- Network: BBC Two , Prime Video
- Series Premiere Date: Nov 11, 2022
Critic Reviews
- Critic score
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- By date
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Exceedingly grim and often very twisted Western fable. [21 Nov - 4 Dec 2022, p.5]
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I can see that there are many things to admire about The English. The cinematography, for instance; the sparky, economical use of dialogue; the stillness of Emily Blunt’s acting. But I can’t seem to take to it.
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There are hints of an in-depth, poignant tale hidden within The English, as Eli and Cornelia struggle with retaining parts of their identities after experiencing tragedy. But the show so explicitly wants to establish its Western atmosphere that the plot becomes an afterthought.
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For as much promise as “The English” has, and the consistently beautiful — if strangely pristine, given the brutality constantly at hand — Western landscapes bookending every scene, “frustrating” ends up the word most fitting to describe the series at large.
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The series features gorgeous cloud-specked skies and sweeping horizons in what feels like an homage to John Ford westerns. But most of those elements (including the aforementioned dialogue) feel assembled in such a self-conscious and heavy handed way as to blunt the tribute, making it difficult to discern for whom this exercise is intended, other than creating a TV vehicle to bring Blunt’s marquee name to Amazon’s content-hungry shelves.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 17 out of 28
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Mixed: 5 out of 28
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Negative: 6 out of 28
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Nov 12, 2022Compelling, with great acting. Beautifully shot, tough in its writing as it tackles tough issues that remain socially significant to this day.
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Nov 14, 2022Emily blunt is absolutely amazing as always, she is MOTHERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!
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Nov 14, 2022This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.