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- AMC
- Jan 9, 2019
- AMC
- Jan 9, 2019
Summary Charlie Manx's (Zachary Quinto) victims end up in an imaginary village where every day is Christmas and it is threatened when high school senior Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings) discovers his secret in this supernatural drama based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name.
- AMC
- Jan 9, 2019
- AMC
- Jan 9, 2019
Summary Charlie Manx's (Zachary Quinto) victims end up in an imaginary village where every day is Christmas and it is threatened when high school senior Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings) discovers his secret in this supernatural drama based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name.
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
47
22% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
44% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
47
22% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
44% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
The spooky stuff is what will sell the show, but what makes "NOS4A2" interesting is the amount of time it spends on the ordinary daily drama, which apart from Vic's family, includes a classic (though very tentative) teenage romantic triangle and social-class story lines.
The acting is solid, and that’s what grounds the show, even when it explores the supernatural and worlds of make-believe.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 User Ratings
5.4
44% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
31% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
25% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 User Ratings
5.4
44% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
31% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
25% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
I don't agree with the decision to take a single novel and adapt it into a multi-season series, and I can see why some people who didn't read the book would find this show boring. However, this is still the most underrated new show of 2019 and a good adaptation of the book.
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SEASON 1
Joe Hill's expansive horror novel might have made a better movies than a sluggish series stalled in the angst of small-town Massachusetts life. [10 - 23 Jun 2019, p.9]
Mr. Quinto is creepy from the get-go. As Manx ages backward, he remains disturbing even as he comes to resemble a contemporary Quinto. ... But all that effort does little to make “NOS4A2” compelling television. The stories are disconnected at the outset and Vic’s home life is one-note rote.
The total lack of tonal creativity amplifies what is perhaps the show’s biggest problem: a complete lack of dread. There’s nothing creepy or atmospheric about NOS4A2, a show that takes itself deadly seriously without earning it.
NOS4A2 is utterly devoid of dread or menace, and its artistry fails to compensate for its otherwise complete lack of dramatic momentum.
The series does boast a breakout performance from newcomer Ashleigh Cummings. It’s just too bad that nothing else about the show lives up to that performance. Instead, any flickering glimmer of quality gets smothered by a drab visual palette, sluggish plotting and a crushingly dour tone.
Watched three episodes of this, then decided to quit. It wasn't a quick decision. There is stuff I liked about this, but I had other shows I wanted to see and watching this felt increasingly like an obligation rather than a pastime.
The plot after a handful of episodes already feels too stretched out. This is based on a novel. The show really should've been a movie, mini-series, or at least a limited-run one season, but this seems like it's aiming for multiple seasons. It just doesn't feel like the screenwriters are able to come up with enough supplemental material to justify the runtime.
The big reason I got frustrated is the main character's personal struggles. Now there are a lot of great horror pieces that work because they incorporate a human aspect. Fear can arrive in the common problems of man. The Geri's Game movie and the show The Haunting of Hill House are strong examples. However, this has to be done correctly. The personal problems of Vic McQeen (Ashleigh Cummings), involving being poor and trying to get into college and her parent issues, feel like a middle class or upper-class trying to write about lower-class social issues. Everything feels manufactured and at times unrealistic. The bad New Englad accents of the parents don't help at all. Cummings does a good job of selling the character, but she just isn't given enough to work with.
It is disappointing that so much time is spent on the mundane world, because the spooky stuff is pretty interesting. The age-shifting/child-snatching Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto) is a pretty creepy villain. The character is unsettling in that his personality, car, and clothing feel out of time and place with everyone and everything else. He wears a 30'/40's era chauffer's outfit, and there is something just foreboding about that all black attire. Then there's his use of supernatural imagery. Manx works by manipulating children with visions and taking them to "Christmas Land." He specializes in creepy old-timey Christmas imagery and that stuff steals the show.
Though I liked the general design and the scenery, which really sells the poor areas of town, I think the cinematography and lighting could have been better. It feels low-budget and like it was made a couple of decades ago. I've seen other cable TV shows accomplish a whole lot more these days.
If this gets renewed for season 2,and I hear they turned things around, I might revisit this, because the Manx stuff has bought a little good will. As is, I just don't have the patience to prioritize this.
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SEASON 1
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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SEASON 1
I will update this IF I decide to finish the show and judge it independently as a show.
So my biggest problem is that it is SO different from the book right off the rip that I absolutely cannot bare to watch. This is my 2nd attempt and I just honestly don’t think I can do it. Vic isn’t even anything like she’s supposed to be. I feel like the ball was dropped hard here. I’ll do my best to give it a more fair shot independently as a series, but as far as book adaptations go this is the worst I’ve seen.
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SEASON 1
