Scream Stream 2023: Fright Krewe

Soleil (Sydney Mikayla) is obsessed with the hauntings in New Orleans and hosts “Ghost Walks” throughout the city.  When she, and a group of misfits from her high school, all get detention and are tasked with cleaning the graves at the nearby cemetery, things get a little weird.  There is one tomb that legends say is a prison for a very powerful demon, trapped there by the infamous Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau. Soliel accidentally releases the demon, and the ghost of Marie Laveau calls forth the Loa, spirit guides, that grant each of the children’s special powers.  The shy Maybe (Tim Johnson Jr.) can disappear into the shadow realm where he can see ghosts; the dimwitted Stanley (Chester Rushing) obtains encyclopedic like information when ever he touches an object, yet has no idea what anything he says actually means; popular cheerleader Missy (Grace Lu) becomes super-strong; misfit new kid, Pat (Terrence Little Gardenhigh) can communicate and understand different languages; and Soleil can control the elements, specifically fire. Not all the kids accept their new abilities and are unwilling to accept their task of saving the world from the demon.  Missy especially blames Soliel for ruining her life and fueled by the demon’s urging voice in her head, she attacks Soliel but is badly injured in the battle and near death.  Can Missy be saved and what will it cost the team?  Can the children find a way to work together, become friends, and save the world? Watch and find out!

The vocal performers are all very well cast.  Sydney Mikayla as the lead Soleil, has an exuberance and energy that is felt through her intonations and expressive vocal talent. Grace Lu as Missy is good as the popular girl who has a lot of built up rage.  The character I most identified with is the Voodoo expert, Pat, played by Terrence Little Gardenhigh, who is an outsider trying desperately to make friends but his looks and strange hobby makes it hard to do.  His performance is very relatable, and I connected with the character right away.

I have only watched the first two episodes of this animated series but was very impressed with the story and the old school animation style.  Both are darker and richer than I thought they would be. Although this show is aimed at children, there are some adult level themes going on. I liked the fact that gaining their powers and not knowing how to use them had consequences, like Missy injuring a classmate, who wasn’t just “ok” afterwards, but needed to be hospitalized. In addition, the children don’t automatically jump into their new roles as “Superheroes” but instead are scared and reluctant to enter something that could, quite literally, cost them their lives.  This felt more realistic than a lot of previous cartoons aimed at the same demographic.   The animation looks more like classical cartoons and less computer animated which I liked, but the art and cinematography are very well done creating the atmosphere and telling the story in a beautiful, visual way.  There is a lot that is done with light and shadow and overall, the cartoon has a spooky creepy vibe.  The dialogue was aimed towards children or young adults and felt forced and clunky at times especially in the exposition scenes, but the overall story is interesting and fun to watch.