Seven Types of Ambiguity (2017) User Reviews

"I never knew marriage could be so lonely!"

[dusitmark · 8/10 · 26 July 2018]

Only one other review apart from this one? I'm not Australian so I don't have any idea if this was a popular program or not, but one review? And he called it '...melodrama - from a cheap paperback!"

The story may be somewhat of a 'melodrama' but the characters downplay the theatrics so it's easy to watch. There are a couple of moments where you slap your forehead and think 'No, no, no, don't do that!'. But for the most part it's plausible.

There are six main characters and each episode focuses on one of them until the end where things are tied up neatly.

First up is alpha male Joe. His son mysteriously disappears from school when he goes to pick him up. Next is Alex who is a shrink with his own issues as his marriage falls apart. Angela is next... the hooker with a heart. Mitch follows as the hapless every-man always playing second fiddle to the star, Joe. Lawyer Gina hits the forefront in episode five and Joe's wife, Anna, ties up the whole kit and caboodle as truths and motives are spelled out for the viewer.

This character-driven story-telling device works well and the drama unfolds neatly. The numerous time-jumps make sense and are easy to follow. Despite the episodes being long, there is (thankfully) very little time wasted. The pace is brisk without being rushed. There are no extended scenes or significant events overly dwelt on.

Over 400 people have 'rated' this series and the average rating is just under 8, which is about right. The story has enough threads to keep it interesting and is never bogged down by extraneous characters or scenes that lead nowhere.

It took me two full episodes to get hooked. But that was mainly because I had read the other review which I shouldn't have done! It's misleading and I suspect that the reviewer didn't watch the entire six hours.

I enjoyed it.

Keeps you guessing

[brenzbrenz · 8/10 · 14 January 2021]

I really enjoyed this series and I liked how it kept you guessing right until the end! It was great how each character in the show had their own episode for you to learn about each of them. Plus great writing for there to not be too much over lapping of the same scene again and again. A great binge series!

Compelling series. Loved it.

[editor-53662 · 8/10 · 13 January 2021]

I thoroughly enjoyed this - binged it over two nights. The first episode is gripping. We travel through events told through a different character's eyes each episode and we're teased with some answers of the mystery through each character. Each episode progresses the timeline. Great acting and a very clever character driven script. The ending is superb, landing back with our initial characters and satisfyingly wraps up the complexity of marriage that has experienced trauma. I think anyone who has experienced the isolation that comes from trauma - even when surrounded by people - will find this ending powerful, and encouraging.

Quite good even with the plot holes

[gallagherkellie · 7/10 · 12 August 2020]

I enjoyed watching this, I binged it in 2 days!

The plot holes that annoyed me are: 1. The mum never had a conference to go to...why didn't the police/defence lawyer just check with her boss or workplace? Such a simple thing. 2. As if a mother would lie to get someone off from kidnapping their child without permission! He obviously has issues and needs help...what if he does it again with someone else's child? 3. Why would she also stick up for him after he admitted to basically stalking her. He found her address and watched her have lunch with the same man each week. 4. The episode with the work colleague and Angela was actually so strange and funny. Why on earth did they get the actress playing his wife to do such a horrible German accent? And she just left him after being hurt? It was all very strange and pointless.

But besides all of this it was entertaining. Silly ending without any real plot twist.

Really nice organized and novel mini series

[aliciazhang-18441 · 9/10 · 3 September 2019]

Finished the series in one day. Originally attracted by Hugo Weaving's stunning performance then the organization of the series really gets me. Loved it a lot. I'd give 10/10 if the ending could be better. Theatrically it is surprising, yet not so bright for characters' intentions.

Loved this

[suziq-21014 · 8/10 · 19 June 2020]

Binged this in a day, Very compelling and interesting to watch, reminded me of the Slap, a few of the same actors were in both, told from each main character's point of view in each episode in the same way The Slap did. I just wish the ending wasn't left so open and vague but all in I'm glad I watched it. I think the Australian TV shows like this are excellent and get to the nitty gritty of normal day to day life for most people just trying to get by.

Superb !!

[Vindelander · 8/10 · 12 September 2020]

Really impressed by this series and would definitely see it again. Fascinating storyline, wonderful cast and keeps you guessing all the way through.

It reminded me of that other great Australian series The Slap, in which the pivotal event is examined from different characters viewpoints.

I would highly recommend this.

Starts well then just melodrama

[mformoviesandmore · 5/10 · 6 May 2018]

It starts well as if there will be a tight thriller or intelligent story. That's episode one. It then devolves in to melodrama and implausibly interconnected story lines from a cheap paperback.

The acting is of a moderate level. Hugo is used as a hook and largely wasted.

At the end the story seems to go nowhere and leaves you wondering why you bothered.

Soap

[crumpytv · 3/10 · 21 September 2021]

I wanted to like this, I really did.

Aussie suburban and city dramas really lack something and I was hoping this would be better.

It started off ok, although it was only seeing the second episode featuring Hugo Weaving that it was clear how poor Alex Dimitriades had been in the first episode. The epitome of the wooden actor. He couldn't get a gig in Thunderbirds.

So, each episode featured a different character. From the title you would have thought seven, but no, it was six.

The "drama" got worse until the final one which would have embarrassed the Neighbours production team.

As for the plot, it was all a waste of time and not a good advertisement for Aussie justice when at least three serious felonies had been committed and nobody is brought to task.

Don't waste your time

[daryltinworth · 1/10 · 16 January 2021]

I cannot quite fathom how this has such a decent rating. The plot and script have more holes than a tea bag. The acting redeems the show, especially Hugo, which is why it gets a 1 and not a 0 if that were possible to score here. 7 types? There are 6 episodes! The first two, possibly three episodes are great, after which, I don't know if they ran out of money, ideas, if the director changed or they lost the script, but something happens. The show loses all sense and reason for being. None of what you have learned about the characters carries forward into anything that might be deemed semi-realistic. It's absurd. The editor cannot even be bothered to check simple things like when Anna receives a text msg and we see that it was actually sent 3 hours ago (on May 7). A few days later she receives another text msg, sent 'now' but the date is May 5. If they cannot be bothered why should the viewer be bothered to watch.

It isn't worth my time carrying on, but if you're a glutton for punishment, then by all means, watch it, if only for the solid Hugo performance and the wonderful cinematography of Melbourne.

Yawn fest

[rob-brass · 3/10 · 22 June 2020]

I was also drawn in by Hugo Weaving, he has been very good in a lot of Australian dramas/ thrillers. Episode one is fairly compelling and centres on the kidnapping of a child. Whilst this must be an awful thing to happen, it quickly transpires that the child is totally unharmed and was basically being looked after (albeit without permission) this forms the basis for the ensuing 5 episodes which tell the same story from points of views of characters we barely care about, some of which go off on a complete tangent and don't seem at all relevant. We saw it through to the end but what could have been an engrossing story was wasted by bad plot twists and unlikeable characters. Not worthy of it's 7/10 score

Australia just cant get it right

[daveforpm · 1/10 · 28 December 2021]

I really wanted to like this because of the rare good casting of a Australian production, but it starts getting typically dreary as early as the second episode, then the front newspaper, yes newspaper lol, which no one buys anymore in reality, has a headline story convicting a school teacher with no conviction of being a peodophile striking again! Huh??? Then the guys poor dog needs looking after by a animal hating child, huh??? When the guy and his apartment was being cared for by a caring prostitute neighbor, but that excludes his gentle dog??? Huh??? Typical Australian rubbish turned it off.

Starts very well...then fizzles out.

[prashant-63677 · 5/10 · 10 July 2022]

It was a haphazard, erratic production. It started of very well & gave the pretense of being a classic show. However soon started to follow standard clichéd concepts and techniques of storytelling. Some episodes were disjointed, not linked with the story & seemed like fillers. The ending was pathetic, with most important questions not fully resolved. There were coincidents which seemed absolutely absurd. In conclusion its potential wasted. It could have been a much much better show. But it wasn't.