Movies / TV Shows

[ShelC]

The Peaky Blinders movie "The Immortal Man" dropped on Netflix this weekend after a theater release 2 weeks ago...

Spoiler: show/hide

It was....ok. Good but not great. A lot of fans really hate it. I went in with no expectations because I knew it'd be hard to wrap everything up from Seasons 5 and 6 in a 2hr movie. Plus I don't think a lot of movies that follow up a TV series usually do that well. I like Rebecca Ferguson, Barry Keoghan and Tim Roth but I thought they missed the mark. Add that to the fact there was no Lizzie, Arthur, or Alfie and it felt a bit hollow.

I thought the plot about counterfeit British money was really interesting and based on actual events but would've been so much better stretched over a season. Other plot points regarding Ada and Arthur were major points of contention for fans which are both understandable. The writing also wasn't as good as it was during the series. Generally, everything felt rushed and also small considering it was a movie production with an actual budget. I probably won't revisit the movie but will rewatch the series. I thought it ended perfectly in Season 6 but understand why they made the movie as they're gearing up for another Peaky series set in the 1950s.

[Kryptonic]

The Peaky Blinders movie "The Immortal Man" dropped on Netflix this weekend after a theater release 2 weeks ago...

Spoiler: show/hide

It was....ok. Good but not great. A lot of fans really hate it. I went in with no expectations because I knew it'd be hard to wrap everything up from Seasons 5 and 6 in a 2hr movie. Plus I don't think a lot of movies that follow up a TV series usually do that well. I like Rebecca Ferguson, Barry Keoghan and Tim Roth but I thought they missed the mark. Add that to the fact there was no Lizzie, Arthur, or Alfie and it felt a bit hollow.

I thought the plot about counterfeit British money was really interesting and based on actual events but would've been so much better stretched over a season. Other plot points regarding Ada and Arthur were major points of contention for fans which are both understandable. The writing also wasn't as good as it was during the series. Generally, everything felt rushed and also small considering it was a movie production with an actual budget. I probably won't revisit the movie but will rewatch the series. I thought it ended perfectly in Season 6 but understand why they made the movie as they're gearing up for another Peaky series set in the 1950s.

Yea, kinda what I figured was going to happen with doing it in movie form. Still... The first few seasons are some of the best TV. Tom Hardy is just killer in it. Also, if you like Tom Hardy... I highly recommend Mob Land. Great show and just finished the first season on Paramount+. Add in Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan... *chefs kiss*.

[Kryptonic]

Another really good show... At least the first season was dang good, the second season was good, but not as good. The first season, Ryan Eggold (The Black List, New Amsterdam) steals the show with his performance.

[AmareIsGod]

Of course it's a matter of opinion, and if folks here like The Leftovers, that's great, enjoy. I personally didn't like it, but people like different things. I don't want to "yuck your yum" or say anybody is wrong for liking it. Fwiw, some of my thoughts on the series, trying not to spoil too much:

Spoiler: show/hide

One big problem with this show is that I don't find many of the characters likable. The main cop guy Kevin Garvey is okay, but I don't know if the character or actor are strong enough to lead a show. And the show spends half its time showing how cool or "hot" he is, putting him shirtless or having people swoon over him or whatever. I especially didn't like the friend of the cop's daughter who seems to openly lust after the dad, who is her best friend's father; that seemed super creepy to me. They spend way too much time on the "never talk" cult people, who I found boring and didn't want to watch. I thought Liv Tyler gave a mostly bad performance on this show; I like her in some things, like LotR, but I didn't think she did well here. Her line reading was tough to stomach. The angle with the supposed healer African American guy who hugs people or whatever, bleh, I felt like that storyline went nowhere.

I like Carrie Coon's character a lot, and I like the preacher guy Matt Jamison; probably my favorite episode of the entire show is the bottle episode that focuses entirely on the preacher. But most of the other characters, I just don't like them or find them interesting or want to spend time with them. And, trying to be vague here, I find the changes of direction the show takes each season to be jarring. So much is different between Seasons 1 and 2 (and, to some degree, between seasons 2 and 3) that it feels like they almost reboot the entire show, making me feel like there's not much point in the investment I made in the prior season. And I ultimately don't find the show's ending very satisfying or worth the investment, though I don't want to speak to that in any detail since some folks haven't seen that far yet.

Ultimately it felt like kind of a chaotic mess to me for almost its entire run. Sometimes that energy would lead to a good episode, but for an ongoing serialized drama, I didn't feel the steady hand or consistency I wanted, nor the strength of characters or storyline to keep me excited. In the end I think I have enjoyed most of the other shows I have seen recently over The Leftovers; it isn't awful, but it had major problems, and there's a lot of other good TV out there that I would rather watch.

► Show Spoiler

Interesting take. I appreciate you being thoughtful about it rather than just dumping on it. We just started Season 3 so I skipped your spoiler block, but I can speak to the general points.

I think the "unlikable characters" thing is kind of what makes the show work for me. These are people dealing with an incomprehensible event and none of them are handling it well. That feels honest. I don't need to like them to find them compelling. Kevin is a mess, Nora is a mess, and watching them try to hold it together is the whole draw.

The tone shifts between seasons didn't bother me either. If anything it kept things from getting stale. Season 2 moving felt like a shot of adrenaline. Season 3 picks up like 3 years later, and based on the first episode, I'm not sure that story works without the time jump unless you add a whole extra season.

I get that the ambiguity isn't for everyone though. If you want a show that's building toward clear answers and a tidy resolution, this was never going to be that show. For me the emotional core is strong enough that I don't need it all to "make sense" in a traditional way.

Different strokes. I'd push back on the idea that the investment isn't worth it. We're hooked. We'll see how I feel when the series concludes. Will keep you posted!

[Superbone]

I'm not reading either of your spoilers until I'm caught up.

I've watched all of Cross so far and I like it. Yeah, S1 was better but S2 is fun too.

[AmareIsGod]

I'm not reading either of your spoilers until I'm caught up.

I've watched all of Cross so far and I like it. Yeah, S1 was better but S2 is fun too.

Which episode in S2 are you on?

[Superbone]

I'm not reading either of your spoilers until I'm caught up.

I've watched all of Cross so far and I like it. Yeah, S1 was better but S2 is fun too.

Which episode in S2 are you on?

I watched all of S2 of Cross. I've only watched S1E1 of The Leftovers so far.