Review: Creepshow Episode 305 Delivers with a Tale of Time and a Town’s Cursed Past

A new episode of Creepshow aires every Thursday only on Shudder. Reader Beware, Spoilers!

As the leaves begin to change, the air becomes a little cooler, and the moon rises earlier. It’s time to get cozy and tune in for two fear-fraught horror thrillers on this week’s Creepshow. Episode 305 of SHUDDER’s anthology hit series unleashes two new nightmares, “Time Out,” written by Barrington Smith & Paul Seetachitt and directed by Jeffery F. January. The second tale is the star-studded animated terror, “The Things in Oakwood’s Past,” scripted by Greg Nicotero with Daniel Kraus, Dave Newberg, and Enol & Luis Junquera directed the segment. 

“Time Out” begins its sprawling narrative at a man named Joseph’s funeral. His grandson, Timmy, is rifling around in his grandfather’s things when he finds an old key which he uses to open a wardrobe in the study. Quickly he’s ushered away, but we sense something more is going on with this curious piece of furniture. 

Now in college, Tim (Matthew Barnes) is studying to become a lawyer like his father wanted to be. During an impromptu party, thanks to his roommate Saul (Jibre Hordges), he meets Lauren (Devon Hales). The two hit it off and spend some time together, but due to the late night, he oversleeps for his exam. Unexpectedly, a delivery arrives from his late grandmother’s estate, containing the familiar armoire and a cryptic letter. With nothing to lose, Tim steps into the wardrobe closes the door and waits.

To his surprise, his watch begins to wind backward. After only a few moments inside, he steps out and realizes he’s no longer late for his exam. He has his very own time machine but at a cost. Drive, ambition, and some help with his time management, Tim climbs the business ladder at a record pace while starting his family. As stress and workloads increase and the duration in the cabinet adds up, it’s clear he may be gaining years outside, but inside he’s aging way too fast, and his health is becoming an issue. Tim must decide what’s most important, his family and health, or his ambition and career. What he decides could be a life-or-death decision. 

[Related] ‘Creepshow’ Episode 304 Greek Myths and Demonic Plagues

Playing as more of a morality tale than your typical comeuppance we’re used to seeing with Creepshow, “Time Out” plays more like a Twilight Zone episode. It is a well-formed, well-acted, and clever take on the time travel troupe (say that three times fast). It keeps your interest but foreshadows the ending a little too on the nose, to a degree, and makes you wonder what you would do with that extra time?

“The Things in Oakwood’s Past” is an animated episode that is reminiscent of the Creepshow Special, which gave us “Survivor Type” and “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead.” With the voice talents of Danielle Harris (Halloween 4, Hatchet), Ron Livingston (Swingers, Band of Brothers), Andy Daly (Bobs Burgers) and the man, the myth, the legend Mark Hamill (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Batman Animated), you know you’re in for a treat, and man did they deliver. 

The town of Oakwood is a buzz after local librarian, and president of the historical society Marnie Wrightson (Harris) finds some old journals while cleaning the library. The final entry in the journals of Eli Lester, former resident of Oakwood 200 years prior, gives coordinates to a hidden crate. Her father, Mayor Wrightson (Hamill), wants to use the opportunity to throw a festival for the town so all can come and witness as they open their very own time capsule.

Local reporter Mac Kamen (Livingston) covers the town’s festivities and hopes to have a charming puff piece for the 5 o’clock news. When he and Marnie hit it off, she drags him around town to shadow her before the big event. Sidelined by her father, playing the role of the mayor from Jaws at this point, after she’s caught at the dig site after hours by Deputy Anton (Daly: voicing multiple roles). She pours herself into the journals only to discover that her initial translations were off. 

Opening the box won’t be for protection as she previously thought, but it could be why the town folk vanished 200 years prior. With this newly discovered information, she races to stop the ceremony in time, hoping she’s not too late to save the town from a fate that has plagued it for centuries. 

Full of nods to masters John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Stephen King, and I’m sure more that I missed, it’s clear Nicotero and crew were having an absolute blast making this short. Grotesque imagery, extreme violence, and imaginative creature designs, the idea to animate this feature let the filmmakers create imagery that would have cost the budget for the entire series if they had gone live-action. Still, I would love to see this realized for a feature someday as I love historic towns with a dark secret as a premise: The Fog, IT, We Are Still Here, In the Mouth of Madness, most H.P. Lovecraft stories, to name a few.

Two completely different narratives in the week’s offering, but both engaging, Creepshow continues to entertain and leave us wanting more. Check back next week when I once again engage with ghouls, ghosts, time travelers, and portals to a demonic realm and live to tell their tales. Be sure to follow ScaryNerd for all things horror, sci-fi and more.

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