SummaryThe Neil Cross adaptation of the Paul Theroux novel of the same name (which was also made into a 1986 film), follows inventor Allie Fox (Justin Theroux) as he and his family go on the run from the U.S. government to Mexico.
SummaryThe Neil Cross adaptation of the Paul Theroux novel of the same name (which was also made into a 1986 film), follows inventor Allie Fox (Justin Theroux) as he and his family go on the run from the U.S. government to Mexico.
“The Mosquito Coast” is stronger in its unpredictable plotting than its dialogue, and its momentum is remarkable. ... It feels like fans of the work of Vince Gilligan, and “Ozark” will take to this the most, although “The Mosquito Coast” is arguably stronger in its first season than that Netflix drama was in its freshman outing.
Justin Theroux stars as an idealist, inventor and very smart man who, along with his wife and 2 kids, are constantly on the run from the US government. When their latest location is revealed, they set out on a quest for safe haven in Mexico. After the first episode, which takes its time setting up the situation, the rest of the series turns into a highly-involving, peril-fraught adventure. They constantly get into **** that seemingly have no solution, but smart papa always manages to find a way. The writers played the narrative cards close, teasing around the reason for their fugitive state. Even though some of the situations strain credibility, the performances are involving (although Theroux's continual stern demeanor gets a bit tiresome) and the journey proves highly compelling. NOTE: The novel was penned by Paul Theroux, uncle of Justin. (7 one-hour episodes in Season One with 2nd season already announced)
It's got an Ozark/Breaking Bad feel I like, and thus far I like everyone in it. I'm 3 in and I'm excited to see more. Justin Theroux is perfect casting as the father.
With one harebrained and hair's-breadth escape after another, Mosquito Coast is suspenseful but nonsensical. ... Still Theroux is convincing and compelling. [26 Apr - 9 May 2021, p.6]
This is a series that’s always tantalizing viewers with glimpses of profundity—in its political commentary, its plot complexity, its character development. But only in Theroux’s performance does The Mosquito Coast transcend the superficial.
The problem when writers don’t really know where to take a season is that it leads to shallow, self-serious dialogue. There are so many serious conversations this season that go absolutely nowhere. It just lacks the urgency of the first season, and the slower pace means there’s time to realize how thin these characters are. It feels at times like the writers have no idea what to do with them.
The lack of real, destructive danger for this dual expedition and chase isn’t just a tedious factor about the show—it’s plainly uninvolving, like watching an invincible superhero prevail without the viewer knowing their true weakness. In its place, “The Mosquito Coast” constantly teases a mystery about what father and mother did in the past, but that also becomes tedious, a dangling carrot to get the story from one overlong episode to the next.
I found the series to be somewhat unmoored, lacking the subtexts of the original source material. Here it’s all about the violence, “MacGyver” ish escapes. It’s also jumpy and disjointed.
Ep 1: Cinematography is as slick as anything coming your way. Theroux basically continues his "The Leftover" role, aka "I'm a hot American dude lost in a Kafkaian novel". And that is fine. It's nonsensical but pretty. Better than serious and dull, don't you think? Is it why so-called professionnal critics have a problem with it? Do they always need to be handed a cliche ridden plot like one of those sanctiminious pseudo-realistic HBO shows preaching about the "societal problems"? Or in other words, if it's not clearly pushing a "woke" agenda/doesn't have "diversity" actors, do they vote it down...just in case some shriller guy complains there is no one-eyed black transsexual in the show?
8/5. Excellent first season. A gripping and suspenseful mystery. The second is much worse. A slower action, a boring story with threads added forcibly.
Series / Season 1 of The Mosquito Coast has terrific leads in Justin Theroux and Melissa George. Melissa's character Margot Fox needs to have her role stronger in Season 2 and get off the often-used episodic TV chase - aka Bad Robot tool. Season 1 focuses on Justin Theroux's Allie Fox, and it does play into a narcissism he might have, at least he seems narcissistic. This could be a plot twist. The characters are bland - I didn't passionately care about any of them. I binged it because I watched everything else on Apple TV+ and this was the last unwatched show. It wasn't a must-see Apple TV+. Compare The Mosquito Coast to Weeds on HBO - from Episode 3 we cared about Mary Louise Parker's Nancy Botwin, the kids, and Hunter Parish's Silas Botwin. Then we cared about Guillermo Diaz's Guillermo. And, he was a bad guy. Let's also compare The Mosquito Coast to Apple TV+ Invasion. Episode 1 was powerfully engaging.
First season was entertaining. The second season was an absolute time ****. I wish I could get that time back. I kept thinking its ok, it's going to get better. NOPE. WTF Horrible writing and directing