WIDOW’S BAY (Apple TV)
Briefly, what it’s about: The concerned mayor of a remote New England island town, Tom Loftis, tries to attract tourists to the island and save the local economy. When visitors finally start to arrive, the old town legends about supernatural forces, once considered local paranoia, become frighteningly real.
Read more The Kremlin is going all out: New ban on talking about bans in Russia
“Widow’s Bay” is like the famous cousin of “Twin Peaks,” but much simpler, more folksy, well, just rustic. However, that doesn’t mean it’s inferior, because the creators of this series successfully navigate between humor and horror, all adorned by the selfishly confused face of Mayor Loftis.
There are countless stories about strange towns, so when you hear about yet another town where ghosts probably, maybe, undoubtedly haunt, shiver, and curses come, a rather grimace with the phrase “same old story” starts to form on your face. But “Widow’s Bay,” although it uses all the stereotypes, manages to keep its head above water and offers a really fun, albeit far from serious, series where the “who” matters more than the “how.”
And by “who,” I mean the characters, who are charming: yes, thick-tongued, yes, a few screws loose, yes, somewhat naive and even wise, but mostly unwilling for things to be different from what they are used to. Or for the town’s peace to be disturbed. But tourists will come, the island will awaken, and all sorts of bogeymen will surely emerge… Leading this parade of colorful characters is Mayor Matthew Rhys, known from the excellent “The Americans” (2013-2018), who struggles to balance greed with altruism, vanity with empathy, the desire to profit with the wish for the town to prosper. So, he has to juggle until some old sea witch starts tearing at his hand.
The best part is that “Widow’s Bay” itself never takes itself seriously: the drama is comedic, the scares don’t grab your heart, maybe rather your hair, and everything else is just an ordinary person’s desire to make everyone’s, especially their own, life better. Although, if someone really wants to make such a place attractive to tourists, maybe they should consider changing the name. Widow’s Bay is unlikely to lure anyone…
LEGENDS (Netflix)
Briefly, what it’s about: A group of ordinary UK customs officers unexpectedly get involved in a secret operation against drug smugglers. However, the task proves very difficult as the pressure of living a double life under false identities begins to affect the team’s relationships, moral standards, and self-perception.
“Legends” is what British TV is best known for. It is a serious, effective, and most importantly, concise miniseries that shows that even with a small budget, an incredibly high-quality product can be created.
At least for me, “Legends” appeared out of nowhere. Just 6 episodes about early 90s Britain, when Margaret Thatcher decided to declare war on drugs, with no top-tier stars, seemed destined to be forgotten and insignificant. But I was surprised to see how economically the series managed to turn into an analysis of transnational crime, with paths winding from Pakistan to Glasgow, led by Steve Coogan, who creates more comedic than dramatic roles. And all of this is done very well.
British series are known for not dragging things out, not adding unnecessary dialogue, and not testing viewers’ patience, unlike their overseas counterparts. “Legends” does exactly the same, making the series an unstoppable carousel of action, though there isn’t that much action. This means you always feel like you’re in a real world, not some Jason Statham universe where every step is crucial and every mistake can be fatal. And it really can be fatal because, unlike many other series or films, these secret agents are complete rookies, not James Bonds or Jason Bournes, and most of the time they are just confused, scared, or impulsive, hoping nothing bad happens. But something has to happen.
Moreover, all the actors are fantastic, and the main quartet, playing people who play other people, is the foundation. With just a few details, you already have their personal legend and see how their fictional legend starts to affect their real legend. One fact is clear – it’s no coincidence that British actors take on American roles. They may not be stars, but they act masterfully.
“Legends” is a must-watch; this miniseries won’t turn the world upside down, won’t become a new “Netflix” hit, or create a cult, but it offers very good tension that disconnects you from everyday worries, where danger feels real, characters are full of flaws, and the risk of becoming something else and worse is real. And these are the secrets of a successful action film. That’s what makes them legends.
LORD OF THE FLIES (Telia Play)
Briefly, what it’s about: A group of British schoolboys find themselves on a deserted island after a plane crash. Their efforts to establish order and survive gradually turn into violence, chaos, and surrender to the lowest human instincts.
“Lord of the Flies” is already a classic of world literature, so there’s no need to reinvent the wheel (or start a fire) when adapting it. For this reason, the series creators’ decisions to add something extra to the viewers seem odd, as if William Golding’s brilliant work wasn’t enough. After all, the original source should be trusted.
As I mentioned, there’s no need to add much to “Lord of the Flies.” It seems the perfect conditions for a dramatic story about a descent into madness and the collapse of humanity are already laid out like cards on the table. Just take and arrange them into solitaire…
However, series creator Jack Thorne wasn’t satisfied. Besides some traditional British social class issues, there is also space for fascism, racism, LGBT themes, and others, which, although undoubtedly important, get a bit diluted by their abundance, as if the authors tried to bite off more than they could chew or, in the series context, a mango. So, you find yourself not following the plot but counting how many contemporary issues the creators want to touch on.
Also, the visual and sound aspects of the series are somewhat disorienting. First, despite the series being visually engaging at first, the experimental choices start to distract attention; fisheye lens, saturated images, very close shots, or strange filming angles seem to shout “look how original we are,” although there’s no great necessity for that. The circumstances themselves are strong enough, so one wonders why all this is needed. The music with a dramatic choir also distracts, though it can be justified (there is a boys’ choir in the series), but it also diverts attention from the essence.
Read more Is it possible to grow food on Mars? Scientists suggest an unexpected solution
However, the children’s cast elevates the series to a higher level, especially David McKenna as Crux or Winston Sawyers as Ralph. Although I don’t know why they turned Jack (Loxas Pratt), who was supposed to be the villain, into a Smelly Drake, but that’s probably an attempt to hit the zeitgeist.
Despite all this criticism, “Lord of the Flies” is a lively, relevant, and brutal series that sounds especially important nowadays. It’s just a pity it lacked one unexpected thing – faith in W. Golding himself.
DEVIL MAY CRY. SEASON 2 (Netflix)
Briefly, what it’s about: Half-human, half-demon Dante is again drawn into a brutal war between Earth and the demon realm after his missing twin brother Vergil returns. While the menacing Arius and demon king Mundus manipulate both worlds in their quest for power, Dante and Vergil are forced into a fierce confrontation that will reveal painful truths about their family and their mother’s death.
I admit that in both the first and second seasons, I had a hard time finding logic or something stable in this animated series, but only after surrendering to its rules could I appreciate “Devil May Cry’s” crazy pace, blunt brutality, and commentary on immigration policy.
To start briefly – at first glance, it’s “The Matrix,” or rather, “The Animatrix” with demons. Everyone flies, splashes, everything happens very fast, and the parade includes a huge rabbit from “Alice in Wonderland,” some Baron Munchausen, and others that make you ask: wait, how, what, why, and who is this? The plot from the start seems not written but cut out, and no one really considered stopping to catch their breath.
On the other hand, at least for me, a person who tries but still doesn’t fully understand the magic of anime, this is the most accessible product. It’s no surprise that the series creator is Indian-American Adi Shankar, and the animation was done by South Korean studio “Studio Mir.” It wasn’t a complete epilepsy trigger, and the creators made it as easy to digest as possible.
But the most interesting thing about this series is its multidimensionality; despite being animation (even if aimed at adults, still animation), the characters are so complex, multifaceted, and shift from good to bad and vice versa that it feels like watching “Game of Thrones” or “The Sopranos.” Although in those series, at least one, there are no bogeymen flying around, but that’s a minor detail. So, the creators’ ability to analyze and arrange parts unexpectedly without simplifying either the heroes’ characters or the actions they are forced to take shows that “Devil May Cry” is a multilayered and meaningful slaughter spectacle.
But there is slaughter, and that’s why it’s fun. After all, nothing is more fun than a little slaughter or hell on Earth.
BOROUGHS (Netflix)
Briefly, what it’s about: A quiet retirement community is shaken by strange disappearances and unexplained phenomena, suggesting that something sinister is happening in the town. A group of locals starts an investigation and discovers evidence of a mysterious, otherworldly creature connected to the very earth.
“Boroughs” is “Stranger Things,” but this time with retirees instead of teenagers. Considering the series was produced by the Duffer brothers, this is no surprise.
Basically, “Boroughs” has nothing to fault. It is a quiet, mysterious, and somewhat safe series, perfect for relaxing or even dozing off in the evenings, as if you were a resident of a retirement town. It won’t challenge many gray cells, nor will it make them work harder, so expecting the series to leave a deeper mark is naive.
Of course, the cast list elevates it to another level; Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, and Alfre Woodard could just chat among themselves, and it would already be very interesting. Now they also play pleasant old folks. This group of top professionals manages to create very close and sensitive portraits, so their fears, pains, and unbreakable will to live seem real.
Everything else, as I mentioned, seems straight out of the Duffer brothers’ book, meaning there will be touches of Spielberg films, a bit of paranoia, bad governance, and so on. “Boroughs” doesn’t reinvent the wheel or, in this case, the golf cart, treading well-worn paths, and whether it’s the first teenage adventure or the last rodeo of our heroes, it’s still easy and pleasant to watch, like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket (or a thin sheet, since summer is coming).
But sometimes pleasures are not enough… In times when so much good media (and some bad) is pumped into our brains, series must be exceptional, must impress or shock, must become must-watch, or else they will drown in this sea of movies, series, stand-ups, documentaries, and no one will remember them. I’m afraid “Boroughs” faces the same fate. On the other hand, who doesn’t deserve their 15 seconds of fame…
Read more The crypto millionaire Kasputis motivates the huge lawsuit in the Dargis case with past nightmares
