Jungle (2022) User Reviews

A strong idea that ultimately falls flat

[jacky_thefilmcritic · 6/10 · 9 October 2022]

Jungle brought some really creative heads come together to give us something fresh and unique. However, I felt more effort went into the style of the show than telling a solid story.

My main issue with the show was that it felt rushed and things didn't really pay off, instead story arcs were left at lose ends and even though the show tries to bring things full circle at the end, for me it didn't work as I wasn't given enough time to care for the characters involved.

This show gave us the idea of the characters breaking out into drill in certain scenes. This is an interesting idea and sometimes it really works, however there were times where it took me out of the scene as it felt forced on some occasions. As a drill producer, I really appreciate the effort to bring drill and mix it with a crime drama. However, this idea can be improved upon.

The setting of Jungle is also really interesting. A near future London looks visually pleasing but that's where it ends. The setting or technology shown in this series isn't used to push the story and while it seems they're going to do something with it at the start of the series, it didn't go anywhere which is something I quickly got used to.

I would like to see another season as I feel it can be significantly improved upon as the ideas are good but don't help to push the narrative. While I have my issues with the show, I appreciate the effort gone in to create something different hence my 6 star rating.

4 things I didn't like about "jungle"

[chatterbox69_Lol150000 · 6/10 · 2 October 2022]

Firstly I really had high hopes for 'jungle' It just wasn't as good as I was expecting. I know this sounds stupid , because it was literally a series showcasing the in's and out's of ''the ''hood but I was expecting less violence , not even less violence but less death.

Secondly there was a an annoying cliff hanger at the end of ep3 jess got shot what happened to her did she die? Did she eventually go to hospital?

Thirdly it felt like I watching two different shows (which made it quite difficult to follow) the first half is about stealing the watch and "GD".

The second half is about Marcus helping himself, his brother and his mum to become a better version of themselves.

Finally I was expecting more of biancas character. It's annoying how long it took to be introduced to bianca.

Disappointed

[joereading · 5/10 · 1 October 2022]

Very very strange musical style to the show which makes no sense at all, kind of like it's tried to replicate shiros story and blue story while trying to be like top boy/kidulthood at the same time.

Once again Amazon making a series look good with awful film makers, writers and producers you can't stick good actors in a awful show and just expect it to work.

Everytime you think the show is about to get good they do another one of the stupid musical cut scenes and try and make it into some unique style of their own and it just fails miserably I honestly think Amazon need to hire better people to decide on good ideas and better produced film/series. Netflix seems to get it right with everything they put effort into and I can't understand why the richest company in the world is struggling so hard to make anything that isn't cheesy.

very predictable and boring

[OfficialBadPug · 3/10 · 30 September 2022]

The first episode tries to be a mix between a musical poetry similar to romeo + Juliet while also trying to be like the kidulthood trilogy but it just fails at both unfortunatly, on the up side we get to see k koke make an apperance. Everything is just so bland.

Its like the show has identity issues, its not exactly cyberpunk although it tries so hard to be, with its bright neon lights in places where it has no business to be and lifts with no light at all... the whole episode just reminded me in the worst way of how a blade tv series could go so horribly wrong and yet its not exactly hip-hop either as actors will for no reason at all start rapping to eachother in the most bizarre places... theres no real explanation or proper transition.

Style over substance - absolute dross

[michael-ep-russell · 1/10 · 2 October 2022]

Where to start?

This series is just as tired and warn out as the UK drill scene.

The amount of service level conversations portrayed as deep meaningful dialogue. Honestly, it's so highly cringe is almost unbearable.

The acting is very sub par...so much over acting, you can clearly see that every is trying, but it just looks forced, cringe and falls flat on it's face.

It's looks slick, but after a few slow motion panning shots this runs dry pretty quickly.

Overall a wasted opportunity with a big budget to do something great. If this gets renewed for a second season, I'll eat my hat!

It's a 1/10 for me.

Furthermore...

[jsmd-14501 · 1/10 · 7 October 2022]

As I watched Jungle, it struck me how many times the characters said "furthermore..." either through dialogue, or during their raps. It stood out to me as a mad ting! (One of the other overused phrases in the show).

I know musicals have been around for some time but, to me, there was too much Shiro's Story in this (if you haven't watched that, YouTube is your friend. Thank me later) but somehow, Shiro's Story manages to pull the mix of rap and dialogue off with aplomb, whereas Jungle fails miserably. It all feels very contrived and unnatural.

Furthermore, while the beats are decent, the raps are sometimes poor and awkward-sounding. Whoever thought a musical Top Boy would work really misjudged things.

Furthermore, some of the acting is poor and just not very convincing. Ezra Elliot as Gogo, and Seyi Andes-Pelumi as Danial were good I guess. And Poundz as Marcus was OK, but the rest of the cast fell flat for me.

There was one standout scene in the entire show where, in a car in a car park, Gogo's character morphs into three versions of himself. That was well done. Furthermore, the neon-lights style of the whole show was gave it a different look.

But that's not enough to save the show for me.

As an overall package, this fall's desperately short. Furthermore, I don't get why there were two distinct stories here?! I can't see this being renewed for a second season...

Style over substance

[indysanghera · 1/10 · 4 October 2022]

Just a collection of random thoughts. And not very sophisticated thoughts. Visually and audio stunning. Content? Non-existent! Utterly predictable and boring. Storyline and writing is so cringe it's untrue. If you stay awake long enough and use your own imagination, you might be able to eek out some semblance of a storyline. Not sure if it's the writing that's awful or the actors themselves who struggled to convince. All round a really, really poor waste because there's some potential.

Not sure how I felt about them breaking out into rap every 5 minutes. And lost count how many times they said "mad ting". It sounds like a white guy writing what he thinks black people sound like

Painfully got through one episode. That's enough for me....

Something fresh and unique

[williamcheyney · 9/10 · 2 October 2022]

The series Top Boy is the benchmark for British London urban black gangster drug dealing gang drama tv. When I saw the trailer for Jungle I expected something similar. Jungle is very different! Set in the near future the series focuses on the characters personal suffering. The drug/gang violence is prominent, but the individual struggles of the working class broken home adolescents is the main theme. The ad lib rapping is fresh and unique and it works wonderfully. The show is not about glamourising the gangster lifestyle but more about highlighting the hardships of the younger siblings that get caught up in the gang culture. Yes, some may argue that the show is more style over substance but I enjoyed it immensely. It is stunning from a cinematography point of view, and at only 6 episodes long I highly recommend watching!

PRO TIP: I recommend watching with subtitles to get the most out of the British slang!

Innovative with a Good Message

[aarmin-47415 · 7/10 · 1 October 2022]

I appreciate that Amazon was willing to take a chance with this innovative production. I think in some ways it works and it is rather visually impressive, the music can be very good and heartfelt at times.

The piece is also to be congratulated on its message, I think they did a good job of bringing it across in an serious manner and it was not glamourized at all. Elements like the stress felt by the main character were brought across very well in particular.

While this series wasn't for me in particular I feel like they did a lot of elements really well, it didn't succeed in all aspects but it was still entertaining and the novelty was refreshing for me in and of itself.

Suspicious reviews

[simonharper-77711 · 1/10 · 6 October 2022]

It is worth noting that an overwhelming amount of the positive reviews on here are by new IMDB accounts with this title being the only series they have reviewed, it is quite obvious to me these reviews are by people that worked on or are somehow connected the show.

Do yourself a favour and don't bother watching this series, it really is such a huge let down and feels like a straight to DVD series that somehow got an obscenely large budget. The nice cinematography, grading, and effects aren't enough to distract from the cringeworthy story and acting.

I made it through episode one and cannot believe Amazon signed off on this, it's embarrassing. The acting, musical moments and direction all feels so forced.

Great show. Loved it

[DuppyDownWatch · 10/10 · 1 October 2022]

I initially thought this was going to be just another uk series when I saw the trailer but after watching it I learned to not judge a book by its cover, or a series by its trailer. This is different than anything I've ever seen. Personally I feel like uk shows aren't all that for me but this one hits home. Really loved the music aspect of it too felt like without the music it wouldn't have been the same. Still good but the music definitely took it to a level of greatness. I hope they have season two soon because I need answers now!! I have so many questions and I'm really looking forward to any interviews about the meaning and why we never saw the watch??? The whole time I was waiting for a watch reveal.

One for the youths

[lifeswhatyoumarry · 7/10 · 8 October 2022]

If you like cyberpunk aesthetics, crime noire, crying, and the odd musical number, you should really check out Jungle.

Based in the near future London, there's no augmented humans or robots walking the streets, but the future is set. There's hints of dystopian factors, homes being lit by lamps and candlelight alone, juxtaposed against the killers and thieves in their lavish and neon draped yards. People will use fancy ass holo-tablets at work, but have to rely on Nokia 3310s to call their friends. The story can be brutal at times, but in no way excessive. It's used to an effect, to put an emphasis on the raw nature of the jungle, and ultra-violence and cyperpunk go together like she-wap-di-wada-wada-shippidy-headshots.

The way it blends it's spoken lines into a sudden trap beat can and will be jarring, but I can honestly say that there are few shows out there that will lean into how music can set a scene. I still need to watch Anna VS The Apocalypse.

TL;DR - Jungle on Prime only has 6 episodes and if you don't like the music bits you can catch the first lyric, get the jist, make a cup of tea, and the story will still be there when you get back.

Conflicted on this one

[larryiroro · 2/10 · 9 October 2022]

I watched this after seeing posters for it everywhere in London, which look sick and really attention grabbing. The opening sequence with the lips and the clock was cool, I had high hopes. But it just never really went anywhere. I feel like it could have been great if it was more polished and more thought through. Cos there was lots of good stuff in there. Visual style and cinematography was on point, Ezra was solid, so was Poundz, the girl who played Gogos girl, Poundz mum. But then so many of the other performances were wooden and awkward. There were scenes where I had second hand embarrassment watching it- Tinie Tempah's scene? So bad I had to watch behind my hands. There were a few bits that were so corny I was shocked they made it in, it was like GCSE drama. I liked the two stories thing but was bored by ep 5 and 6. It definitely could have been 4 killer eps if it was written better. And the way they were woven in could have been more slick.

But the weirdest thing about it to me was the narrator. What was that? At first I thought it was Gogo at the end of his life looking back, or his Dad or father figure that we didn't see. Read books, travel the world... DMO! It felt like that wear sunscreen song- preachy and egotistical and unnecessary. And what was said in the narration didn't relate to what was in each episode. It was just a load of random thoughts- a vanity thing by the writers I guess. I was thinking, who is this brudda and why is he telling me how to live my life??

Overall- ok to watch, lots of potential, visually good but basic storyline, felt a bit amateur. Oh and the rapping- really worked for some people, not for others.

Rapsical

[celt007 · 3/10 · 2 October 2022]

A tv show about black drug dealers that break out into rap .

I don't like it it. I don't like hip hop or rap at all. But do like British gang shows .

So the Rap that they do during the show is distracting uninteresting and made me shut it off.

Could have been decent instead they thought let's ruin this tv show and have the actors do rap.

So it's a gang musical with rap which is not music but rhyming words to explain themselves , idea , or thought.

Regardless I think this show will appeal to a small viewership .

Which will probably grow based on what is happening in Britain and Europe . I say NO!

A UK rip off of Belly.

[torrascotia · 3/10 · 15 October 2022]

Its obvious within the first few seconds of watching this its a UK attempt to copy the Nas/DMX vehicle that was Belly. That is a certified hood classic with a cast and vision that is simply impossible to match. Some of the characters in this even look and sound like the cast from Belly at certain times which was cringey.

Its your typical feel bad hood story however in which we are supposed to empathise with criminals and how hard they have life, as if they haven't made their own decisions to do what it is they do. As a result the only people who will engage with this totally are the very young and those that think being a gangster is something to aspire to. I am guessing some of the actors in this are rappers, because there are certain times when people start rapping instead of talking, however not everyone can rap and the guys in this, I simply don't rate them. Maybe its because Hip Hop is an American artform and hearing London Geezer rap just doesn't cut it for me. Particularly when this is obviously trying to copy the American culture. The other reason the rapping is bad is that it gives this a music video vibe which takes away from the fact it looks like quite a high budget TV series. Looking like a Hype Williams production reinforces this. It doesn't look gritty and seems to be glamorising violence etc.

There isn't much to recommend this apart from the cinematography. It reminds me of those of rappers who used to talk up the gangster lifestyle then whine about the negative consequences. Frankly I am surprised the black movie industry is still making this type of film. Even if by making a UK version they think its doing something different or they are trying to make some point. Black cinema/TV has moved on a long time ago. Or at least I thought it had. Definitely a step backwards in terms of black culture.

Astonishing

[jonkingratatat · 8/10 · 1 October 2022]

The modern take on urban drama,shiros story on steroids,2 gritty storylines that intertwine into powerful and dramatic conclusion ,plays out like a movie rather than a series ,set in futuristic but realistic urban London setting cleverly done and has like a noir touch of visuals mixed into gang culture drama that we've seen with the kidulthood type movies,and yes although this type of drama has been done before it's also a breath of fresh air to watch as the acting is carried off brilliantly by the main characters,soundtrack is top notch by some big urban artists who have great potential in Thier acting skills.if u like this sort of genre u will enjoy this series, powerfull,gritty and relevant ,if u know u know! I wanna see a second series come from this.

Loved it!

[jaynem-84118 · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

Very stylish production, great Cinematography.

Ezra Elliott shines. I really want expecting to like this series but the first 3 episodes were amazing. With brilliant performances from Ezra Elliott (Gogo) and RA (Slim)

The story lines intertwine and really do show the gritter side of London and how life can take anyone in the wrong direction.

With all new concepts you are going to get people who love it and people who will hate on it, but you can not take away from the performances of the leading characters. They are convincing and show raw emotions that made me believe in them and again the Cinematography is outstanding.

If your into UK urban music, then you might enjoy it

[JeffDamulira · 8/10 · 8 December 2022]

This TV series is not everyone's cup of tea. But, the people who enjoy the current UK music trend will enjoy the episodes, as the amalgamation of popular UK artists were included in different episodes. I was stunned to notice the futuristic elements with AI, which was combined with the criminal underworld, and the visuals was amazing. Some actors were decent, yet others really exceeded my expectation, especially RA. However, the last episode was really good, since the metaphors of ' We all fall down' is similar to the concept of ' Pyrrhic victory': you conquer a certain segment of community, then you lose long term stability and unity in the long run. As the quotes. Illustrates on negative emotions which is demonstrated towards others, could be a reflection on how we feel about ourselves, as those emotions is spread across the community, the potential loss can be felt in the community, which damages long-term progress, as the rest of deck of cards has collapsed. Sounds brutal, but a harsh reality.

I really like it.

[Patrickrowee · 10/10 · 1 October 2022]

I thought this show was really good. I binged watched the whole thing. I love rap music so the parts where they rapped was great and kept the story really interesting. It's so artistic and futuristic (see what I did there) 😉 but really I thought it was amazing, the story line, the message behind it, the narration, the artists involved, every scene was so interesting to look at. It may seem bizarre for some ppl that they rap out of no where but it's a show guys, entertainment. Don't let the whole message fly over your head. I also really liked how the stories tie in together. I really Loved it! Amazon really came through.

This is what I'm talking about!!!!

[grardmartin · 10/10 · 1 October 2022]

At last, a series that pushes the boundaries, delivers a strong message and entertains all at once. I didn't want to like this series at first, I'm a lover of UK rap in general (as well as other genres) so thought this would be a watered down version of real authentic rap and storyline, I was so wrong. The passion and delivery of each artist was mesmerising to say the least. And although there were some elements of cliche, the storyline itself was so gripping and beautifully crafted that I found myself in tears during certain scenes. This series is a triumph and all 6 eps must be viewed inorder to understand the true message. The game has officially been changed!!!!

Visually stunning

[kiraabdulla · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

I'm really actually blown away by this show. Amazing visuals. The rap scenes I think are what have me drawn in. Absolutely amazing. The characters I'm also very drawn to, something about the show that just makes you want more and more. My favorite thing about the show are the messages. This show creates scenarios but I think it's more about the messages then what's actually going on. It makes you see things in very different perspective. The narration is just perfect too. It's not every second or every scene but it's there when it needs to be which is just perfect. I'm looking forward to season two.

Eye Opening

[officialkrystasaryha · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

Jungle is well put, the aesthetic in the series is so eye catching , the show addresses the most unpleasant issues that happens in urban communities in the most straightforward realist way ,hearing the narrations of each and every episode is the real truth of being in the hood and of how life goes. DO NOT get me started on the acting . It was astonishingly phenomenal to say the least . My best advice would be to watch this with an open mind and ears as this is not just a story , it's reality.

I love how characters communicate to each other through music and emotion , it was quintessential.

The representation of POC and types of people you would normally see is excellent.

entertaining yet real!!

[danial_anderson · 9/10 · 3 October 2022]

Slick imagery and rapping aside Jungle is such an interesting body of work. For years ive been saying we need a film/series that tackles issues we are facing as a community but in an entertaining none condescending way. And here we have jungle. I was blown away by the realness of this show. Yes, the world that it paints is highly stylised and a stretch of the imagination, but the concepts it deals with are as real and authentic as it gets. I loved how they switched the story after the first 3 eps. It provided a fresh look at an old problem - street life and all its casualties. I also loved the way the music - although dark at times helped push the narrative and storyline forward. Not all the actors where as strong as they could have been, but it was entertaining and enjoying to watch none the less. WE...NEED...MORE insightful shows like this. For us by us.

This is a story for us indeed!

[OfficialAnon · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

My expectations to what I eventually saw, astonishingly different. This cannot be compared to Top Boy because it is a completely different take on people's lives.

I absolutely love the message behind this. Loved the concept of using vivid imagery to draw out our attention. Loved the portrayal of the characters. Love the many talking points and interpretations and need another show please!

There are some who are used to the constant streaming of violent images and therefore would find deep meaningful dialogues bland and boring but at some point, they will need to sit up and start listening!!!

Amazing

[micahthebarber · 10/10 · 7 October 2022]

This show is amazing. I've never seen anything like it before. The raps and lighting in the scenes are nuts, I love it. There's lots of bright colors and black lights making the scenes so cool. Especially when they rap, the lighting changes. It's giving me a Belly vibe, which is one of my all time favorite movies ever.

I am American and I don't know any of these rappers so I've had to google them after hearing them rap on here. RA aka Slim and IAMDDB aka Mia are my favorites so far. Their scenes have been mind blowing.

I definitely recommend watching this. I plan on looking into the writer and director so I can see what else they have out.