grahamf-55542 Reviews

The Dropout (2022)

It grew on me

[8/10 · 30 April 2024]

The first few episodes were tricky. I was unfamiliar with the Theranos story so I had a neutral view on the plot and it seemed like a mistake to reveal the endgame in E1. As it moved on slowly, I warmed to it, and decided to watch to the end.

By about half way, I was really hooked. Mainly because it was fascinating to see how the fraud impacted various employees of the company. Perhaps a lot of this was fiction but it was great drama.

I am well aware of how fast growing corporations can be hell for employees who don't fit. The change from success to failure can be brutally fast.

Towards the end I was in binge-mode, so I am happy to give it a firm recommendation. A lot of good acting. I agree with other reviewers that Amanda Seyfried was outstanding. I found her habit of nodding rather annoying, but perhaps that was something picked up from Ms Holmes.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Incredible

[2/10 · 20 April 2024]

What's incredible? The large number of positive reviews. Having watched the whole series I can't see why so many have seen merit in this show. I am suspicious that some at least may not be genuine.

The main characters are unconvincing. It is impossible to believe that Donny could lurch so often between extremes of success/elation and despair.

I guess the explanation of this is that he and his tormentor are both severely disturbed. But I found it really tiresome.

Does it have any merits? I suppose there is some value if it succeeds in directing other abuse sufferers to sources of help and advice. But I think most people don't watch Netflix to see public information films. I certainly don't. I'm looking for good drama and this wasn't.

Midnight Mass (2021)

A bit of a bloody mess

[6/10 · 17 April 2024]

I mean the plot, really, but there is no shortage of blood. Looking at other reviews this is really a "marmite" of a show. Seems like you either love it or hate it. I'm somewhere in the middle.

I agree with those who complained about the dreary dialogues, or in some cases monologues. Many of the leading characters have at least a few of them. Absolutely tiresome and unnecessary.

The plot itself was very slow to take shape. By about E5 it was starting to become clearer. I wanted to watch to the end to see if it all got resolved. It didn't, and fizzled out in a most unsatisfactory way when most of the cast fizzled out literally.

So in the end, a rather generous 6. It was a reasonable idea but laboriously executed. On the other hand I respect the fact that it was compulsive enough to hold my attention for 7 hours.

Lessons in Chemistry (2023)

Just as good as the book

[10/10 · 29 March 2024]

I read the book first so wondered if this would come up to the high standard. No doubt at all that it did. Some subtle changes in emphasis but it's all done for good reasons, and the key messages of the novel are totally aligned.

This was a highly engaging production in all respects. I loved the screenplay, the acting, the music and of course the brilliant depiction of the period.

Sometimes I found myself wondering if the bigoted characters were a bit overdone. Was it really as bad as that? I don't really care too much because as a drama it was faultless.

I hope it wins the awards it deserves.

Masters of the Air (2024)

Disappointing

[6/10 · 21 March 2024]

I complete agree with the comments of another recent reviewer. This was a reasonably competent and watchable production but it falls a long way short of the excellent Band of Brothers. While covering the same period of the war the differences are stark and this is inferior in just about every respect.

What I found annoying, in no particular order:

• the plot includes many scenes that are unlikely. Impossible coincidences, and especially towards the end.

• a very large number of scenes where the lighting was extremely dark. I wondered if this is a problem of the production or on Apple TV (I bought a subscription specifically to view this so the jury is out on whether I continue).

• the CGI effects were impressive at first but after a while they began to become tiresomely obvious and repetitive. They looked like CGI.

• the very annoying previews of the next episode. Why do they bother with it? I had to mute the sound and look the other way.

• an annoying group of children who kept reappearing and simply stood in the same line each time, occasionally with some naff words.

I could go on and on, but if I did I think I might decide to reduce my generous 6.

Godless (2017)

Excellent

[7/10 · 12 March 2024]

I'm not normally a fan of westerns but this was really good. Very well written, with a fairly complex plot but it all made sense as the series rolled on.

Superb cinematography and music, and the writing had wonderful changes of pace. A most unusual story and the writers managed to keep the viewer guessing right to the end.

Very strong acting throughout the cast.

There were strong messages and plenty of humour interspersed with the action.

I would have given 8 but there were issues with the final episode as other reviewers have noted, but overall it was a series I could recommend.

I disagree with reviewers who thought Roy Goode was lacking in personality. I felt his character was credible and well constructed with skilled flashbacks.

The Outfit (2022)

Another triumph for Mark Rylance

[8/10 · 22 February 2024]

Superbly crafted story, and the lead role carried off brilliantly by Rylance. As always, his acting is in another class. The suspense was handled consistently well, and just can't imagine anyone not enjoying this film.

It is far closer to being a stage play than a film, but I don't see that as a drawback. I have given this 8 not because of any particular flaw, but simply because I reserve the higher ratings for the best multi-series productions. It seems only fair to do that.

But this is a gem of a production, with top class acting from all the cast plus some wonderful music by Alexandre Desplat. Very strongly recommended.

The Last Kingdom (2015–2023)

Outstanding

[10/10 · 19 February 2024]

I was blown away by this. Not a single weak episode across all five series. This genre has not so far been one of my favourites but if there are more as good as this I could be a convert. I haven't yet read the Cornwell books but I assume a lot of the credit goes to him.

The script is consistently engaging and convincing. The characters are superbly drawn. It would be impossible to know how closely it sticks to history but it just feels accurate.

I loved the fascinating exploration of family bonds and other loyalties (eg religion).

There are a few weaknesses but all far too trivial to detract from the overall strength. A very solid 10, and I don't give them often.

Travelers (2016–2018)

Superb, but more?

[10/10 · 26 January 2024]

A superb drama in all departments. Sci -fi is not my preferred genre but this had me hooked from the start. Brilliant writing built onto a brilliant but straightforward idea.

Every episode was crammed with fresh ideas while at the same time there were carefully crafted links between different stories and even different points across the three series. Plenty of excitement blended with slower, human touches. And top rate acting throughout. Every actor coped brilliantly with the challenges of portraying characters who have moved in time and just visiting "the 21st". But my absolute favourite character was David, who was firmly planted in the present and was a delightful portrayal of the awkward but well-meaning social worker. But David's humour wasn't isolated. Little shots of humour kept appearing at the most unexpected moments.

I really admired how realistic the imagined future came across, and especially the medical advances. Much of the technology was way too complicated to grasp but we soon realise that doesn't matter. Not long ago I attempted to incorporate future technological/medical developments in my first novel and it was fun to see some similarities. I just hope Netflix get to see my book - just contact my agent please.

I don't go along with the many other reviewers demanding a new series of Travelers. It would be a great shame if this, like so many others, was extended too far and failed to maintain the standard of the first three series.

Sense8 (2015–2018)

Unconvincing story

[4/10 · 8 January 2024]

I gave this a good try and really wanted to like it. Early on I was hugely impressed by the visuals and screenplay. The idea of the story took a long time to begin taking shape, but I was determined to persist.

Eventually, it was clear and that's where the problem began for me. I really couldn't see the point of it. Especially something where there were several seasons. After about 7 episodes I tried checking through some other user reviews in the hope it might encourage me to keep watching. But there was nothing much to persuade me. Some people made positive comments about how you become sympathetic with the lead characters. Fair enough, but I can't continue unless there is something more than the unbelievable device on which the show is based.

So I can't really recommend it although I can accept a lot of people love it.

Informer (2018)

Enjoyable police drama

[7/10 · 2 January 2024]

Very well made series. In many ways this was well up to the level of some of the best police dramas and it had a lot of great writing and acting.

I just thought it lost some of its impact towards the end. For more than half the episodes I was convinced that the writers knew where this was going. Then it became less clear and the final two episodes were less convincing.

But some excellent performances from the lead characters and I loved the way the pace was maintained, sometimes jumping forwards in an ambitious way, but it seemed to work. And there were pleny of unexpected twists.

So despite its few flaws I would recommend this for an absorbing binge.

Dead to Me (2019–2022)

Entertaining but overlong

[6/10 · 21 December 2023]

I really liked this at first. Very witty and fast moving, based on an unusual plot. Over the first two seasons I thought it was heading for an 8. But various things slipped in S3. Some of the characters, especially the 3 main detectives, underwent radical personality surgery, becoming almost unrecognisable.

Then, during S3, I felt it was becoming tiresome repetitive and way too drawn out. I had to finish but really wasn't enjoying the final few episodes.

Finally, right at the end, and this is not a spoiler, was a hint that perhaps a 4th series is being planned. So I have dropped my overall rating to 6 to make sure I give it a miss.

What I most enjoyed, apart from stellar performances by the two protagonists and the lively writing, was the humorous digs at various aspects of US society.

Cigarette Girl (2023– )

Heavy emotion

[4/10 · 5 December 2023]

At first I thought this looked promising. I enjoyed the first couple of episodes, getting into the unusual story with a fascinating insight into the culture and history of Indonesia which was totally unfamiliar territory for me.

But this honeymoon period didn't last.

The pace got painfully slow in the later episodes, while the emotional level became steadily higher, reaching a point where I could easily have abandoned the show.

But I persisted. Having given up a few hours I wanted to see how it all resolved.

The plot is complex, to the extent that I found it hard to believe it might have happened. I didn't mind too much about the romanticising of tobacco, because I could accept it as a something that was going on while medical evidence eventually put a stop to it. But I really found it hard to enjoy the emotional interplay between parents and children.

If it had been edited down by maybe 3 hours I might have been more generous.

Traitors (2019)

Disappointing mess

[4/10 · 27 November 2023]

The storyline sounded promising but it never lived up to expectations. The main problem for me was the complex plot and confusion about the loyalties of many of the main characters.

By about half way through I just wanted it to finish. If it had been much longer I wouldn't even have bothered sticking with it to the end, but the final episode didn't make me like it any more.

Good period authenticity and some excellent acting rescue it from an even lower rating but I can't recommend this and there are much better spy movies around. Yet another Netflix failure. I just hope they make something better soon.

All the Light We Cannot See (2023)

Started well, but....

[4/10 · 15 November 2023]

...it didn't last long. I so wanted to like this. At the outset it was looking good. Nicely photographed and with some excellent actors. The plot was a bit far-fetched but I could live with that.

A bigger problem was the language cop-out. I do realise that languages and accents are always going to be a problem in this type of film. But it became increasingly difficult to accept everyone speaking perfect English, regardless of whether they were German or French.

From around E2, the storyline got steadily worse, with more and more completely unbelievable scenes. The predictable ending was really weak, and by the time it finished I felt that the whole production was a poor representation of an important slice of history.

Another annoyance: the Germans, other than young hero, were uniformly evil. They were so consistent in their behaviour they could all have been the same character.

The only saving grace was that it didn't stretch on too long, with just 4 episodes. But this, for me, is yet another Netflix flop.

Money Heist (2017–2021)

Why did I bother?

[2/10 · 12 November 2023]

Just wish I'd read reviews more carefully before starting this. It's clear I'm not the only one who has been fooled into watching. S1 started out quite well and by the middle of S2 I was still happy with it and even recommending it to people. I just hope not too many of them listened. After about S2:E7 it began to lapse into bathos and a lot of repetitive scenes.

Having now skimmed the plots of the remainder I am confident I took the right decision to abandon ship before reaching the end of S2.

Very disappointing. Could someone please let me know where I need to go to find another meaty series as good as Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul?

Forgotten Love (2023)

Verging on the ridiculous

[4/10 · 20 October 2023]

After a promising start this steadily disintegrated into a contrived and entirely unconvincing plot. As the drama unfolded, the viewer is expected to suspend disbelief until it almost turns into a farce.

I see some other reviewers have commented favourably about the original book, and that may be better than spending more than two hours watching this production.

At times I felt that it might have worked if it had been made as a short series.

So why have I given it 4? Well the acting was ok. I quite liked the cinematography and the music. Those elements combined to keep me watching until the end.

But I cannot give this a strong recommendation.

Move to Heaven (2021)

Very solid

[8/10 · 19 October 2023]

An unusual but highly convincing plot and the whole series is beautifully crafted. The pace is just right. Super acting and and with plenty of humorous touches.

The central character played his Aspergers brilliantly. It reminded me of the Astonishing Attorney Woo (which I think I slightly preferred to this).

Almost strong enough for a 9 but my main issue is that it relies rather heavily on the emotional element. For me, that's just a personal thing. I can see that reviewers who are like the emotional stuff have no problem in rating it 10.

Having said that, I'm very happy to have watched it and I strongly recommend it.

Boiling Point (2023– )

Strong drama

[8/10 · 8 October 2023]

This was a welcome relief to my fruitless search for decent drama on Netflix. So thanks to the BBC for serving up a tasty dish. Fast moving, and sometimes difficult to watch much of the time, thanks to the predictability of the story lines. I don't agree with those who have given a low rating based on the predictable story lines. That doesn't stop it being a strong drama.

Similarly I don't have a huge problem with the fact that all the main characters have their own demons. This is fiction and a drama so we can't expect them to be boringly perfect.

I hope there is a new series and I hope the budge extends to more episodes.

Dear Child (2023)

Over-rated

[3/10 · 18 September 2023]

Many strong reviews but this was really disappointing. The initial story seemed promising but the plot got steadily more complicated, with no clues.

Then, during the final episode, the story rushes to a conclusion with very little tension or explanation.

Having stuck it out to the end I now wish I'd abandoned this early on.

There were various plot threads, around the detectives, that never got developed. Considering the overall length of the drama I would have expected a far better resolution of the.

In the end it is left as a fairly gruesome account of a warped mind.

I cannot recommend it.

Navillera (2021)

Top notch

[9/10 · 5 September 2023]

An unusual plot, beautifully written and acted. Plenty of strong messages throughout. This is well up to the level of some of the best US and European dramas. Nicely paced, and just about the right length for the plot.

Very different to "Billy Elliott" but ballet theme works just as well in this. The focus is on family relationships but with none of the political background in the British movie.

Minor flaws stopped me from giving it 10 but I don't want to go into detail about these as they are really minor and it would be impossible to explain without risking plot spoilers.

The whole production was outstanding and I am happy to give it a very strong recommendation.

Awakenings (1990)

Incredible

[3/10 · 23 August 2023]

Undoubtedly this has some relation to actual events but I fail to believe that it is anywhere close to reality. I was relieved to see that a reviewer who is a psychiatrist has described the plot as "exaggerated" and that's certainly how it appeared to me.

I can't understand why there are so many high ratings. An outstanding performance by De Niro but I find Robin Williams' mannerisms annoying. The only positive thing I can say about the rest of the cast is that they were all minor roles so had no opportunity to shine. Well perhaps Leonard's mum is worthy of a kind word.

If you are a lover of mawkish melodrama, don't let me stop you.

Darkest Hour (2017)

Excellent

[8/10 · 22 August 2023]

This account of the dark days following the "phoney war" is well up with the better dramas based on WW2.

The production has a great blend of historical accuracy and drama. Gary Oldman is outstanding as Churchill and the rest of the main cast are also strong.

I would love it to have stretched out into a series but given the constraints of a feature film it was a very fine production.

A few minor niggles prevent me from going higher than 8. I found the tube train scene a bit excruciating and it couldn't possibly have happened in a single stop on the District Line.

Overall this is well worth viewing.

The Founder (2016)

It got better

[7/10 · 21 August 2023]

At first I thought this would turn into something quite mediocre, as the protagonist Ray Croc had a rather superficial and unconvincing start as a character. But it got better, and Michael Keaton did a great job with the material.

By the closing scenes I was much happier with the dramatic development, and had the impression that it remained quite close to what happened but more engaging than a documentary.

So well worth watching and after I reached the end I was a bit disappointed that it hadn't been stretched into a short series.

All the acting was strong, especially Keaton and the two originators of those famous burgers.

Painkiller (2023)

Rushed and flawed

[6/10 · 20 August 2023]

Other reviewers have compared this with Dopesick which unfortunately I haven't seen. This was ok-ish. At least it held my attention to watch the whole series, but all the time I was thinking it could have been so much better.

Most annoying was the device of using up a huge amount of time on tiny repetitive flashbacks. Occasionally they were helpful but mostly seemed to be a device to try and artificially inject tension into the script.

There was some dramatic tension, but also a lot of rather grossly unrealistic scenes. The core dramatic threads were quite thin and unconvincing.

Having written that I'm almost tempted to conclude on a 5 rating but given the worthy message of the show I'll be generous.

Netflix will need to seriously clean up their act to keep me subscribing.