'Hereditary' Fans Are Loving Jude Law's 'Creepy As Hell' Horror 'The Third Day'

Masterminded by Utopia writer Dennis Kelly and immersive theatre company Punchdrunk's artistic director, Felix Barrett, the Sky original drama plays out across two seasonally-themed episodes, as well as a live theatre broadcast.

In "Summer", a man named Sam (played by Jude Law) rescues a young girl in the woods and takes her home to the mysterious British island of Osea, where locals are preparing for a curious annual festival.

Follow-up episode "Winter", meanwhile, follows single mother Helen (Naomie Harris) as she comes to the island seeking answers.

Finally, the live theatre event will be broadcast on Sky Arts on Saturday 3rd October. Titled "Autumn", the performance is orchestrated by famed immersive theatre company Punchdrunk.

With its far-flung setting and themes of folk horror and paganism, fans have compared the "creepy as hell" series to horror classics like The Wicker Man, along with modern blockbuster chillers Hereditary and Modsommar.

"I'm intrigued by The Third Day. Total surprise. Guess I'm keeping HBO. Hereditary and Midsommer fans may like this one. Compelling mystery!" wrote one Twitter user.

Another chimed in: "Just got done checking out the first episode of HBO's THE THIRD DAY. Creepy as hell, great atmosphere and heavy folk horror vibes. Can't wait to see where this story goes!"

While a fourth wrote: "The Third Day is right up my spooky alley. A creepy island cut off from the mainland, no phone reception (of course), preparations for a weird festival. Has Jude Law not seen The Wicker Man or Midsommar?!"

Meanwhile, another rave reviewer described The Third Day as "textbook folk horror", adding that the series was "genuinely creepy with a soundtrack that is seriously on point."

Talking about the project, Punchdrunk's Barrett told The Guardian: "It's been a long-held ambition of mine to create a story that would begin on TV, transfer into a live experience, then fold back into TV. We wanted to break the fourth wall of television."

The Third Day is available to UK viewers via Sky Atlantic.