I don't really review or watch Television, heck I don't really review movies either, but I felt compelled to review this because I was shocked at how good it was. The type of noir, crime, thriller television, novel, or film I can appreciate in any piece of media, and this time it just happened to be an episode of television.
The direction from Charlotte Sieling is very surehanded, and the way she films and lets tension sequences play out are incredibly well-done, and exactly what I look for. She has a great feeling for how this type of show should run and credit to her for understanding how to make it happen properly and without overplaying the noirish elements of it.
This is helped well by the actors involved, Michelle Dockery is from Downtown Abbey and is a 4-time Emmy nominee; this is honestly the role she was born to play. She nails the noir tone, but she also manages to perfectly combine femme fatale with strong female protagonist really well, without ever letting it become too campy or too pointed. She is what makes this particular pilot come alive, and if I were to ever continue with this show it would entirely be because of her.
The writing from Chad Hodge & Blake Crouch is also great, with constantly great twists and turns. The structure of this particular pilot can be a little bizarre, but it is all purposeful toward the eventual, unnerving ending.
Since I don't really watch Television, this might be where I start and stop, but this is still an incredibly well-done piece of crime television, and if I were to consider it a "movie", it would be among my favorite movies of 2023. Precise crime direction, writing, and acting.
The direction from Charlotte Sieling is very surehanded, and the way she films and lets tension sequences play out are incredibly well-done, and exactly what I look for. She has a great feeling for how this type of show should run and credit to her for understanding how to make it happen properly and without overplaying the noirish elements of it.
This is helped well by the actors involved, Michelle Dockery is from Downtown Abbey and is a 4-time Emmy nominee; this is honestly the role she was born to play. She nails the noir tone, but she also manages to perfectly combine femme fatale with strong female protagonist really well, without ever letting it become too campy or too pointed. She is what makes this particular pilot come alive, and if I were to ever continue with this show it would entirely be because of her.
The writing from Chad Hodge & Blake Crouch is also great, with constantly great twists and turns. The structure of this particular pilot can be a little bizarre, but it is all purposeful toward the eventual, unnerving ending.
Since I don't really watch Television, this might be where I start and stop, but this is still an incredibly well-done piece of crime television, and if I were to consider it a "movie", it would be among my favorite movies of 2023. Precise crime direction, writing, and acting.
