“CREATURE is a Captivating Historical Thriller Streaming only on Netflix October 20th,” the Gofobo email subject line read. #InterestPiqued.
The synopsis that accompanied the trailer read: “When tragedy befalls a reckless scientist in Ottoman-era Istanbul, his student uses untested methods to finish his work with devastating consequences.”
Oh, wait. I had misinterpreted “Captiving Historical Thriller” as “based on a true story.” Whoops. Rather, it’s a limited fiction series set in a historical period. In this case, sometime before 1923, when Turkiye’s (formerly spelled Turkey) declared itself a Republic and the Ottoman Empire ended.
The misunderstanding became even more clear as soon as the trailer started. Except then I wondered if it was about zombies when a man asked, “Did you ever think why people are scared of the undead?” as two wide-eyed men gazed in terror at something. The scene changed to a creepy-looking figure standing on a ridge in a forest at night.
Then, the man in the trailer explained that people don’t fear death. They already know it exists. What they actually fear is the undead rising back up and talking. And it’s what they might say that’s the scary part. Namely, they might reveal “there’s nothing after death.”
Well, that’s both depressing and frightening. But as the trailer progressed, it looked more and more like Creature was inspired by something after all: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Let’s check it out.
About Creature
Here’s the series description from Netflix:
Creature, an epic story that takes place in the final era of the Ottoman Empire dwells on one of the most fundamental questions of mankind, “death and afterlife”. Ziya, an adventurous, rebellious, thriving and smart, young medical student has the insatiable desire to become an excellent physician and to find cure to infectious diseases. Ziya’s path crosses with Ihsan, a fellow medical doctor, balancing the fine line between genius and insanity. He is the only person who truly understands Ziya’s ambitions. However these two estranged, wounded souls will pay the price for the forbidden experiment they were brave enough to conduct. The ancient encryption they have tried to decrypt could let all hell break loose.
Trailer
For More Info
Creature starts streaming on Netflix on Friday, October 20, 2023.
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It just now dawned on me to wonder: Was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein technically the first zombie?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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Oo, maybe Frankenstein’s monster was the first zombie unless there are historic voodoo stories I don’t know about.
I’m so glad you saw this, Vera, because you are one of very few people I know who might know the answer to this. Thank you! If either of the other two I have in mind think of any stories that pre-dated Frankenstein, I’ll let you know!