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American Horror Story: Season 1
  • Network: FX
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 5, 2011
  • Season #: 1
American Horror Story Image
Metascore
62 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 183 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: After a miscarriage and nearly breaking up, Ben and Vivien Harmon (Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton) move from Boston to Los Angeles with their daughter to start a new life in a house with an eerie past.
  • Genre(s): Action/Adventure, Drama

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 30
  3. Negative: 3 out of 30
  1. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Oct 5, 2011
    91
    I loved the pilot, mostly because I could never predict where the story was going, a rarity in prime-time TV.
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Oct 5, 2011
    60
    Viewers who like the horror genre and the offbeat Murphy/Falchuk approach, and who are willing to put in enough serious time to absorb all the nuances, will fall in love.
  3. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    Oct 5, 2011
    30
    As the one character who grounds a story that would otherwise seem like a random collection of bad things happening to so-so people, Britton's the only reason I could imagine watching American Horror Story past the three episodes I've seen.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 61
  3. Negative: 3 out of 61
  1. TheMudDoctor
    10
    Absolutely wonderful. Terrific sense of foreboding with a perfectly menacing atmosphere while still managing to be emotionally affecting on many other levels. This is what horror can and should be. http://themuddoctor.blogspot.com… Expand
    • 2 of 2 users said yes
  2. MetaLA
    5
    Very style over substance but still missing major creep factor. What gives with McDermott always being shirtless throughout the entire show. Connie Britton must be missing Kyle Chandler right about now. Ill watch more and further judge but this feels like Halloween tv packaging...this will not sustain a second season.… Expand
    • 2 of 4 users said yes
  3. AlexS67
    1
    A potpourri of the horror genre cliches, helplessly aimless blundering embarrassment. Frantic - and deadeningly boring at the same time. A waste of everything invested in the project, including the viewers' time. I quit watching it midseason.… Expand
    • 2 of 5 users said yes

See all 61 User Reviews