Stephen King: If you like HBO’s ‘Sharp Objects,’ you’ll like ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’

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• HBO’s dark atmospheric hit “Sharp Objects” finished its
  run on Sunday and fans might be searching for something to
  scratch that same itch. 
• Master of horror Stephen King has a recommendation:
  “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” a 6-episode TV series in a similar
  vein that is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the
  US.
• The Australian series features “Game of Thrones” and
  “The Tudors” star Natalie Dormer, and is described by King
  as spooky, atmospheric, and beautiful.

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On Sunday, the 8-episode run of HBO’s “Sharp Objects” came to a
conclusion with a stunning twist that, well, honestly lots of
people saw coming.

But though “Sharp Objects” was a thriller, its draw was less
about plot points and more about the haunting mood created by the
superb acting of cast members like Amy Adams, the cinematography,
the sets,
and the Led Zeppelin needle drops.

A good nutshell review would be that “Sharp Objects” is spooky,
atmospheric, and beautiful. And if you miss that already, horror
author extraordinaire Stephen King has a TV show
recommendation for you that you can stream right now if you have
Amazon Prime.

“If you liked Sharp Objects, you’ll like Picnic at Hanging Rock
even more,” King
tweeted on Monday. “It’s spooky, atmospheric, beautiful. And
Natalie Dormer is amazing as the malignant Mrs. Appleyard.”

The “Picnic at Hanging Rock” King is referring to is a 6-episode
Australian miniseries, which debuted in May and is
currently available in the US on Amazon Prime. The series is
an adaptation of a cult classic Australian novel
by Joan Lindsay published in 1967 (there was
also a 1975 film).

In the series, Natalie Dormer (“Game of Thrones,” “The Tudors,”
“The Hunger Games”) plays Hester Appleyard, an enigmatic
widow who buys a mansion in rural Australia and creates a school
for young women. Six years into her tenure as headmistress, her
pupils go on a Valentine’s Day picnic to — you guessed it —
Hanging Rock, a formation with mystical properties. That’s when
things start to go awry, with three of Appleyard’s students and a
governess vanishing into thin air.

We won’t spoil the rest, but like “Sharp Objects,” though “Picnic
at Hanging Rock” is a thriller, the joy of watching it is more
firmly rooted in the atmosphere it creates and the complex
relationships between the characters. And the acting is top
notch.

Stream it on Amazon Prime Video.