the wealthy Hawthorne family, centred on Alison Hawthorne-Price (Juliet Rylance) and Garrett Hawthorne (Antony Starr), whose recently deceased patriarch is linked to a string of murders spanning decades. Madeline Hawthorne (Virginia Madsen) and her children, including Cam Hawhorne (Justin Chatwin), are pushed to redefine themselves while the mounting suspicion grows that one of them may have been his accomplice. The engine of the series is the family's struggle to keep its polished public image intact while privately digging into what the patriarch concealed. Each episode peels back another layer of the household's history, with domestic confrontations, buried records and tense confessions building toward a larger reckoning. The single season of thirteen episodes is one continuing mystery rather than a case-of-the-week format. The atmosphere is brooding and unsettling, with a gothic sense of inherited guilt and secrets hiding behind immaculate walls. Fans of Ozark, Big Little Lies and Twin Peaks will find resonance in its blend of respectable surfaces and dark family secrets.

Audiences found the single-season Boston family murder mystery mixed, with a middling rating that suggests a slow, uneven payoff for its lurid premise.

• Ozarkfamily secrets, patriarch with a dark hidden past, prestige mystery tone
• Big Little Liessuburban family drama unravelling under a hidden crime, serialized mystery
• Twin Peakswealthy family facing buried sins, dark mystery drama with secrets

Created by

Corinne Brinkerhoff

Release Date

2016-06-22

Episode runtime

41 min

Rating

6.7 / 10 (73)

What is American Gothic about?

A prominent Boston family must reckon with a chilling link between its late patriarch and decades of murders, while suspicion grows that one of them helped him.

What is American Gothic like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Gothic as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is American Gothic violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in American Gothic as moderate.

What did critics think of American Gothic?

Audiences found the single-season Boston family murder mystery mixed, with a middling rating that suggests a slow, uneven payoff for its lurid premise.

Which shows are like American Gothic?

Shows with a similar feel include Ozark, Big Little Lies, and Twin Peaks.

How long is American Gothic?

American Gothic: 1 season, 13 episodes.

Is American Gothic still running?

No, American Gothic was canceled.

Where can I watch American Gothic?

In United States, American Gothic is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.