250. Web-series Reviews – 94

More web-series reviews…

 

The Capture – 1st season came out in 2019 (I had reviewed it here http://seshadrimusings.blogspot.com/2022/06/232-web-series-reviews-78.html ) and the second came out in 2022.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

This show is a fine example of how a story need not be convoluted or break the bank with fancy special effects in order to weave a rich, suspenseful plot. The growing ethical dilemma of security vs. Loss of privacy in a surveillance state is taken to the next logical quandary that we face today, when public and private CCTV, aka closed circuit TV recordings and surveillance, is no longer a "closed circuit" in a digitally interconnected world, and analog gives way to digital, where integrity and non-repudiation can no longer be assured. What we might have thought it would be a Black Mirror episode is much closer to reality.

The acting is sharp, and the script and direction are solid. Certainly there are bits here and there that are a bit too melodramatic or overplayed, but that's to be expected of a suspense thriller. I have the benefit of binge watching the first series and now the start of the second, and I must say, good continuity exists that avoids ditching the first arc to start another. As the story continues to unfold, how long can the writers keep upping the surprises before things separate from what made it so realistic? I hope they can keep the brilliant intensity going.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Fortitude – Came in 2015-2018 for a total of 3 seasons.  Perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth. There has never been a violent crime here. Until now.

Trivia – Although set in the Norwegian Arctic, this show was filmed in Eastern Iceland.

One of the reviews from IMD...

I was fascinated by this series from the start. It was moody, atmospheric, stylishly filmed and deeply mysterious, with many strange touches.

For all its oddness, the first season never went off the rails, like a Twin Peaks or Lost. True, there were plot threads that didn't connect at first, confusing moments, and characters I was never full invested in (like Elena), but it all came together eventually, helped with brilliant performances by Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon, and a wonderfully complex one from Richard Dormer, whose manages to make his sheriff walk the thin line between villain and hero without ever quite falling onto either side.

This was arguably the best new series of 2015, but I began season 2 with trepidation, as two of the best characters were gone. It was as though the second season of Twin Peaks had started with neither Dale nor Audrey. But after a somewhat lackluster season opener, the series wound up hitting its stride once again with its creepiness and just-on-the- edge suggestions of supernaturality, and once again I was hopelessly enthralled.

Season 3, though, was a whole other thing. The first two seasons were an interesting mix of mystery, horror, and general weirdness, but season 3 turned the horror dial up to 11. I made it through two gory, disturbing, upsetting episodes, and then gave up. Ugh! (There are apparently only 4 episodes for the season, but 2 was enough.)

In conclusion: Definitely give season 1 a chance, because it's brilliant, and just keep going for as long as you still like it.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Criminal Justice – Adhura Sach – Came out in 2022.  Madhav Mishra is back to fight his toughest case yet nothing is simple and straightforward. Will justice win?

One of the reviews from IMD...

If it's Pankaj Tripathi I would imagine amazing acting chops, but kudos to Swastika Mukherjee, Shweta Basu (been a fan since Makdi days) and Khushboo Atre all the ladies were amazing in their roles. Aaditya Gupta delivered well in his role as an affluent teenager filled with angst and on a self destructive path.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Pankaj Tripathi and Aatam Mishra throughout the series.

Pankaj Tripathi impresses as always being the soft spoken but brilliant attorney. Swastika Mukherjee's role as a mother torn between believing the love for her son and the surmounting evidences against him was able to deliver a nuanced performance, she is versatile actress as her filmography has shown. Shweta Basu was pretty good in her role but she stood no chance against Pankaj Tripathi not because of her acting skills but because of the script. Her character arc was a bit lopsided according to me me as she came from an affluent background but chose the public prosecutors office to make a name for herself yet acted like any other non serious public servant. Her character could have been more sympathetic and hard working especially due to her choice to be a public prosecutor.

Purab Kohli and Gaurav Gera were good in their roles, but I feel the Kalyanee Mulays character could have been explored further.

Overall this is an amazing journey that would scintillate most viewers, I would recommend binge watching it as waiting for next episode becomes painful.

The show tries to give a strong message on the perils and pitfalls of social media and the effect it has on the younger populace and this effort is commendable.

This show is a treat for Pankaj Tripathi fans and another example of the power of OTT.

My Take – Worth a watch for Pankaj Tripathi!

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – Came out in 2022 and went on to become no 1 in Netflix in the week that it was released.  One of America's most notorious serial killers, largely told from the point of view of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims, and dives deeply into the police incompetence and apathy that allowed the Wisconsin native to go on a multiyear killing spree. The series dramatizes at least 10 instances where Dahmer was almost apprehended but ultimately let go. The series also is expected to touch on ,Dahmer, a cleancut, good-looking guy, was repeatedly given a free pass by cops as well as by judges who were lenient when he had been charged with petty crimes.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

This was a hard watch....for many reasons. Having been a young adult when all this happened, it....what do the kids say?...it hits different.

Well, it's the Dahmer story. So by default, it's hard and gross and scary.

The acting is top notch. Every performance...it's like you're right there in the room watching this God awful series of events unfold in real time. How the actors got through this is beyond me.

The timeline shifts can be a bit hard to follow. It's not the kind of thing you can just pause and come back to. You have to rewind or start the episode over.

Overall, arguably...this is the best Dahmer depiction. I would recommend watching "My Best Friend Dahmer" prior to watching this, as it accidentally and appropriately serves as a prequel.

Recommend for cast iron stomachs. Don't watch this if you're prone to puking.

My Take – An ok series.  Not for the faint-hearted.

Cheers till next time😊!