this rules so far as I expected. Flanagan's just showing off his camera moves at the beginning of episode 2 lmao
I'm saying this as a pretty huge fan of Mike Flanagan, and someone who loved both Hill House and Bly Manor - but I'm not sure I would have kept watching this past Episode 1 if I hadn't read some of the positive things people are saying on here. I'm only a few episodes in, and it is absolutely starting to pick up, but that first episode was ROUGH. I don't want to pick on the guy who plays Riley too too much, and maybe he gets better, but so far it has felt to me like he's surrounded by *much* better actors literally on all sides. There's a scene of him talking to his ex-girlfriend on the porch that is so bad and goes on SO LONG while he just makes these weird faces and doesn't say much of anything that honestly played like an SNL parody. There's that scene, and I find it oddly distracting that a bunch of these actors appear to be younger than they are playing and are wearing old age makeup, even though I'm not sure if that's even the case or not. It just distractingly looks like it. Not really a big deal at all, and probably more a result of me not really connecting with the first episode so I was looking more closely at weird details that would usually blow right by me. As others have pointed out, Hamish Linklater is absolutely incredible in this. Completely and utterly riveting. The show had been slowly winning me over mainly on the strength of his performance, and by the time the scene happened where he's describing the monsignor stumbling through the cave in the desert in the dark and there's that abrupt jump cut with the doctor's pen light, the show had completely set it's hooks in me. I'm definitely on board for the rest of this.
I get what you are saying about Riley but those long monologues are pretty integral to what Flannagan is trying to say in his remarks on religion. I think as the show goes on and you learn more about Riley's headspace it will seem more fitting for his character.
He was definitely better in the scenes in the rec hall at the two person AA meeting with him and the priest going back and forth about religion.
This is great so far but (ep 3 spoilers) really no one notices he looks like him? For how munch the townsfolk are obsessed with him it seems Superman with glasses level silly.
The performances in this! Hamish Linklater was obviously a highlight, his charisma is incredible. As for frequent collaborators, Alex Essoe, Annabeth Gish, Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas, and Rahul Kohli were good, but I think I liked them more in other things they've done with Flanagan. Samantha Sloyan was great, though, holy shit, I was not expecting that. The kids were okay, not as impressive as the little ones in Hill House and Bly Manor. Alex Essoe and Henry Thomas keep playing Flanagan's parental figures lol
I only just realised who Alex Essoe was playing lol, yeah that old-age makeup was questionable but she was great as always only halfway through this but I think the scene between Leeza and Joe is some of the best acting of the past 5 years. absolutely incredible performances from both of them, I was in awe. Linklater has also been just absurdly good every second
yeah I noticed the bad makeup immediately lol, was confused at first. Just finished this though and it was great.
so is it just Flanagan's trademark to go absolutely buckwild on episode 5 of his shows (not a criticism I fucking love it)
Good shit. Could have done without the cheesy monologue at the end or at least trimmed it down a bunch though.
Was anyone else surprised at how well The Angel still flew even after Erin had cut his wings up like that with the knife...???