Three-time Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro has spent the last 30 years exploring the darkest corners of the horror genre, often adding a dark fantasy twist into the mix. So if he’s giving his seal of approval to an Apple TV horror comedy series, you know it’s worth watching.
The show in question is “Widow’s Bay,” which follows Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) as he tries to revamp a small island’s reputation for tourists — while dealing with a supernatural curse that’s been plaguing the community for years. The legends surrounding the town involve ghosts, boogeymen, and cannibals, and none of them are impressed by Loftis’ plans.
Since debuting in April 2026, the series has gripped del Toro, who wrote on X: “#WidowsBay may very well be the best streaming series in a long time… and hands down one of the most mesmerizing acts of narrative prestidigitation in Horror.”
Widow’s Bay is like Jaws with ghosts
Guillermo del Toro’s glowing endorsement of “Widow’s Bay” rings true with its 97% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. One reason why the show works so well is that it plays out like a supernatural version of “Jaws” — except told from the perspective of the mayor.
In Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster, Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) refuses to close the beaches following a shark attack and encourages swimmers to get back in the water. In “Widow’s Bay,” Tom Loftis does something similar by refusing to close the town over the curse, even forcing the Breakwater Inn to stay open for potential tourists despite its sordid history. In Episode 2, the locals dare Loftis to stay at the inn to prove how confident he is — with predictable results. One scene, involving a killer clown and a crawl space, certainly captures the “narrative prestidigitation” that del Toro raved about.
Speaking to Polygon, creator and showrunner Katie Dippold spoke about her choice to focus on Loftis in “Widow’s Bay.” “As someone who’s been in therapy forever,” she said, “I’m drawn to stories where someone is forced to come to terms with the many horrors they’ve been avoiding. I’ll just leave it at that.”
