Sharp Objects

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 8, 2018
User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 227 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 157 out of 227
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 227
  3. Negative: 45 out of 227
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User Reviews

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  1. Edjackson
    Sep 8, 2018
    10
    Unique sense of style, superb acting and interesting plot. This makes as one of the biggest surprise this year, and certainly the biggest thing in TV.
  2. vgmkyle
    Aug 27, 2018
    10
    I went into watching this show with the expectation that it would continue on HBO. Wasn't sure about it at first, but it ended up being a great mini-series with very disturbing characters. The show develops quickly over 8 episodes but I liked the pace and delivery.
  3. nokyam1
    Aug 24, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A série é maravilhosa, a ambientação é incrivel e o clima criado nao deixa a desejar, sem falar da atuação de Amy Adams, que é incrivelmente maravilhosa, é uma ótima adaptação e não decepciona os fãs que já leram o livro.… Expand
  4. Yurchik
    Aug 26, 2018
    10
    Very good show. For the last year, he's probably the best I've seen! Really!
  5. Ciprian1997
    Jul 9, 2018
    10
    Promising story! The atmosphere is great and i love the relation between characters. Pretty good so far, I'll wait to see where is going this series.
  6. nicolalola
    Jul 23, 2018
    10
    Very well written. The show has been keeping me hooked since Episode 1. I cannot wait for next week. Excellent show.
  7. carito3663
    Sep 19, 2018
    10
    This mini HBO series is a perfect thriller in which you can see a complicated situation between Camille and Adora, Sharp objects travels through the reasons for their intricate relationship and the effects that this has had for Camille. This series generates a great interest because nothing is predictable and when it seems that it is, you need to pay attention. I recommend watching and enjoy it
  8. Staffa
    Feb 6, 2019
    10
    This grade does not reflect how perfectly done this TV show was. Storyline, performances, direction, soundtrack, photography, everything is so perfectly adjusted. Thanks Jean Marc for letting us mortals watch this before dying. What a genius!
  9. eagleeyeviking
    Sep 2, 2019
    9
    Capturing not only the source material's tone and mood, but also delivering its dark themes effectively, HBO's "Sharp Objects" is a masterful murder mystery with sharp writing, acting, and direction.
  10. GrantD243
    Oct 4, 2018
    9
    Sharp Objects is based on Gillian Flynn's debut novel and follows Camille Preaker, who is a journalist that heads back to her hometown to cover a murder case. This is the definition of a slow burn TV show, and because of that this show is not for everyone. Some people will find it extremely boring, and some people will think a lot of the episodes are filler and not entirely focused on theSharp Objects is based on Gillian Flynn's debut novel and follows Camille Preaker, who is a journalist that heads back to her hometown to cover a murder case. This is the definition of a slow burn TV show, and because of that this show is not for everyone. Some people will find it extremely boring, and some people will think a lot of the episodes are filler and not entirely focused on the actual "story", which is the murder case. However, I believe this is a masterful use of the slow burn style of story telling. The murder case is more of a backdrop. It is present in every episode and ultimately it is what keeps the story moving forward, but the main focus here is on Camille, the screwed up town that she grew up in, and the terrible people that live there. A lot of people may also find the random flash back cuts a bit jarring, as they are often without audio and only last a few seconds. I loved the editing style of this show, and found the flash back cuts to be a great story telling device. It gives us a little bit of background info every episode without having to have an entire flash back sequence. Now, the biggest question about a slow burn show is whether or not it paid off, and I think it did. The twist at the end, while not entirely unpredictable, is very satisfying and I think is the perfect end to the show. This is quite possibly one of HBO's best since the first season of True Detective, but Sharp Objects won't appeal to as many people. I'd recommend at least watching a couple of episodes to see if this one is for you.… Expand
  11. JavierHenriquez
    Aug 14, 2018
    9
    Excellent, Amy Adams in her best character. It shows a tough theme, which many people live, depression, and the lack of confidence generated by a childhood suffered.
  12. geewah
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    One of 2018's best shows.
    A slow burn thriller on the return of a journalist to her home town, that opens scars for her and the locals.
  13. bulger_paul
    Aug 15, 2018
    8
    I feel premature reviewing Sharp Objects, since all of the episodes aren't out yet, but the slow burning details gradually implied through Wind Gap's gossipy characters have kept me hooked, as has Amy Adams, who's just good in literally everything she's in.

    I'll come back and say more when the series is over.
  14. Takox
    Oct 5, 2018
    8
    One of the best series of this year. Amy Adams acting is perfect, probably the best portrait of a mental disease I've ever seen, and her character development was well executed. Adora and Amma characters made me feel so many different things, specially in the last episodes... I love that almost all the narrative lays on women. The photography and art direction are terrific too!
  15. prms
    Jul 31, 2018
    8
    i've watched three episodes so far. I think there's genius here in the storytelling. Initially the flashbacks and the too close for comfort camera-work and fragmentary, momentary shots might be annoying or seemingly pointless, but i think they are very intentional and constructive: taking us deeper into the main character's experiences. It also seems to be going pretty deep into identityi've watched three episodes so far. I think there's genius here in the storytelling. Initially the flashbacks and the too close for comfort camera-work and fragmentary, momentary shots might be annoying or seemingly pointless, but i think they are very intentional and constructive: taking us deeper into the main character's experiences. It also seems to be going pretty deep into identity issues and how sexual expression are so vexed for teenage girls especially.… Expand
  16. amheretojudge
    Aug 28, 2018
    8
    mocks over misogyny..

    Sharp Objects Sharp Objects is a character driven miniseries created by Marti Noxon that depicts an emotionally challenged reporter whose current project or case has got her into revisiting her hometown and past that eventually spirals out series of dreadful events. It is rich on technical aspects like stunning background score, metaphorical cinematography,    mocks over misogyny..

    Sharp Objects

    Sharp Objects is a character driven miniseries created by Marti Noxon that depicts an emotionally challenged reporter whose current project or case has got her into revisiting her hometown and past that eventually spirals out series of dreadful events.

    It is rich on technical aspects like stunning background score, metaphorical cinematography, fine art designing and perfect editing. The camera work is something to look forward to as it is shot beautifully with amazing visuals that seeks viewers' attention through it.

    The three dimensional characters, eerie resonance with practicality and its tendency to go mild with a shock-and-awe policy are the high points of the series. It's finely detailed script and awareness of the surrounding offered to the characters which the makers uses it wisely, helps a lot for it to convey the message.

    As much as complex and mysterious the relationship is between the mother and the daughter, the chemistry that stands out is between Adams and Curry and the primary reason to that would be its fragility and the perspective that it depicts it with (all the conversation on the phone are beautifully written).

    The adaptation by Gillian Flynn; who also wrote the original novel, is smart and explicit if not gripping and the primary reason it keeps the audience tangled in its web is the awareness of the characteristics of the characters and the palpable tone offered to it.

    Jean-Marc Vallee; the director, is bang on his bucks on executing such a dark and fragile concept where he visits place with bold approach and unflinching argumentative revelations. The performance is utterly dependent on its protagonist Amy Adams that delivers the expected stellar performance and is supported decently by Patricia Clarkson and Chris Messina.

    Sharp Objects eradicates one's usual judgements and mocks over misogyny on such large scale that the audience writhes on the seat in an awe of its excellence.    … Expand
  17. JDDallas1
    Aug 28, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. PISSED! WTF did you have the TRUE STORY buried AFTER the EFFIN credits!!! YOU ARE NOT MARVEL! DON'T DISRESPECT YOUR FANS WHO'VE INVESTED 8 (SLOW) HOURS IN YOUR SHOW..GIVE THEM THE TWIST AT THE END AND THEN IMMEDIATELY ROLL CREDITS!!! I turned it off thinkin that was TRULY "The End" only to be told NO! there was more! AM I alone here?

    Other than that..Good show..kinda slow..but good..hard to follow..casting was totally wrong. Just how the F old was Adora..and how could she have such a young child..woman looked like she was 70. Also -even though beautiful-Amy Adams trying to acting like she was late 20s when she's 43. I kept thinking somehow we were gonna find out this was all a flashback. Altho casting Samantha Lillis (girl from IT) as young Amy Adams..jeez..she could be her daughter..good job there. Also, Amy Adams sleeping with 18 yr old..Jeez try this today if you're man..the "Me Too" Army was rise up in a heartbeat..any sympathy you may have had if the "hero" were a man and done this would have immediately evaporated.    … Expand
  18. ahmedaiman9999
    Aug 28, 2018
    8
    A masterfully shot, directed, edited, written, acted slow-burn show that makes your skin crawl with its Gothic atmosphere, anchored by a hypnotizing soundtrack and cinematography, and well-designed grim setting thanks to Jean-Marc Vallée's unequaled direction. Sharp Object also has a superb cast led by Amy Adams who proves that she's one of, if not the best actress of our generation.

    (8.5/10)
  19. Astoria21
    Sep 17, 2018
    8
    Vida y misterios de la dama de blanco

    Decía J. R. R. Tolkien que no todos los que deambulan están perdidos. Esa podría ser una incógnita, otra más, en el universo creado por Gillian Flynn en su novela Heridas abiertas, convertida en una serie de ocho episodios para HBO dirigida por el talentoso Jean-Marc Vallée. Hay lugares donde uno se queda, y lugares que quedan en uno. Win Gap    Vida y misterios de la dama de blanco

    Decía J. R. R. Tolkien que no todos los que deambulan están perdidos. Esa podría ser una incógnita, otra más, en el universo creado por Gillian Flynn en su novela Heridas abiertas, convertida en una serie de ocho episodios para HBO dirigida por el talentoso Jean-Marc Vallée.

    Hay lugares donde uno se queda, y lugares que quedan en uno. Win Gap está ubicado en el condado de Northampton, en el estado de Pensilvania. Uno de esos pueblos que se parecen a todos los demás, pero que en realidad no tiene nada que ver con ningún otro sitio. Camile Preaker (Amy Adams) trabaja como periodista en la ciudad hasta que es enviada a Win Gap, su pueblo natal, donde se han cometido varios asesinatos de niñas. Poco va a tardar en rememorar los motivos por los que se fue. Bocanada a bocanada, Camile volverá a respirar este aire de calma tensa en una atmósfera casi irrespirable durante la narración de estos ocho episodios, salpicados de un ritmo lento pero capaz de inseminar en el espectador la sensación de que algo extraordinario va a suceder en cualquier momento.

    Heridas abiertas trata sobre el fracaso de la naturaleza en todos sus ámbitos. Flores incapaces de crecer estando rodeadas de agua, animales sin la capacidad suficiente para efectuar la metamorfosis, paisajes urbanos llenos de soledad, una comunidad que se odia y se nutre de los secretos de los demás, el fomento constante de una cultura y forma de vida decadente, sin futuro, ligada a un pasado manchado de sangre y la incapacidad de leer en la piel de los demás lo que les ocurre. La serie de HBO es un whodunit en el que ni siquiera su secreto puede solventar la lucha del bien contra el mal. En este pueblo de Pensilvania, las damas de blanco son ángeles feroces con sed de destrucción, mientras que los seres nocturnos y oscuros, arrinconados por el fracaso social, acaban siendo los testigos más fiables en un pueblo donde nadie aprecia tanto la vida como quienes la perdieron.

    La memoria es el instrumento con el que los demás nos construyen. Esa acaba siendo la lucha de Camile en la serie, hasta que su personaje finalmente se da cuenta de que bajo la superficie de lo sucedido, incluso en las formas elegantes y tiempos reflexivos que posee la historia, sigue yaciendo una germinal locura , un **** feroz que consigue resistir y abrirse paso hasta un terrorífico tramo final. La insana denuncia de Heridas abiertas es la incapacidad del ser humano para resolver todos los estropicios del paso del tiempo, causante de heridas imposibles de cicatrizar, aunque se creen lugares donde niñas en patines deambulen junto a sus amigas a altas horas de la noche sin temor a que les pase nada. Qué razón tenía Tolkien.    … Expand
  20. All_ButTrU4
    May 12, 2022
    8
    The best thing about this southern Gothic mystery is it's tension,a taunt drama that simmers to an understated plot twist you definitely won't see coming. Just as good as the source material with an even better soundtrack
  21. Vancomycin
    Jul 23, 2018
    7
    Too many flashbacks suppress the pacing of the series giving each episode more of a plodding feeling than is necessary, but Amy Adams does a typically flawless job carrying each scene and pushing this gritty drama forward.
  22. ugurr
    Aug 8, 2018
    7
    a good summer series. one to one for kill time.Amy elegant.no jobs in other actors.
  23. JLuis_001
    Sep 15, 2018
    7
    It took me a while to finish it because frankly I had lost some interest. It did not close as strong as I expected, besides that I'm no longer comfortable with Jean-Marc Vallée's style because in my opinion he has has become very repetitive. He abuses a lot of the flashbacks in all his films, even in the recent Big Little Lies and also in this one and he directs them and structures them inIt took me a while to finish it because frankly I had lost some interest. It did not close as strong as I expected, besides that I'm no longer comfortable with Jean-Marc Vallée's style because in my opinion he has has become very repetitive. He abuses a lot of the flashbacks in all his films, even in the recent Big Little Lies and also in this one and he directs them and structures them in the same way. Seriously, just watch them and you'll see.

    It deserves more attention because the story is pretty good and Amy Adams once again delivers another solid performance to her impressive filmography but it didn't really impressed me.    … Expand
  24. Xan_Ryil
    Aug 29, 2018
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No matter how many series they built on the premise “Someone whose recovering from something has to return to home town after homicide” it still is interesting. “The Killing”, “Broad Church” and now “Sharp Objects” but the superiority of the later lies in it power lead which is “Amy Adams”.
    Amy has shown a variety of characters ranging from sweet Enchanted princess to strong linguistic teacher. But her role in Shape Objects is somehow very different than anything she has ever played. Aided by nonlinear story telling method which is flooded with flashbacks, very slowly and gradually we get a peek into the mind of “Camile”.
    As compared to his peers, director did not tend to end each episode at a cliffhanger rather let it go as a whole movie is divided into eight parts. With each episode, there is more focus on Camile getting adjusted into the town and how she deals with the ghosts of her past. Her job to cover for the murders becomes a sub plot in fact. But that brings us closer to her character.
    Now, there story becomes very slow and confusing. There is strong vibe who might have done what yet it keeps going. And show gives a final showdown at episode 7, after which last episode was just an excuse to make an episode. Experiments are always welcomes but not always they provide the required results.
    Show is great in each technical department especially performances, editing, cinematography and sound mixing it’s just it’s writing could be little more engaging.    … Expand
  25. WhiskeyStories
    Nov 27, 2018
    6
    The cast is great all around, it has a wonderful production, beautiful cinematography and themes that are rarely explored, but it's sooo unnecessarily SLOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW. Shapr Objects would have been a pretty great 2-3 parter, but 8 one hour long episodes is just crazy.
  26. wantedtolikebut
    Aug 14, 2018
    6
    I wanted this to be a shocking, dark thriller. I was looking forward to that. But, right from the start, it's so humorless, at least what I've seen so far. I keep trying to watch and then turning the show off. There's nothing especially original here. A ton of cliches. Yes, Amy Adams is good, but the character she's playing is so dour, so difficult to root for and so distinctlyI wanted this to be a shocking, dark thriller. I was looking forward to that. But, right from the start, it's so humorless, at least what I've seen so far. I keep trying to watch and then turning the show off. There's nothing especially original here. A ton of cliches. Yes, Amy Adams is good, but the character she's playing is so dour, so difficult to root for and so distinctly unentertaining. She's a difficult stranger plodding through life. It's a slog. Maybe it'll get better in the 2nd season? We'll see. Note: that's about as drab a show open as I've ever seen. anemic music. Aimless montage. Misses the southern gothic vibe completely, IMHO.… Expand
  27. AliceofX
    Jun 15, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm glad I had read the book before seeing this otherwise I would have been completely confused. It never explained Amma's motives, how a bunch of teenagers were able to commit two murders that left the cops baffled, how did she pull all those teeth out? So many things are left unanswered.… Expand
  28. Tony1984
    Jul 17, 2018
    5
    Clichés everywhere you look. In practically every single aspect with few exceptions. The flashbacks, the slow pace, the unspoken dirty small town secret, the ambitious FBI agent, alcohol, smoking, dysfunctional family, sex abuse. That said the actors are very good. All of them. It will all hang on the finale. If (as I fear) it's the obvious well trodden conclusion then this will beClichés everywhere you look. In practically every single aspect with few exceptions. The flashbacks, the slow pace, the unspoken dirty small town secret, the ambitious FBI agent, alcohol, smoking, dysfunctional family, sex abuse. That said the actors are very good. All of them. It will all hang on the finale. If (as I fear) it's the obvious well trodden conclusion then this will be forgettable...but if they venture off the reservation, who knows, this might be an award winner..??… Expand
  29. Bertaut1
    Nov 13, 2020
    5
    Thematically interesting and brilliantly acted, but painfully slow and far too long

    Although Sharp Objects has been advertised as a murder-mystery, it's really interested not in who's behind a pair of murders in a Missouri town, but in how those murders affect a trio of women caught up in the investigation. Feminine in design rather than feminist, the show is a portrait of tainted    Thematically interesting and brilliantly acted, but painfully slow and far too long

    Although Sharp Objects has been advertised as a murder-mystery, it's really interested not in who's behind a pair of murders in a Missouri town, but in how those murders affect a trio of women caught up in the investigation. Feminine in design rather than feminist, the show is a portrait of tainted motherhood and corrupted sisterhood, and focuses on internecine inter-generational conflict, matrilineal dysfunction, and the difficulty of escaping past trauma. But whilst the acting is exceptional, and the show is well edited, it left me unengaged, uninterested, and bored.

    Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) is a barely-functioning alcoholic who works as a reporter in St. Louis, and who is sent to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri to report on the murder of two young girls. Her mother, Adora (Patricia Clarkson), looks down on her with barely-concealed disappointment, and Camille is especially haunted by the memory of her younger sister Marian, who died when they were children. In the years since, Adora re-married and had another child, Amma (Eliza Scanlen), who fascinates Camille with her dual personality – dutiful daughter who plays with a doll's house, and roller-blading lollypop sucking teenage temptress.

    Based on the 2006 Gillian Flynn novel, Sharp Objects was written primarily by showrunner Marti Noxon and Flynn herself, and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, who was also lead editor. This is important insofar as the editing is the show's calling card, attempting to draw us into Camille's psyche via fleeting snippets of childhood memories. So, for example, adult Camille lies in bed and stares at a crack on the ceiling and when we cut back to the bed, she's a child looking at that same crack; adult Camille is shown opening a door, and child Camille enters a room. This inculcates us into Camille's mind, also hinting at her trauma, without ever being too revealing. Vallée overuses the technique, neutering it of its potency, but that notwithstanding, it's a good example of "show, don't tell", and of content generating form and form giving rise to content; the memories are tied to Camille's fragmented psychology, with the brief cuts acting like splinters in her mind.

    Thematically, the show focuses on female experience, specifically motherhood/daughterhood. Adora is a woefully bad mother who made little secret of the fact that she preferred Marian to Camille, telling her, "you can't get close. That's your father. And it's why I think I never loved you. You were born to it, that cold nature". Later she admits that what she wanted from Camille was the one thing Camille couldn't give – she wanted Camille to need her. The show also deals with how women respond to familial trauma, arguing that the pain experienced by abused women is just as valid as that experienced by abused men, the manifestations of trauma just as catastrophic, and the anger engendered just as self-destructive. We're used to seeing stories focused on damaged, hard-drinking male characters with dark backgrounds, but Sharp Objects is about the female equivalent. Indeed, in Wind Gap women are locked into the virgin/slut binary; it's a place where a woman's worth correlates with her femininity, her maternal instincts, and her acceptance of her place in androcentric societal structures.

    However, I just couldn't get into it. The biggest problem is the pace. I understand it's a character drama, not a plot-heavy murder-mystery, but as episode after episode ended flatly, I just stopped caring. Almost nothing happens. And that's not hyperbole, I mean it literally. Tied to this is that the show is far, far too long. The novel is 254 pages, but the show runs 385 minutes, with the characters not interesting enough to take up the slack. Elsewhere, the flashback editing is used so often that it loses its potency and starts to feel like Vallée is using it arbitrarily rather than in the service of character. Additionally, the show abounds in clichés – the alcoholic hard-as-nails journalist, the incompetent local police, the out of town detective to whom nobody listens, the gossiping women. Vallée also has a tendency to overuse certain images, thus robbing them of their effectiveness – Amma and her friends roller-blading around town, Amma playing silently with her dollhouse, shots of Camille filling a water bottle with vodka.

    There's a lot to admire in Sharp Objects, but precious little to like. Not exactly a work of post-#MeToo fempowerment, it certainly has a female-centric perspective, and its examination of issues usually associated with men is interesting. The performances are top-notch and the editing is decent if overused, but the show did little for me. I understand it's designed holistically rather than cumulatively, and I have no problem with that. But the pace is enervating and the characters just aren't interesting enough to fill the runtime.    … Expand
  30. Slackerking
    Sep 12, 2018
    4
    Incredible book. Incredible bore of a tv show. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
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Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best TV Season of 2018
21
#21 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
18
#18 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Dec 14, 2018
    100
    Graced with some of the best performances Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson have ever given, directed with sure-handed and sometimes flamboyant style by Jean-Marc Vallee and dripping with honey-coated but often barbed dialogue, “Sharp Objects” is flat-out great television.
    Read full review
  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Kaitlin Thomas
    Aug 17, 2018
    85
    With many men and women working hard to give off the appearance of a perfect existence while others still close their doors and turn a blind eye to the darkness that clings to the corners of Wind Gap, trauma and abuse have been allowed to continue in a cyclical pattern for years. It's unclear through seven episodes how and if that will ever change for the people of Wind Gap as a community, but perhaps by the end of the series Camille will at least have found the answers — and the strength — she needs to be able to finally put the horrors of her own life behind her.
    Read full review
  3. Sioux City Journal
    Reviewed by: Bruce Miller
    Jul 30, 2018
    70
    The eight-episode series stretches its mystery to nearly unbearable lengths. ... It’s not as dense as Vallee’s “Big Little Lies,” but it does give its female cast meaty roles to savor. Clarkson gets the biggest slab, but Adams, Perkins, Scanlen and Lillis make the most of theirs. For them, it’s an acting banquet. Cut thinner, it might have been prime time prime.
    Read full review
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