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- 2019
- TV-14
- AMC
- 2019
- TV-14
- AMC
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.
- 2019
- TV-14
- AMC
- 2019
- TV-14
- AMC
NOS4A2
Season 1 Premiere: Jan 9, 2019
47
5.3
Where to Watch
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.
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
47
20% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
50% Negative
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
47
20% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
50% Negative
5 Reviews
5 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.
NOS4A2 will put you on a magical road, brimming with possibilities for terror and wonder, but takes so many detours into dull territory, you’re left with the impression you’re going nowhere at all. But if it ever figures out where it’s going, there’s plenty of gas left in the tank.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 42 User Ratings
5.3
43% Positive
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
26% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
31% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 42 User Ratings
5.3
43% Positive
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
26% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
31% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
The show manages to lure in the viewer with a slow burning plot that is gripping and mesmerizing. The family drama feels very realistic and adds dimension to the horror plot. It leaves you wanting to know more but also afraid of the dark. Can't wait for more episodes! Acting is world class as well.
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As a fan of the book I very much enjoyed the first season. Sure it doesn’t follow the book word for word, but all the subtle details sprinkled into the show that you didn’t expect to make it really help bring it home. Zachary Quinto also does an amazing job at playing Charlie Manx. There were moments I expected to see him get mad or thought he would react another way, but he did an amazing job of keeping his cool under pressure, especially when you thought he’d be furious. I’m excited to see how they adapt the second season and hope for more. I feel as an adaptation, it’s not bad.
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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]
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.
Through its first six episodes, NOS4A2 is a shockingly unscary horror drama prone to ill-considered detours and over-explained supernatural machinations, while wallowing in entirely too many blue-collar cliches and variable Massachusetts accents. A solid cast, some showy makeup and the occasional inspired bit of imagery all get the life sucked right out of them, the only way that the show's clunky pun of a title is at all worthwhile.
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.
This season seems concerned with focusing on the conflict between Vic and Manx, but the meandering and crude way in which it tells this story couldn’t be more off-putting if you tried to write it yourself. Unless you are a die-hard NOS4A2 fan who has been clamoring for more of the Vic vs. Manx showdown, I would strongly advise you to spend your time watching literally anything else.
I was kind of on the fence about watching this. And after starting I wasn't very impressed. But about a third of the way through it grabbed hold of me and I was hooked. Its really such a unique and creepy concept as kids are being taken from their homes and in some cases their parents murdered. We than meet a young woman Vic McQueen played by Ashleigh Cummings of Hounds of Love. She has an awful home life and with the help of a young charasmatic psychic named Maggie Leigh played by an impressive Jakhara Smith (Pilgrim) she discovers she has certain gifts. Anytime she wants to find something she can go to her very own psychedelic bridge and it will take her there. I know it all sounds a bit goofy but they pull it off very well. Unfortunately a supposed man named Charlie Manx played by a maniacal Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) is hunting those with gifts to feed his own hunger. I won't say anymore because I don't want to ruin anything but it's surprisingly great, disturbing, creative and quite unique.
4.25/5
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I enjoyed this show. It got off to a slow start but Zachary Quinto's creepy character, Charlie Manx, had me hooked straight away. All the Manx scenes were awesome. Never thought old people could be so intimidating. I knew nothing about the show going in but I'm hoping for a second season.
The show could use a little less family drama and focus on way more interesting the battle between Vic and Manx. I'd recommend seeing the series through to the end. You won't be disappointed.
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The plot is very much a slow-burn and takes a while to get into but a few episodes in, I was hooked and couldn't wait to see how it played out. Vic and the fractured relationship with her parents is a highlight for me. Quinto as Manx really tops off the show and the rest of the cast does a good job as well.
My two major critiques - The first being that the show doesn't really set up a long term story. This is the kind of series I fully expect to end within 4-5 seasons (if not earlier), which I am totally fine with but I think they could have done a better job at planning it out. The second being that the pacing isn't always the best. Kind of reminds me of Walking Dead in a way because at times there is a bit too much filler than there needs to be. Thankfully, These are fixable issues that would greatly improve the show.
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Cool concept but with a poorly tied together storyline in so many places and with predictable and downright awful acting in so many other parts...I feel this was a big waste of time.
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Production Company:
- American Movie Classics (AMC)
- O'Brien Construction
- Tornante Company
- AMC Studios
Initial Release Date: Jan 9, 2019
Number of seasons: 2 Seasons
Rating: TV-14
Awards
Women's Image Network Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
ReFrame
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Nomination
