Netflix takes on the famous witch Sabrina and broadcasts her new adventures. Expectations were high for this new version of the sitcom Sabrina The Witch's Apprentice, released in 1996. First of all, it is important to clarify that we are totally away from the TV series. This reboot takes a lot of freedom, which is what makes it successful.
We are far from the naive and cute universe of the original series. In The New Adventures of Sabrina, the atmosphere is scary and the subjects treated very important. From the beginning, Sabrina, who is half-human and half-witch, must make a choice on her 16th birthday: sign her name in the book of Satan and become a witch or continue her life as a human. His choice raises societal questions about religious faith and the passage to adulthood.
Stunning scenery
Sabrina is torn between these two lives and this gives rise to spectacular twists and turns. The atmosphere is based on the dark world of witches, hell and Satan. The sets are very worked (special mention for the Spellman Manor and the Academy whose sets are chilling) and the special effects work very well with the whole.
The satanic culture is pushed to its climax with regular appearances of the devil in different forms, rituals such as exorcism or resurrection. However, nothing falls into the cliché, everything is presented in an offbeat and worked style and that's what makes the strength of the series. All the magic scenes are very well done and plunge us into an incredible supernatural universe.
Important secondary characters
The scenario also unfolds perfectly. The basic story of Sabrina's black baptism gives rise to several intertwined stories featuring secondary characters such as her aunts Zelda and Hilda, her boyfriend Harvey and her best friends Susie and Roz. All these secondary characters address important topics such as feminism, death, grief, gender identity or harassment.
They also know how to stand out and each serve a real role with plots of their own. It's not all based solely on Sabrina: the development of all these characters is very well done. They all bring a part of emotion, humor or fear, such as Father Blackwood and Mrs. Wardell, the villains of the series.
A very fair acting
Kiernan Shipka, who plays Sabrina, plays with accuracy, mixing both naivety and a form of inner darkness. She manages to perfectly balance both sides of Sabrina's life and remarkably embodies her courage and willingness to defeat the devil. Her acting is refreshing, and even if she sometimes appears naïve, it has nothing to do with the series of the 90s.
The small references to Riverdale are also a little more and we recognize the style of the producer of the series, who also deals with the New Adventures of Sabrina. The ancient story of witches is very well told with a perfect balance between past and present. The stories of the witch hunt always serve the script. This adds folklore and the supernatural to the series, while allowing for a breathtaking final scene, which forces Sabrina to make a decisive choice.
The only downside would be the presence a little light of Salem. Of course, he was expected to speak, which he did not. However, this small detail is crowded out by the excellence of the rest of the series and it is difficult to find real flaws.
Netflix has achieved a masterstroke by producing this well-executed reboot. The first season lays a very good foundation both in the visual aspect and in the scenario and the direction. This very promising series is the perfect series to watch for Halloween and we hope that a season 2 will be announced.
