Mare of Easttown (2021) User Reviews

Freakishly Accurate

[Mk577360 · 9/10 · 30 May 2021]

The fact that a Brit mastered the very isolated DelCo accent is incredibly impressive. A very small percentage of Philly suburbanites have that accent and she delivered beautifully.

Now onto the actual storyline. It's meticulously crafted and the characters are so well developed you feel as though you're watching your next door neighbor play a part in a TV show. It doesn't scream Hollywood, which gives it such a real feel that you almost forget you're watching a show and not a documentary. The plot was not exaggerated nor was predictable. I enjoyed every minute. This is a job well done.

Kate Winslet is Phenomenal

[robfollower · 8/10 · 19 April 2021]

Mare of East Town is an excellent character study. Kate Winslet is superb. She is thoroughly committed to her role. Kate is walking a Tightrope of being a character that is a bit too brash to like on the surface. But this is where her brilliance as an actress shines through. She adds a depth , both standoffish and sympathetic. Whinslet adds just a touch of wry humor and in the end it wins you over and I identify with her troubled and bruised character. I honestly can say I've never seen here in a gritty role like this before. The writing is very well done that helps the entire ensemble in this limited series. I have a strong feeling this is going to be an engaging mystery , drama HBO has come up with . I would say it's definitely worth checking out.

Cailee Spaeny, take a bow!

[susiewtsn · 9/10 · 26 April 2021]

Of course Kate Winslet is amazing in every role she plays, and this is no exception, but I was particularly taken with Cailee Spaeny in the role of Erin. Her role could have been forgettable, since it was so short. But she was so vulnerable, so hopeful, so tragic. She should go places in the future.

Super

[Adarsh_Kumar_Singh · 10/10 · 11 September 2022]

They never missed anything. Every single possible detail. Nothing happens without a reason. Not even a single word was wasted. Everything had a reason. In todays' world of tv(steaming) and cinema cliches, here is a story so very well told. The writing I think is pitch perfect. All the leads as well as the not so leads gave more than one hundred percent.

The setting, Easttown, I have seldom seen that kind of adapting an environment than here before. Well done!

I thing it is an Kate Winslet vehicle, all attributes and all those specific attributes unravelling, those have Kate stamp all over. But dont get me wrong, even Kate cannot get to those heights without the support. Possibly Kate's aura made all things streamlined, well ... possibly vice-versa, like for an example, Julianne Nicolson? Some others too ... Guy Pearce, Jean Smart, Thompson, Huff ... a few which comes to my mind. I dont know. The verdict is, "MUST WATCH".

This show does not disappoint!

[Rob1331 · 8/10 · 29 September 2022]

I definitely wasn't expecting to like Mare of Easttown as much as I did. The trailers for it just looked ok and Kate Winslet is always good in everything she does but I still put it off because it only looked ok. I was wrong. It was better than ok, it was flat out good. I was bored and looking for something new to watch and heard nothing but good things about this series and so I finally started watching it. Once I started I couldn't stop, I binged all seven episodes over the course of a weekend. I know it was only suppose to be a one season miniseries but I've read that because it did so well that they might do another season. I hope they do and this time I won't put it off for so long.

Kate Winslet does a superb turn as Mare, a detective in this small community.

[TxMike · 24 October 2021]

We don't have an HBO subscription so I was able to view this limited series (7 episodes, each roughly one hour) on a set of DVDs from my public library. My wife started with me but abandoned it after just half of the first episode, she didn't like the brusque nature of Mare, but that is part of her character arc, influenced by losses she had recently suffered. I believe my wife would have enjoyed the series if she had stuck with it.

It is set in the somewhat fictional town of Easttown, but in fact much of it does take place in the real Easttown Township, Pa. A community where most everyone knows everyone else and many are related to each other. A community where people often don't even knock or ring the doorbell when going to visit someone, they just walk it.

There are two significant crimes causing community friction, one is the disappearance of two young ladies, the other is a murder of a third young lady. They might be connected, they might not. Much of the roughly 7 hours of running time is in some way associated with trying to solve those crimes. They eventually are, they involve people of the community, and there are some big surprises along the way. And there are a number of Red herrings to keep the viewers guessing.

It is clearly fiction but what makes it so good and so interesting are the characters that really could be real people in any small community. Plus the dialog is uniformly well written. The discs have a number of interesting "making of" extras and it is revealed that Winslet often modified the written dialog, adding or substituting things that would make Mare more realistic.

Watching the whole thing is a big investment of time but I am glad I did, overall very interesting. And Winslet shows why she is one of the best of her generation.

Phenomenal show! The best so far this year.

[samyoon · 10/10 · 31 May 2021]

Best series I have seen in awhile! Quality quality quality from top to bottom. Kate Winslet and the rest of the cast were perfect. Directing was exceptional. The stories and all the themes presented was executed masterfully. The score was probably the weakest aspect of the whole show but still solid.

The pilot was gripping and sucked me in with its realism. Character development and how they were being fleshed out kept me invested. Can't believe how much was packed into just 7 episodes. So many twists and turns throughout and the finale was mind blowing. I think of other great mystery shows like True Detective season 1 that is absolutely gripping and realistic as well, but the finale ends up being a tad lackluster. But this show actually has an amazing finale with a closure that is most satisfying. I literally stood up and clapped after the ending.

This show was much more then a whodunnit mystery but a character study with themes of forgiveness, grief, and letting go. There is a brokenness with many characters throughout the series that may seem depressing, but that is what makes the show feel so authentic and human. Real life isn't Hollywood. We are complex beings shaped by our choices and circumstances presented to us, carving our way through life the best that we can. Mistakes will be inevitable, but we have the power of choice to learn and grow from them or drown ourselves away in denial. This show really isn't all depressing but also shows a lot of love, empathy, and resilience of a broken spirit.

Best show I have seen this year and is also one of the best mystery detective shows of all time. This is a must watch. An absolute masterpiece.

Liked it much more than I expected!

[Supermanfan-13 · 8/10 · 22 September 2022]

I can't believe how much I enjoyed Mare of Easttown. It's about a small town Pennsylvania homicide detective who's life falls apart around her as she investigates a murders. She's also a home town basketball hero so the entire town knows her. Even though it's gotten great reviews and has been nominated for just about every award I was still hesitant about watching it. I was wrong. It was fantastic! The writing and acting (especially Kate Winslet) are some of the best of the year. The twists and turns will keep you at the edge of your seat and guessing what's going to happen next. All the hype surrounding this show is much deserved. If you haven't seen it yet give it a chance, you won't be disappointed!

Absolutely amazing.

[Weirdo-Magnet · 9/10 · 29 July 2021]

I literally watched all 7 episodes in 1 day. Then, after it had all ended, I didnt know what to do with my life.

This series is a masterpiece! The writing is brilliant, the story is so good and the acting is second to none. This is a slow burner that will keep you captivated till the very end. Absolutely amazing.

Clear up my confusion

[pkjdcxqx · 9/10 · 1 June 2021]

*spoiler alert* I was a little confused on the last episode. When Mare goes over to Glen Carrols house, he told her things went missing, even his gun. When Mare is interrogating Ryan, he tells her he got the gun and put it back the same night. How would Glen have even known it was missing if it was just one night? It made me think Ryan was lying too.

6 or 8 Depending on what you come for

[davidco-65431 · 6/10 · 8 June 2021]

I went into this as an avid gritty crime fan and ultimately was underwhelmed, however if watched as a drama instead it's a good solid drama. So I gave it 6 as a crime thriller, but would be 8 if I was here for the drama.

Genius story telling

[Inglouriousbell · 10/10 · 17 May 2021]

Episode 5, Illusions, was unexpected in the most incredible and heartbreaking way. I was a police officer for 11 years, 3 as a detective, and the episode triggered something deep inside that evoked so much emotion. I am absolutely impressed with this show.

Oh c'mon!

[overhaul2-1 · 6/10 · 7 June 2021]

Just because this has excellent actors/actresses and death serious depressive drama we should all get out of our mind in praising the show because they know how to make serious and depressive face, argue, act drunk, or having constant hangover? What about the actual story? Every witness is an idiot that had to hide basically trivial information from police, although, police happen to be their cousin, mother, ex wife? So we had to be "curious" Is he, did she?" When you scrap away natural and good acting, what is left is soap opera drama without much sense.

At least it tried....

[Shah_ajay95 · 5/10 · 21 September 2021]

The show tries to deliver a realism surrounding grief and tragedy.

While Mare is the main actress, she is not the only victim or hardship. Her cadre of women in the famous Lady Hawk game are also victim of a drugs, infidelity, suicide, homicide, etc.

Overall, I'm trying to say this show was great but it wasn't.

I found myself gripping myself in certain areas, but in others failing. The crime story isn't really thought out well, which is a real disappointment because Mare / Kate Winslett were great. But you can't act a subpar plot.

Overall, this deserved to be on LifeTime. Not saying I wouldn't watch, but I am saying, it's not something that's HBO caliber.

BRILLIANT!

[breshetar-74720 · 9/10 · 18 May 2021]

Kate Winslet is an outstanding actress and the other actors are right at her level! The storylines are intriguing and have kept me tuning in each week. BRAVO HBO! I really appreciate how Kate portrays REAL WOMEN - the good, the bad, the ugly - without apologies or compromises.

Murdur Durdur

[SnoopyStyle · 9/10 · 7 June 2021]

Easttown is a close-knit community outside of Philadelphia. It's a place where tragedy and drugs have been weighting on its people. Yet they survive. Police Detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) has been under pressure to solve the case of a friend's missing daughter for the past year. Another girl ends up dead and Mare is given the case.

This is the era of the tragic small town murder mystery. It's the Broadchurch subgenre except in this one, the whodunnit element is almost subservient to the emotional intra-family relationships. It's a big time star doing a specific accent and a cast of great actors contributing great characters. Other standout performances include Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, and Evan Peters. It's the personal connections and specific characterizations. SNL did a fun sendup which almost killed me. It's probably going to be a limited series. It would be hard to gather the cast again and the story wraps up almost perfectly. Mare could do more adventures but it would be hard for it to be as personal as this one.

Winslet won me over!

[benzed · 9/10 · 4 May 2021]

I was never a Winslet fan. Could be my loathing of Titanic that turned me off.

Now it's an unconditional love affair.

Mare of Easttown is brilliant filmmaking on every level.

I'm hooked.

Respectful and smart

[veinctor · 9/10 · 27 April 2021]

Two episodes in and I can easily say that this series treats its audience with respect as it trusts that they pay attention.

Character introduction is not easy and here are revealed bit by bit, creating mystery. The protagonist is a grandma? But her daughter is too young for that. And then we meet the grandchild mom. And she is not the protagonists daughter. And the grandchild reveals his dad's name as he is naming a turtle. The episodes require your attention to put two and two together and make sence of them for your self.

I love the pacing, the non-nonsense drama, the characters involved.... Everything feels quite realistic as the protagonist (a police detective that tries to solve a cold case and a new crime at the same time) talk to people with intriguing background motivations secrets. Also you can see the entire families for many of the characters involved, giving the feeling that everyone is an actual living person with their own lives. Something you don't easily see in TV series due to budget restrictions.

About Kate Winslet's mastery of accents

[dfloro · 8/10 · 10 May 2021]

If you think about an actress who has convincingly portrayed characters with distinctive accents, you probably think of Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice, The Iron Lady, etc.). But how about Kate Winslet, who has frequently dropped her proper British accent to play, for example, a German woman during wartime (The Reader), an Australian returning home to her small town (The Dressmaker), and a Polish-American business woman (Steve Jobs). Do you know why you don't even remember her characters' accents in these movies? They were so perfect that there was no distraction or indeed reason to bring up the subject. Well, in Mare of Easttown, the regional American accent from an area of Pennsylvania is dead on! Again. And combined with her interaction with Jean Smart (who proved she could handle another regional American accent on the Designing Women '80s TV show), who believably plays her mother here, it's another masterful turn of voice & phrase for Ms. Winslet. She won an Emmy for playing the title character in a previous HBO miniseries, Mildred Pierce, so the Emmy voters better be ready to sharpen their pencils once again for her this time!

Kate Winslet in amazing!!!!

[janekmortimer · 10/10 · 31 May 2021]

After watching Mare of Easttown I feel like I have lived there and experienced the drama with everyone. The actors are so believable, there is not one person who was not convincing. Watch it and you will love it.

Good but overrated

[Just-A-Girl-14 · 7/10 · 14 June 2021]

It's a good show but it's way overrated. I had high expectations from what I've heard and it didn't live up to it.

Here are the things I didn't like: Careful, spoilers alert!

1. I expected it to be more thrilling. It's more of a drama than a thriller. It was a little slow paced for my liking. Not a huge problem but I thought it would focus more on the murder/missing women.

2. Mare was a very unlikable character. Kate Winslet did a good job but the writers should have made her more likable. Honestly, she was more annoying than anything else.

3. A cop or a detective cannot get caught stealing drugs from the evidence storage room and just get away with it! I get she was desperate to keep her grandson but how stupid is she? If it's marked then obviously someone would notice that and also it's a completely immoral thing to do. It's her grandson's mother! I agree that It's probably better for Drew to stay with Mare for now but Mare should have helped Carrie if she really cared about her grandson. Carrie is his mother and it's bad enough he doesn't have his father. Pushing his mother away is the wrong thing to do and planting the drugs was both stupid and illegal! She shouldn't have done it. Period.

4. The only reason they actually caught the kidnapper is because Mare had a contact woman on the streets that brought a witness that had a partial license plate. If she searched for Becky for over a year, why didn't she contact her before? The scene in the kidnapper's house was amazing but I wish they got there because of something detective Colin did. If you think about it, they got there because of Mare and the reason he died was because he wasn't prepared and the kidnapper was faster. He didn't save Mare or the girls and it made his death meaningless. I liked him a lot so it's a shame.

5. I don't know if anybody else noticed that but I can't get passed Erin's diaries storyline. The idea that a teenager is murdered and the cops don't search her room for her diaries is RIDICULOUS! Even more so that Mare knew about it. She checked the place Erin's friend told her about and when she didn't find them she just gave up? It was so stupid! They should have had the diaries from the start. Maybe it's possible to miss the photograph if Erin really hid it and they didn't know to look for it but no way they missed the journals if they bothered to look for them! And not searching for them is even worse than that. If Mare and Colin were good detectives they would have known a teen's diary would most likely contain important information about her life!

6. I didn't like that Erin's baby ended up with Lori. His mother is dead, his biological father is in jail, his grandfather is also in jail and the only people he ever knew just gave him up? Or was it a court decision? I don't know but I think he'd be better off with Dylan's parents than with Lori. How could she love him? Her husband cheated on her and her son went to jail because of it. A really complicated situation that didn't get enough attention.

7. There are other things that I didn't like about the story. A few plot holes here and there. Not huge ones but they were still there. For example, an ex cop notices his gun is missing but doesn't report it. Then he realizes the gun is back but two bullets are missing and still nothing? I get that he is old but he is not stupid and it's not like Erin's murder was a secret. Way too weird! Another example for unexplained behavior is Frank. Why did Frank lie to Mare about Erin? If she was his student and he just helped her once, why lie about it? What's the problem? Same goes for the priest. I get that he was afraid to go to the cops because of his past record but if he cared about Erin, which obviously he did otherwise why pick her up in the middle of the night, then why not tell the police what really happened? If he took his phone with him, which he most likely did then the GPS data would show he drove from the park back to his house and not back to the woods where Erin's body was dumped.

All in all it was a decent show, I would definitely recommend people to watch it but there was too much hype about it and my expectations were too high. Also, more attention to details was needed to really wrap it up better.

Excellent, gripping drama

[grantss · 9/10 · 5 June 2021]

A young woman is murdered in a small Pennsylvania town. On the case is Detective Sergeant Mare Sheehan, a highly skilled crime investigator. She has spent all of her life in Easttown and knows everybody in it. However, her life is dark and troubled, due largely to the recent death of her son.

Wonderfully intriguing and gripping drama. On the surface a murder mystery but it's more than that. The lives of and relationships between certain people in the town, especially Mare Sheehan, and the drama that surrounds these make for interesting viewing. These are also inextricably linked with the murder and its effects, as you'd expect in a small community.

Quite grittily told too. The town is hardly one you'd want to visit, let alone live in. This creates a bleak atmosphere and heightens the drama.

Solid, engaging, unpredictable plot that has some great twists and turns. Maybe one twist too many, but that would be splitting hairs.

Great work by Kate Winslet in the lead role with a good supporting cast. Casting is spot-on: nobody puts in a poor performance.

Highly recommended.

Six Stars for Kate Winslett and Jean Smart.

[levybob · 6/10 · 16 June 2021]

Mare of Easttown is about a murder. It's also about kidnapping(s). Clinical Depression. Teenage angst. Pedophelia. Incest. Suicide. Babies out of wedlock. Another murder. Divorce. Drug-Addiction. Motherhood. Lies and deceit. Fatherhood. Unfaithful wives. Unfaithful husbands. Abuse. The new guy in town. The new cop in town. Secrets. Alcoholism. Same-sex romance and same-sex betrayal. Mean girls and mean boys. And I would add more but - six days since I watched the final episode - I'm getting myself depressed all over again.

At its core Mare of Easttown is a character study of Mare (Kate Winslett) whose life has gone to crap but who struggles ahead, one day at a time. And Ms. Winslett does it great. With a Pennsylvania accent she's got just right, she plays the smartest cop in town, assigned to solve what might be one, or multiple homicides. You will like her very much. Even when she does wrong (intentionally) we will give her some slack; her overall intentions were good. She's holding together four generations (including her mother played by Jean Smart), all living in the same house. She also holds together the town - Easttown - this point, in fact, mentioned by one of the characters.

So why only six stars? Because less is more. Less tragedy, few tragedy-riddled characters and situations. There are so many, and they come on so fast, that I found myself laughing and shaking my head in disbelief. Which, I assume, is not what the director wanted.

Finally this is a 'who done it'. And that alone might be reason enough to watch all seven episodes. And if watching for that reason brings on a higher appreciation of Ms. Winslett's work, all the better.

A surprise ending that tried too hard .

[rmvoyage · 5/10 · 4 June 2021]

I enjoyed the series very much til the end . Then it felt like they had to pull out all stops to surprise the viewers with a you didn't see this coming of an ending . But that ending was dumb . This was a kid who got sent upstairs whenever there was a hint of an adult conversation but yet he could sneak out at night , steal a gun , do a crime all on a bicycle and nobody in this small town where everyone knows everyone and someone sees everything .. no one noticed . They tried too hard for suspense.

Strong start

[T2TLED · 10/10 · 19 April 2021]

WOW. A great start. Feels very authentic and the cast is amazing. Lots of interesting characters. The tone of this show is spot on.