Jim Hill

The cynical explanation for the flood of 1-star reviews, so many cribbed from a template, turns out, is the correct one. Was hoping that was all the explanation for the low rating and it wasn't disappointing. That man still deserves his place on that poster, it's a damn good movie, if there's a false note in there it went by me on a first viewing. The dialog is sharp and sharply observed, the story has that feeling of surprise without disbelief, the larger plot is certainly not original but they don't present it that way either, it keeps its focus on the people.The whole sharply-observed, sharply-written, cramming in details whenever they could without derailing anything, there's a word for that: scintillating. Worth watching, best with someone close.

This is up there with Brazil and Twelve Monkeys and Pan's Labyrinth and a few others that will occur to you later, there's an integrity and even a restraint to its weirdity that it shares with all the best of its kind.

Season 1 is a bit rough around the edges, like the first season of a lot of stellar shows with an ensemble cast. The talent is very definitely there, once they've dispensed with the pro-forma "explanation" for the situation you're thrown in with what seem like they might be a bit too facile characters, but the show manages to stay airborne, straighten up and fly right (sorry not sorry). The cast and writers again and again manage to take what could be facile setups and give them texture and interest and depth. Pick a fairly random lot of people out of an airport, this isn't such an unlikely mix. Season 2 turns . . . I don't know exactly what. I almost bailed on the season, until I realized what I was looking at might be intentional and plausible and pointed I was just increasingly furious and disgusted. The stupidity initially seemed like a plot device. But just exactly how crazy and stupid would you expect a group of people to get when there's not a thousand people left alive and it's not looking real likely more than a hundred will survive a year? If they survive, and anyone talks about what they're going through, they'll be calling this the crazy time. And overall it's not just a disaster show. The people keep getting more human, consequences and history accumulate, and yeah: it's got enough rough edges that I can't give it omgwatchthisrightnow marks. But if you're willing to just go with it and pay attention even when it seems a bit formulaic, you'll be left with plenty to think about and appreciate.

The Brits know how to quietly tell a story well, and cast, director, editor, composer, writers, all have deft, quiet touch and eyes and ears. I watched this with family in a vulnerable, open moment. That's the way to go in, wanting peace, open to everything.

They manage to walk the storytelling wire with some slips into cliche, but even if the stumbles get larger towards the end the storytelling is still winning. Glad I watched.