Crazyhead: Comparisons To Buffy Give Neither Show Their Due

By Dave B.

​Crazyhead (Netflix) is a six-episode show about two women who battle the forces of evil through the streets of London. A lot of people (including the marketing people at Netflix) have compared Crazyhead to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I can see how this is meant to be construed as a compliment, but Crazyhead deserves to be lauded in its own right and on its own merits. I think it’s one of the best shows on Netflix. 

Crazyhead is funny. Often hilariously, laugh out loud, spit out my drink funny, despite being more of a dark dramedy than a pure comedy. Susie Wokoma and Cara Theobold are excellent as the two leads. I’d like to give a special mention to Riann Steele and Lu Corfield for their performances, as well. The emotions that they convey through a single glance can be chilling and really help to reinforce one of the strengths of this show: its ability to form a strong bond between viewers and the show’s characters.

I don’t really have any significant complaints about the show. At six episodes, the seasons could have been longer, allowing even more character and plot development. The thing that really bothered me about the show was it’s marketing. If Netflix was going to compare this show to Buffy, it should have devoted more resources to connecting to Buffy’s large fanbase. Relatedly (and somewhat contradictorily, I admit), I disagree with the assertions that Crazyhead and Buffy should be compared. Yes, they have strong female leads who fight demons. But the tones of the shows are completely different. Buffy was largely a teen drama, a coming-of-age story, that was sometimes funny. Crazyhead is an adult (this show is absolutely NOT appropriate for children) dramedy with more of an explicit focus on humor and adult issues. Both shows are great, but they aren’t very comparable in my opinion.

Since I really enjoyed Crazyhead, it should come as no surprise that it will not be getting a second season (I think that I may need to learn how to like more popular TV shows so that I can watch a few more things that last longer than a single season). Despite that, I highly recommend it. This show is definitely worth six hours of your time. 8/10