X
- 2022
- TV-MA
- HULU
- 2022
- TV-MA
- HULU
Summary The limited series from Danny Boyle about the beginnings of The Sex Pistols is based on the memoir of its guitarist, Steve Jones (Toby Wallace).
Created By: Craig Pearce
- 2022
- TV-MA
- HULU
- 2022
- TV-MA
- HULU
Pistol
Season 1 Premiere: 2022
60
7.7
Summary The limited series from Danny Boyle about the beginnings of The Sex Pistols is based on the memoir of its guitarist, Steve Jones (Toby Wallace).
Created By: Craig Pearce
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 28 Critic Reviews
60
39% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
61% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 28 Critic Reviews
60
39% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
61% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
While some former band members may be unhappy with Pistol, it is likely for the better. The style and flair is still there, but there is a hidden honesty to the series that makes it worthy of viewing and one that even non-fans of the Sex Pistols could enjoy.
This is Punk Rock 101, designed to widen the audience tent to include viewers whose knowledge of the Sex Pistols is relatively limited. For all the frantic pacing and visual flourishes, for all the rebellious chaos depicted here, “Pistol” is a downright respectable telling of the tale.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 26 User Ratings
7.7
85% Positive
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
12% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
4% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 26 User Ratings
7.7
85% Positive
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
12% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
4% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Amid the chaos of the dance floor, the Sex Pistols yearn to obliterate themselves, each other and their listeners. Even if what’s around these moments doesn’t consistently work, “Pistol” nails the thrill of learning to disappear into sound.
The show’s portrayal of punk rock itself – filtered through the lens of Malcolm’s machinations and even, at times, the vanity of the kids in the band – feels more like an image than a spirit, an escape rather than a way of life. Pistol, unlike the music that inspired it, never grabs you by the throat.
But while “Pistol” amply looks and sounds the part, it struggles with the lyrics. It aims to place the band within the larger context of an economically and culturally stagnant 1970s Britain, but at heart it’s a standard behind-the-music tragedy.
Whenever Boyle manages to tamp down the faux-provocative visual put-ons and let this group work as a group, that’s when “Pistol” gets closest to capturing the energy it’s striving for. ... For most of the rest of the show, “Pistol” tries too hard to make the case for a band that never really needed any help to make an impression.
Constantly hard-cutting between judiciously chosen documentary news footage with snatches of Seventies pop-culture musical and film references and a punchily scripted melodrama presented with a luridly overloaded sense of production period detail, Boyle somehow achieves the opposite of authenticity, winding up with something comically ludicrous that keeps drawing attention to its own artifice.
Director Danny Boyle launched his distinctive visual style in 1996 with Trainspotting and he's in top form for this new series. It's based on guitarist Steve Jones' memoir "Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol" and examines the rise and fall of the notorious punk band in 70s London. The creation of the group was spawned by the raucous political climate of the period and the undeniably disruptive influence of Malcolm McLaren, who shaped their image. The performances are gritty, raw and wonderful, esp. Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the eccentric manager and Anson Boon as Johnny Rotten. Thanks to Boyle, there's an energy that fills each episode with personality clashes and riotous recreations of their songs. Boyle's hyperactive, grungy style creates beautiful dreamlike imagery in saturated colors. The excitement of the period and the band infuses every episode with unruly, unabashed punk pleasure. (Six hour-long episodes)
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This show was incredibly raw and entirely unique. Pistol was unlike anything I have seen before. You can see the amount of work that went into every perfect detail of every perfect scene. You can feel every moment as if you are right there, you can feel the passion, the trauma, the entire emotional tailspin that the band was constantly in. This is truly an incredible show and I hope that everyone sees it.
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The style, rebellion, and pure dinge of artistry that is the Sex Pistols is covered here. This was really well done, and is easily translated as an education for those who seek culture shock of the birth of one of the most inspirational punk rock bands of all time. This is filled with phenomenal portrayals, however I did become somewhat annoyed at times with the rendition of Malcolm McLaren played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster. My only criticism is it would have been nice to get more perspective from Johnny Rotten's eyes
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Production Company:
- Decibel Films
- FX Network
- FX Productions
- wiip studios
Initial Release Date: 2022
Number of seasons: 2 Seasons
Rating: TV-MA
Awards
BAFTA Awards
• 2 Nominations
Camerimage
• 1 Nomination
