My favourite TV show of all time is the Office. Whilst that's great and all for some light hearted, switch off, bingeable entertainment, I really wanted to find something more story and character driven I could get into. And boy did I find it.
This TV show is a masterpiece. The characters are so layered and interesting and this is only enhanced by the captivating performances from the talented cast. Malek gives a mysterious and at times sinister- yet somehow likeable- performance as Elliot. He ramps it up and knocks it out of the park when depicting Elliot's mental health issues, and this delivers one of the most painful, yet grounded depictions of mental health ever put on the screen. His performances alongside the brilliant Christian Slater create an incredible dynamic that carries the show forwards. The supporting cast are all great and are all given enough screen time to flesh them out, creating a truly three-dimensional set of characters.
The writing is top tier, with tense story-lines and shocking, earth-shattering twists that change the entire complexion of the episodes before. At the end of episodes, I usually found myself with my jaw agape well into the credits. And it isn't afraid to put the tension on the back-burner to deliver some slower-paced, more human moments. This creates a nice, well-balanced mix with edge of the seat stuff one episode, then poignant, well-written character-defining moments the next. A great example that comes to mind is the heart-wrenching season 3, episode 8- 'Don't delete me', that succeeds the fast paced and exhilarating episodes 5,6 and 7.
I'm on my second viewing of this show. Not only does it provide and entirely different yet equally entertaining viewing experience, it highlights how great the writing is. Little lines and clues snuck in right from the very start- the finale twist was in our face the entire time but it was so well hidden no one could see it. They had the whole story planned from the very beginning and it shows- this really is top tier storytelling.
Every now and then, an episode will come along with a completely different format to other episodes in the season. It keeps the viewer on their toes, guessing when another 'bottle' style episode will come up- something that really enhances the viewing experience. And these are not present just for the sake of being different- they are all really well executed. From the bizarre yet genius sitcom style opening in the second season to the juggernaut of tension story-telling silent fourth season episode. And that's not even mentioning quite possibly the best episode of the entire show- An exhilarating yet devastating stage play in the middle of season 4.
All of this is underscored by the incredible original score and inspired music choices. It's no surprise I like the music given my favourite artist of all time, M83 features heavily. M83's epic 'Intro' and 'Outro' perfectly fits the world-changing, high stakes drama and makes for deservingly monumental conclusions to the final two seasons respectively. I'm not even going to get started on the immense finale, otherwise I shall be typing this review long into the night.
I have to save the best till last. There is not a hint of exaggeration when I say that this is the most beautiful motion picture I have ever seen. The thought behind every camera move, the colour palette and the attention to detail that goes into every shot, every frame is breath-taking. Negative spacing to enhance characters feelings of isolation and disconnect from one another- the framing means something. And I can say that about very few pieces of media. Even little things such as stylised title cards that change from episode to episode, the letter-boxing of the screen when the filming style changes to more conventional techniques of film-making in more dramatised, movie like episodes- it all adds up to a visually striking experience.
There are not enough superlatives to use when describing this show. Its rock solid writing and gorgeous cinematography shows that TV is just as much cinema as the latest multi-million pound blockbuster release. A true masterpiece that I was always be indebted to the genius Sam Esmail and the entire cast and crew for. Goodbye, friend.
This TV show is a masterpiece. The characters are so layered and interesting and this is only enhanced by the captivating performances from the talented cast. Malek gives a mysterious and at times sinister- yet somehow likeable- performance as Elliot. He ramps it up and knocks it out of the park when depicting Elliot's mental health issues, and this delivers one of the most painful, yet grounded depictions of mental health ever put on the screen. His performances alongside the brilliant Christian Slater create an incredible dynamic that carries the show forwards. The supporting cast are all great and are all given enough screen time to flesh them out, creating a truly three-dimensional set of characters.
The writing is top tier, with tense story-lines and shocking, earth-shattering twists that change the entire complexion of the episodes before. At the end of episodes, I usually found myself with my jaw agape well into the credits. And it isn't afraid to put the tension on the back-burner to deliver some slower-paced, more human moments. This creates a nice, well-balanced mix with edge of the seat stuff one episode, then poignant, well-written character-defining moments the next. A great example that comes to mind is the heart-wrenching season 3, episode 8- 'Don't delete me', that succeeds the fast paced and exhilarating episodes 5,6 and 7.
I'm on my second viewing of this show. Not only does it provide and entirely different yet equally entertaining viewing experience, it highlights how great the writing is. Little lines and clues snuck in right from the very start- the finale twist was in our face the entire time but it was so well hidden no one could see it. They had the whole story planned from the very beginning and it shows- this really is top tier storytelling.
Every now and then, an episode will come along with a completely different format to other episodes in the season. It keeps the viewer on their toes, guessing when another 'bottle' style episode will come up- something that really enhances the viewing experience. And these are not present just for the sake of being different- they are all really well executed. From the bizarre yet genius sitcom style opening in the second season to the juggernaut of tension story-telling silent fourth season episode. And that's not even mentioning quite possibly the best episode of the entire show- An exhilarating yet devastating stage play in the middle of season 4.
All of this is underscored by the incredible original score and inspired music choices. It's no surprise I like the music given my favourite artist of all time, M83 features heavily. M83's epic 'Intro' and 'Outro' perfectly fits the world-changing, high stakes drama and makes for deservingly monumental conclusions to the final two seasons respectively. I'm not even going to get started on the immense finale, otherwise I shall be typing this review long into the night.
I have to save the best till last. There is not a hint of exaggeration when I say that this is the most beautiful motion picture I have ever seen. The thought behind every camera move, the colour palette and the attention to detail that goes into every shot, every frame is breath-taking. Negative spacing to enhance characters feelings of isolation and disconnect from one another- the framing means something. And I can say that about very few pieces of media. Even little things such as stylised title cards that change from episode to episode, the letter-boxing of the screen when the filming style changes to more conventional techniques of film-making in more dramatised, movie like episodes- it all adds up to a visually striking experience.
There are not enough superlatives to use when describing this show. Its rock solid writing and gorgeous cinematography shows that TV is just as much cinema as the latest multi-million pound blockbuster release. A true masterpiece that I was always be indebted to the genius Sam Esmail and the entire cast and crew for. Goodbye, friend.