‘Better Luck Than Chuck’ Review: A Charming New Horror Game Show
Have you ever wished there was a game show tailor-made to your deep love of the horror genre? Sure, there are the occasional terror-themed questions on Jeopardy, but what about an entire trivia show all about horror, testing contestants’ knowledge of genre, franchises, and more? Enter Better Luck Than Chuck, an all-new six-episode series that world premiered last weekend at SeriesFest 2025. Co-hosted by the Widow (Alexis Allotta) and her decaying husband, Charlie (Adam Michaels), the two horror hosts charm and entertain to craft something horror fans have been craving: a campy horror experience that takes the genre seriously without compromising any of the hosts’ humor.
The Widow is your stereotypical housewife, decked out in a flouncy robe, perfectly placed headband, and kitten heels to give the illusion of naive innocence. But we quickly learn that there’s more to the Widow than you think. She reveals that she’s the one responsible for Charlie’s untimely death. She’s a witch who uses her powers to get what she wants, and what she wants is an undead husband who will never leave her. So, she poisons him, brings him back, and now, since he can’t move from the couch, she can make him watch all the horror movies she wants!
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While the set-up isn’t necessarily integral to how the game itself works, it’s a charming set-up that gives the witty banter between the co-hosts even more flavor. This isn’t just a horror trivia game, but a horror trivia experience, complete with a wood-paneled basement set that looks just like every basement we partied in during high school. There’s even a crocheted throw blanket on the back of the couch! The set and production design here is impeccable, with the team paying attention to every last detail.
The first episode of Better Luck Than Chuck begins with three contestants: Washington-based independent filmmaker Jesse James Hennessy, University of Michigan PhD candidate Kristin Leer, and Sirius XM radio host Jose Mangin. They each take their place behind their podium, ready to answer a slew of trivia questions about all things horror. Oh, and did I mention they’re competing for the ultimate grand prize of a Universal Halloween Horror Nights vacation package? Plus, there are other incredible prizes from places such as Fright Rags, Severin Films, Trick or Treat Studios, Terror Vision Records and Video, Cavity Colors, Terror Films, Chattanooga Film Festival, Burning Witches Records, Panic Fest, Springheel’d Jack Coffee, Adam’s Art Box, and Dark Soles Shoes.
After two rounds of horror trivia, styled similarly to Jeopardy, the winner then plays a fun game of “Search Through Charlie’s Workshop” as they’re given clues for horror memorabilia hidden in a messy workshop set. The questions and clues for both the trivia and the workshop challenge are crafted and written by true horror lovers. More than once, I found myself yelling answers at the computer screen, pretending to hit my own spooky buzzer.
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In this first episode, the Widow and Charlie are professionals, if not a bit stiff (pun intended), as they’re trying on their new role as game show hosts. The Widow is demure and cat-like, with the deceptively feminine kiss-blowing as her primary method of casting spells. But there could be more of a sense of humor in her deadly serious delivery with contestants. When it’s just her and Charlie, she feels more relaxed. But as the show’s host, she feels a bit distant as she works to find that balance between a professional game show host and a horror character. This is only the first episode, and I’m sure Allotta finds her groove throughout the season as our gorgeously scary Widow.
Overall, Better Luck Than Chuck is the horror lover’s game show, something we’ve needed for ages. From a perfectly curated aesthetic to well-researched questions (sans one about Jeepers Creepers, which was jarring, to say the least), this is a horror game show with legs (and lots of them). Fingers crossed that we get more time with the Widow and Charlie!
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Better Luck Than Chuck
Summary
Better Luck Than Chuck is a campy horror experience that takes the genre seriously without compromising any of the hosts’ humor.
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