Outcast: A Darkness Surrounds Him *SPOILERS*

I should start by saying - I hate horror. But, I love Philip Glenister (ok, I love Gene Hunt and I’m interested in seeing how this character pans out) so I was prepared to hide behind a cushion with the lights on and see how it went.

Just the opening credits creeped me out, with its leaden soundtrack - I hesitate to call it music - contributing to an overall sense of impending doom, as Robert Kirkman’s (The Walking Dead) latest chiller thriller hit our screens with the promise that demon hunting doesn’t get scarier than this.

It’s dark and disturbing and we’re slammed into the story immediately, as we close up on an angelic looking child when WHAM! He headbutts a cockroach on the wall and slurpily eats its remains.

Since the ‘roach clearly wasn’t enough, he then starts chomping on his finger …Mum wasn’t happy, but then mums never are: You can’t get kids to eat and then when they do, it’s always the wrong stuff.

Our horrified mum calls in the local preacher man, Reverend Anderson (Glenister) and it turns out, this is no isolated case. There’s a house like this one in every town, in every country in this whole wide world, the Reverend kindly reassures us.

The Outcast of the title is Kyle (Patrick Fugit), recently returned to the childhood home where he was abused by his mother - and the flashbacks don’t hold back, as we see him wrenched by the hair and thrown into the store cupboard. Somehow, it was he who exorcised her, and the Reverend is keen to find out how, and why the demon in the boy, Josh (an immense portrayal by young Gabriel Bateman) is unable to withstand Kyle’s blood.

It’s shockingly violent - you can almost see the actors flinching for real as they fight a child - but it’s not mindless. There are hints at backstory to be uncovered, particularly where Kyle’s ex and daughter are concerned.

Seems I don’t mind horror after all, if there’s a mystery to be solved along the way. Tuesdays 10pm, Fox UK.

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