Locke and Key- Netflix Show based on the Graphic Novel

Locke & Key is a 2020 Netflix show based on the Graphic Novel by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. After a violent encounter that leads to the death of the Locke family patriarch Rendell, Nina takes her three children Tyler, Kinsey and Bode to the ancestral Locke home in Matheson, Massachusetts. With everyone struggling with recent events and the massive change to their lives, the kids quickly find the house hides magical keys and other items that lets them do anything from create a Portal Network to look inside their own Mental World. Powerful magic prevents the adults from retaining memories of the use of the keys, but they've also discovered a shadowy figure that is looking to find the keys for their own purposes.

Came across the series, had no idea it was originally a graphic novel but I do tend to like stories that surround the discovery of magic and how to use it, especially when they keep to Magic A Is Magic A rules. I think overall there is some tonal issues, the high school drama feels at odds with how the characters respond to using the keys, and it seems the original novel was much more gothic and horror-centric than what the show ends up being. It's similar in principle to Stranger Things but family friendly enough to be a bit more Harry Potter. But the cast is really good, especially the three kids, and the show is at its best when focusing on the keys and the worldbuilding.

Definitely the one spot that got me hooked was Kinsey's character arc, which features a rather brutal deconstruction of the Final Girl trope with her dealing from her inability to act when the gunman, Sam, terrorized the family. And her use of the Head Key to deal with it (actually avoid dealing with it) hits all the right metaphorical notes that makes for the best sci-fi and fantasy.

For a second I thought this was referring to that novel by Sarah Dessen, which I hated. Glad to know it's not that.