The Sandman (TV Series 2022– ) Poster

(2022– )

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8/10
Decent Enough
Rob133112 December 2023
Having never read the books I wasn't really sure what to expect from The Sandman. Then after reading through the reviews and seeing how mixed they were I was even more confused about whether I should give it a try. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it. I just read that it got renewed for a second season so that's good news. It looks like most of the negative reviews are from people that are mad that it's not exactly like the source material and I've never got that. As long as it's entertaining...who cares. Movies and shows have to be adapted for tv and are just based off the source material. Less than 5% of the people who watch these movies and tv shows have actually read the book or comic it's based on.
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8/10
It's Worth Watching
Supermanfan-1318 July 2023
I have to say I enjoyed The Sandman more than I thought I would. I have to admit I knew nothing of the comic or even heard of it so I had no expectations at all. It is definitely something different and unlike any show I've seen. The closest thing is American Gods but I stoped watching that in Season 2 as the quality of that show fell off after the first season. It has a solid 7.9 so it looks like most people seem to like it. I thought Tom Sturridge did an excellent job as the lead and Boyd Holbrook was just as good as one of the villains the of the story. The creator of the comic book (Neil Gaiman) is an executive producer so hopefully he'll have a big say as to where the story goes. It's already been renewed so I'm looking forward to more of the story.
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10/10
As someone familiar with the source material...
anarchyintheus76 August 2022
This did an excellent job, but haters are always going to hate on projects like this. I'm shocked that it's this good tbh. Don't listen to the haters, this is great.
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10/10
From a long time fan of the comic.
noddle6669 August 2022
I have been waiting for an adaptation (and dreading how it would deal with the material) for over 20 years and I am happy to say that this series not only lived up to my hopes but far surpassed my expectations.

The choices of actors has been excellent, the effects are impressive and eye-catching (especially for a TV show), and the pacing has been really solid.

The second half of the series isn't AS incredible, but only because Doll House was one of the weaker story arcs. Even then, I still feel like they did a great job with the adaptation.

Episode 6 is one of the best hours I've ever had watching a TV series.

There is an incredibly vocal minority of people who are screaming about the wokeness of the series like The Sandman wasn't always ahead on stuff like that. Yes, there has been changes. Yes, there has been gender and race swaps. But I don't feel any of those things take away from the fantastic product we received and none of them feel out of line with the original style of the comic.

Obviously I'm not telling you that you can't be annoyed at these things, and if the idea of them makes you not want to watch the show then I'm sorry. But this long time fan was incredibly impressed and is praying to any god who'll listen that we will get more seasons (of mist) to follow.
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10/10
Amazing, and gets the soul of the comic across delightfully well (edited)
mikko-286987 August 2022
(See addendum below) 4 episodes in, very happy - In truth it would so far be 9/10, but there are so many "agenda" low reviews that I feel it my duty to offset them with a 10. So far very satisfied with the adaptation, and as it follows the comics quite closely we all know that the first story arcs are just the story learning to walk. There is so much good to come, and already it's evident that they will be able to pull it off. The end of e4 was amazing, can't wait to continue tonight!

Edit: I've now watched it all. From the end of e4 to e6 was the high point (e5 one of the best things I've ever watched and e6 was just as beautiful as on the page), but it was all worthwile so the 10/10 stays. And yes, I love the comics since the 90's - not 100% on all of the remixing of Doll's House (e7-10) but in the end it worked and setup the second season perfectly. I'll repeat, the first 2 books were just the series finding its direction. There's going to be some amazing stuff going forward, I'm sure (as the comics got exponentially better and the team has proved they can adapt them)!

(Oh, and from the weird comments by alleged comic fans: IMHO all the substituted "appearances" of the cast worked perfectly. As far as their altered "preferences", maybe re-read the second book?)
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6/10
Great start but the show loses it's initial momentum
william-eugensson31 August 2022
I thought the show was really great the first episodes, dark setting and interesting characters. Somewhere along the way I grew bored by the show however. I will probably watch the second season if it ever comes out since I am a fan of the novels. This was entertaining but the stark difference to how it started and how it ended made it less interesting for me. I hope the next season will focus on what made the first episodes so good. I think maybe sandmand will have a hard time to compete with all the upcoming franchises coming out this fall, I hope I am wrong though!

On another note, 600 characters requirement for a short user review is too damn long!
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8/10
Spellbinding & visionary.
W011y4m55 August 2022
It's fair to say I've always been somewhat of a fan of the distinctively whimsical, quintessential eccentricity imbued within famous author Neil Gaiman's writing (ever since - in 2011 - first being introduced to it as a child in BBC1's 6th season of "Doctor Who", with his critically acclaimed episode "The Doctor's Wife") & therefore, as a long-time admirer of his impressive portfolio of work, growing up alongside his growing number of flourishing projects, I'd previously made consistent efforts to acquaint myself with his prior TV adaptations "Good Omens" & "American Gods" but admittedly, had never yet had the pleasure of reading the much beloved "Sandman" graphic novels (of which this series is based upon, widely considered to be his best) before. Hence, I personally went in to this season with no preconceived expectations & thus, I must concede - after viewing the first 3 installments - that this Netflix series has completely blown me away & ironically surpassed even my wildest dreams.

Of course, I can only comment as a casual viewer (& am unable to ascertain the faithfulness to the source material, present within these episodes), but within the first 3 hours, we as an audience are introduced to a rich, layered, enchanting world of pure imagination that is creatively borne, masterfully realised & the sheer scope & scale captured from beginning to end is honestly mesmerising. Indeed, it's no surprise to witness peculiar & cerebral fantastical wonders on screen - in a fantasy constructed from the inspired mind of such a quirky, ingenious scribe - yet nonetheless, I still found myself utterly confounded by the sheer regality & majesty of this grandiose, unconventional & wholly epic tale.

It's a credit to all of the cast & crew members involved, who've respectfully & lovingly brought such a breathtaking universe to life & I'm hopeful the quality established here in the preliminary chapters will continue throughout... Because from what I've seen, I'm seriously floored. It is utterly remarkable, beautifully dark & haunted & unlike anything I've had the opportunity to previously binge on the streaming service, in its history.

There's a palpable sense of history & mythology to it which immediately draws you in & I cannot wait to see more. What a major achievement!
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6/10
Uneven, clumsy, and lacking scope.
grinningelvis3 September 2022
If Sandman were doing it's job, episodes 7-10 would explain why we should care about Dream and The Dreaming, not alienate and confuse viewers that do not have an insight into where the epic Sandman storyline eventually ends up. There is little connective tissue from Point A to Point Z, mostly because these episodes lack any real tone or nuance. The show gets busy - strangely more compacted- than even the 24 page comics they are adapted from. These episodes - without the gravity of a gifted actor like David Thewlis - just sort of spiral into nonsense. And since little effort is placed on delineating the importance or role of Dream or The Dreaming (or for that matter, the identities of The Endless as characters or the function of their realms) the series comes off as dull and drab and dim-witted.

"the Sandman" is one if the most emotional, insightful, intelligent comics ever written, and it accomplishes so much by suggesting the fantastical in the mundane. But in this Netflix adaptation, The Dreaming and Reality have no clear identities - just noisy cross-cutting between often drab actors performing rote functions. That's why, perhaps, the performance of Thewlis pops so much. We need to see the consequences of an innocent character interacting with the ideas of a universe so beyond his control. Every bit of momentum that the show builds up in those center episodes puts a greater emphasis on how the first episode and especially episodes 7-10 utterly fail.

Netflix's Sandman lacks scope, and ultimately comes off as pretty silly when it fails to maintain a solid core of genuine human emotion. Why, for example, squander the casting of Stephen Fry and the warm, wonderful Gilbert character with such a slim, unconvincing treatment? Gilbert's journey is essential as a mirror to that of the Corinthian, and all of the queasy menace of a "cereal convention" gets lost in the production's dayglo attitudes, loose ends, and loud box-checking.

I turned on this series the second Rose, Unity, and Jed began stumbling through these awful scripts and questionable performances. Any honest crew could have seen that mess going wrong. How could they not, having obviously understood the significance of, say, "Passengers" and "The Sound of Her Wings"? If Jed, Unity, and Rose are a "family", hiw are supposed to believe that Dream has any real affection for Death or Hob, or even compassion for John Dee or Johanna Constantine? The emotional gravity devolves into nonsensical B-movie execution.

If Sandman gets a second season, it will have to address the elephant in the room - casting and scope will have to get much more expansive and solve a lot of scale problems. Nothing here suggests that this can be accomplished. If you read through the negative responses to the series, you can see that folks don't have a lot of patience for the massive world-building that makes the conclusion of Sandman so moving and philosophically relevant. But as a fan of the source material, one has to ask why a die-hard would want to see such messy adaptations of works that deserve better?

With the two most awkward Sandman texts out of the way, the meat of the series comes next, but nothing in episodes 7-10 suggest that these producers are up to the task.
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5/10
I agree, it nosed dived after Episode 6
dreadlk16 August 2022
The show started out pretty good and hit a really big peak with Episode 6, which was a master piece of dialog and acting. Then it just felt like the director or someone else was fired because after episode 6 it was a struggle to watch it until the end.

I would like to see more of seasons of the show but they have to fix the pacing and limit the amount of odd characters. I think that was really the problem after episode 6. It started to introduce all of these weird human characters and then directed the normal characters to act as though nothing was wrong with them. It was all a bit odd as any sane person would never go near people like this, yet it was all accepted with a smile and a chuckle and endless fruitless dialog.
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10/10
Hugely sandman did deliver with its unique storytelling and wonderful performance.
sharonmass0077 August 2022
The actor who played Morpheus was born to play it. Series takes to a new world with creatures ,demons and even the devil. All the episodes are unique and appreciable for the way they introduced these mythical characters . It's worth your time and the best pilot season for Netflix in the recent years.
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9/10
A Master of His Realm
soeprijo199 August 2022
Just finished binge watching this last night. And what quite a story telling it was! From magic spell to travel the Hell, from human greed to dream seed, from dark adventures to realm contender, you name it. But my favorite episode was the sixth: The Sound Of Her Wings. It really gave the surreal drama feel, no thriller no horror no suspense, just like gliding the dream. And by the way, who's the Lord of Dream's barber?! Because he changed his hairstyle every century or so! I hope they make an episode of his barber next season (finger crossed)

Amazing 9/10.
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10/10
Finally A Real Win For Netflix That's of Actual Quality
rodneymoore-177555 August 2022
Excellently well made and crafted you can tell Netflix actually believed in this project the cgi was jaw dropping damn near movie quality at times and it was really well acted.
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6/10
Original review removed
RubyMouse31 August 2022
Rather over-thought and ponderous portrayal of the source material. Have to admit that although I liked episode 1, I still haven't finished the rest. I can't keep interested enough. I wrote a better review but it's gone.

I am disappointed that my original review which was written, then rewritten and edited a number of times before being posted on the 6th, has been removed. It had already received more likes than any other review as I am a fan of Gaiman's work and put a lot of thought into writing it. I am not a rude or abusive person but when people want your review removed you must have hit a nerve. Hence, this no-review review. Sorry.
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10/10
I went in blind!!!
joshhicks-835867 August 2022
And I loved this show it's a little out there but it's so good and I only watch the quality show because there is so much to choose from. I don't know what all the lower ratings are about this show is amazing.
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6/10
Went Downhill Very Fast
akunwafor135 August 2022
Not me thinking this is it, Netflix finally made a good adaptation. The first 30mins was all i hoped for, then the rest of the series happened.

It's like they made the Pilot great, got the series gree-lit then opted for mediocrity. The obvious drop in quality of the script and acting can be felt from the second episode onwards.

This is just sad because this show had potential, if they just stuck with the pace and quality of the first episode.
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2/10
Starts promissing, turns into an absolut mess
wolffmarcel-5161621 May 2023
A Cult Leader wants capture Death and make him "release" his dead son back into life. Instead he captures the Sandman and keep him Prisoner for many Years.

A promissing Start.

After the first Episodes the focus sadly switches and we have countless boring nonsense plotlines wich bored me to death.

And what is with all the gay People in this show?

80% of the People in this show are gay. Even at first hetero People start sucking each other off. Yep, thats exactly what happens in this show. A hetero married man is going on his knees to....

This show is by no means watchable by children or minors because of this.

I dont have anything against gay people, but serious. Enough is enough.

After a good start, the show becomes a boring, nonsensical mess. Boring Maincharachter, no plot to speak of, no interesting side content. Just a weird sexual agenda is all that remains.

Waste of time.
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10/10
not a hero, not a villain, not a anti-hero. He is the Sandman.
bilalcansakalli5 August 2022
Morpheus, the sandman, is extremely serious, but also kind-hearted and kind. Trying to keep the balance of the world. It is enjoyable to watch the journey he has to take while trying to maintain this balance. The story progresses in an interesting way. It's nice to watch different realms are portrayed differently. The actors portray their roles well. Camera angles and visual effects are used perfectly. Space designs are well-constructed. The dark theme suits the series. If you want a dark and enjoyable journey, The Sandman is for you.
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10/10
Amazing
Ben-Mood6 August 2022
I saw the reviews. And watched it. People have forgotten how to observe and listen to things. So many people went to watch this show in expectation of something that the writers of the show didn't intend to present. Some odd, childish comics readers or should I say "graphic novels" as to not offend their fragile egos. Some marvel fans who expected one big explosion as a tv show.. And some narrow minded people. This show is special, it's wide in depth and isn't cheap like most of the things we are used to see everywhere. Someone said "dull characters".. While there are entire episodes dedicated to a single character's personality, behavior and psychological conflicts. How about watch this show with an open mind for once? Don't expect there to be something that you think should be there. Watch it with an open mind and be surprised with the interesting advances of the story. Enjoy.
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10/10
Sandman❤❤❤
flodia-802069 August 2022
This is the best show ever since supernatural. I cant wait to see season 2 and i wish it would be 15 seasons like others, i don't know why only 10 episods!!!

This Sandman show is Legend.

I respect the writer nd the director for their masterpiece And i really wish to continue, there is some new ideas i have never expected to know it, anx never came tomy mind .. The way they fight dream and lucifer😵😵😵😵its really wooooooooow, and the method of directing People who worked , aaaaall of you... Thank you.
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10/10
Mesmerizing & spellbinding and I didn't want this to ever end!
Sh3w0lf8 August 2022
I was SO SO excited for this to come out! And I was NOT disappointed!! I absolutely loved this. Dream was played by the perfect actor. His voice all throughout is soft & dark yet whispy? Even when he gets angry or raises his tone- he still managed to hold this somehow? His entire demeanor the way he acts and moves is just like he is a dream, I think he portrayed him perfectly. All the other characters and actors did an amazing job too. The whole show I was memorized and glued to the screen and watched it from beginning to end nonstop. I'm so sad it's already over!!

To each their own- but I've read a lot of reviews on here giving this crap ratings saying it's awful ext and how they feel it ruined by making characters gender swap or having them be gay when they originally weren't? But it's a new time & era, I get what they're doing by incorporating LGBTQ into this & to me it doesn't ruin the story at all. I actually think they played perfectly off each one of the characters roles & personalities (like Desire!! And Death, and Lucifer!!) & I don't think they overdid it.
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6/10
Decent, but doesn't hold a candle to the original.
popcar25 August 2022
If you've never read the series and are a fan of fantasy, you'll probably enjoy this. As a fan of the source material, I was huffing a lot of copium whenever I saw how they adapted scenes from the book.

The Sandman is probably my favorite graphic novel of all time, so to see it getting adapted is pretty exciting. That said, it's not nearly as good. They made the story worse by making the Corinthian the big bad of the series. The direction is just bland. They take scenes from the book and make it worse, dumb down the dialogue, and talk a lot of exposition to make it more mainstream. It also tries to be a lot more EPIC but it falls flat in many moments.

It should've been animated. The visuals are nice and all but most of it is not convincing in live action and they had to sacrifice a lot to fit their budget. Hell in particular is so unbelievably bland and boring. If they're going to hit me with the "it's too expensive to make everything happen in CGI" excuse every few scenes, then it shouldn't have been live action in the first place.

Acting is so-so. Most of the main characters are good but some of them (like Lucifer) are too cheesy and unconvincing.
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9/10
Pretty good for a Netflix show
drkwly5 August 2022
The Sandman is abducted and held captive for over a century, turning the real world and the dream world into chaos. After his escape, he must restore order to save the world. That's the simple version. The show can be a bit slow at times and the CGI needs improvement, but overall this is an amazing show! Great casting. Tom Sturridge is Dream and does a great job carrying the show. Even his look and slender frame help make the character more believable.

Also - it's really funny how many reviewers are outraged by the fact some characters are female, or black or LGBTQ. We are talking about a fantasy show. Who cares if they changed some of the characters? "Are they telling a good story?" Is the only question we should be asking. There are a million shows with all straight white casts. Hollywood has also notoriously whitewashed characters who weren't fictional just to appease white viewers. Where was the outrage when the blue eyed Burt Lancaster played an Apache chief or Elizabeth Taylor played Cleopatra? Remember when Angelina Jolie played Mariane Pearl who is a Afro-Cuban women in real life. Jake Gyllenhaal played the Prince of Persia. Liam Neeson played Ra's al Ghul in Batman. Tilda Swinton played The Ancient One in Doctor Strange. The list goes on and on and on... I'm sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable when you see diversity in a show. Maybe you should think about why that is?
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7/10
Chapters 1-5 amazing, after really corny
kingofcritics8 August 2022
First 5 chapters had an incredible atmosphere, great story line and awesome visual effects.

The casting of the Sandman is great.

Starting with chapter 6 the story gets really corny, childish and loses all the charm. I would honestly recommend stopping after chapter 5 and calling it a day. It'll be a wonderful experience.
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10/10
Absolutely brilliant
helenderbyshire7 August 2022
Binged this yesterday afte Long night out. So just needed to chill out. What can I say it was brilliant. I was hooked from start to finish. Loved every second. It keeps you gripped and needing more. I won't spoil it for you. Watch and you will not be disappointed. Just Waiting for season 2 confirmation. They best has do it. Enjoy.
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10/10
Not for the morality police
thomasoverly6 August 2022
If you're offended by a story about people who don't follow or adhere to your specific moral system, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you enjoy exceptional stories about interesting characters doing even more interesting things, you will love it. Exceptional in every way.
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