Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 360 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 53 out of 360
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User Reviews

  1. Nov 22, 2015
    10
    For those who don't know: The show is based on a Phillip K. Dick novel exploring the alternate reality in which the Japanese and Germans won World War II. It's more addictive than House of Cards and has a lot more legroom to explore than David Fincher's fantastic work.

    The acting and the directing stand out in this show. It's filled with several homages to David Lynch and Ingmar
    For those who don't know: The show is based on a Phillip K. Dick novel exploring the alternate reality in which the Japanese and Germans won World War II. It's more addictive than House of Cards and has a lot more legroom to explore than David Fincher's fantastic work.

    The acting and the directing stand out in this show. It's filled with several homages to David Lynch and Ingmar Bergman with a powerful accented cinematographic style. Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist) plays a masterful antagonist that no doubt will receive some emmy nominations.

    My only gripe with this show (after seeing all of the episodes) is that I wish they spoke in their proper languages (German and Japanese) over English everywhere. I understand that languages other than english have a potential to alienate US audiences, but I think this ruined the immersion a bit. Narcos was mostly in Spanish and (from what I know) has done quite well. Language is powerful in building impactful characters. Just the use of it can change the tone of the show.

    Overall, I'd heavily recommend this show. Ignore the haters below. They're nothing more than pseudo-intellectuals who are pining over incredibly insignificant details. One guy even complained that the use of currencies with no cents ruined the immersion for him. Another is complaining that they didn't get a large scale occupation 'right' because many of the main characters seemed indoctrinated (and he argues 15 years isn't enough). Most of the main characters are under 30, and as such would have spent most of their adult lives in occupation.
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  2. Dec 13, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very enjoyable first ten episodes. The series has already gone beyond the rather slim volume penned by Philip K. Dick, but we still don't have a clear idea of how the films are produced, why there are multiple realities or why some people can seemingly move back and forth between them. Presumably that will be for season two to sort out. The CGI world-building is excellent, and the main characters are well acted. This version of the "Man in the High Castle" reminds me a lot of the South African series "Charlie Jade," but the possibilities in this series are far greater, since the source material (Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and Occupied America) is much richer. I'm also waiting to get a look at those interplanetary colonies that the Germans have supposedly established. If memory serves, Philip K. Dick posited a Nazi colony on Venus, but that was before we knew that the temperature there exceeded 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Oh, well. Even the Greats of science fiction can't get it right all of the time. Expand
  3. Apr 10, 2017
    10
    Absolutely fantastic show, watched season 1 and 2..and waiting for 3. This is a must see for anyone who is interested in the what if's of history, a touch of sci-fi, and a seemingly fair interpretation of what it would be like if the nazis and the japanese empire came out on top in WW3. Characters and acting is fantastic, the pace of the story is slow enough to give depth to theAbsolutely fantastic show, watched season 1 and 2..and waiting for 3. This is a must see for anyone who is interested in the what if's of history, a touch of sci-fi, and a seemingly fair interpretation of what it would be like if the nazis and the japanese empire came out on top in WW3. Characters and acting is fantastic, the pace of the story is slow enough to give depth to the characters, but fast enough to keep plot interest. Expand
  4. Oct 22, 2018
    3
    The concept was awesome but the budget was minimal I'm assuming. Midway into the second season and all we've seen of this feared "resistance" is a handful of characters. It's not very believable! A lot of realities have been ignored here which makes the show somewhat disregard the realities and invalidates the whole possible outcome of the second world war and the occupation of America.The concept was awesome but the budget was minimal I'm assuming. Midway into the second season and all we've seen of this feared "resistance" is a handful of characters. It's not very believable! A lot of realities have been ignored here which makes the show somewhat disregard the realities and invalidates the whole possible outcome of the second world war and the occupation of America. The idea was awesome, execution not so much. But this is America, try to make a show too intelligent and you'll be cancelled after one season, keep that in mind! Expand
  5. Dec 3, 2015
    10
    I was hooked with this show within 10 minutes of the first episode, so much that I've binged watched the whole season and can't wait and hope that there will be a second one. Definitely the best show of the fall!
  6. Jan 26, 2016
    10
    I don't get the bad reviews, they state a lot of irrelevant things that don't actually pertain to the show. This show had me interested start to finish. Can't say enough good things about the show.
  7. Dec 11, 2015
    5
    The tone is too somber, starting with the music of the opening credits. Through 10 episodes, I already feel like wheels are turning, but nothing is happening. Rufus Sewell is excellent as the Nazi commander, better than you might think. He was cast perfectly because he has that hard, unforgiving look, but he also plays some scenes with surprising tenderness. I wish there was more BurnThe tone is too somber, starting with the music of the opening credits. Through 10 episodes, I already feel like wheels are turning, but nothing is happening. Rufus Sewell is excellent as the Nazi commander, better than you might think. He was cast perfectly because he has that hard, unforgiving look, but he also plays some scenes with surprising tenderness. I wish there was more Burn Gorman as the Marshall. That character is the best part, but even those scenes seem to move slow. I like shows with political intrigue, Battlestar Galactica for example. But I like when the intrigue is metaphorical of real-life current events. Maybe I'm too dense, but I don't see that here. I suppose I'll keep watching when they continue the series. I'm convinced that there will be some magical, sci-fi/fantasy, parallel universe reveal that makes the whole story pay off. I just don't know how long I want to wait for it, and I'm sure I'll be disappointed. Expand
  8. Jun 13, 2016
    2
    Every aspect of the show--from the music, to the soft, fuzzy look, to the slow dialog, to the pacing--seems calculated to put you to sleep. I have to constantly remind myself that everything is NOT supposed to be a dream sequence, because that's the visual language they're using for every scene. And this is coming from someone who loves other slow burn shows like Hannibal. The acting isEvery aspect of the show--from the music, to the soft, fuzzy look, to the slow dialog, to the pacing--seems calculated to put you to sleep. I have to constantly remind myself that everything is NOT supposed to be a dream sequence, because that's the visual language they're using for every scene. And this is coming from someone who loves other slow burn shows like Hannibal. The acting is good, Rufus Sewell is great, but they somehow managed to transform this compelling concept, skilled actors, and great production value into an incredibly boring product. Expand
  9. Dec 19, 2015
    7
    Even though I agree with some of the negative reviews and found it torturous and a grind to watch; somehow, in the end I found it appealing and mesmerizing in a strange way. It just gives you a vision of what it would be like to live in a Fascist state. The way it captures America as a Japanese and Nazi state is done very well. The acting and costumes are very well done. It just has thisEven though I agree with some of the negative reviews and found it torturous and a grind to watch; somehow, in the end I found it appealing and mesmerizing in a strange way. It just gives you a vision of what it would be like to live in a Fascist state. The way it captures America as a Japanese and Nazi state is done very well. The acting and costumes are very well done. It just has this slow depressing melancholy pace that makes it rough to get through. But then, on the other hand, the whole idea is very depressing. So yes, I will watch more series just to see how it develops. It just might not be a show for everyone. Expand
  10. Mar 28, 2019
    0
    Bien que le livre qui ait inspiré cette série soit moyen (et pas forcément très inspiré, hélas) il dépeint avec une précision glaçante ce monde alternatif au sein duquel les forces de l'Axe ont remporté la guerre et conquis l'intégralité des Etats-Unis, désormais partagés entre le Japon impérial et l'Allemagne nazie...

    Cette nouvelle géopolitique a bien été décrite par Philip K. Dick et
    Bien que le livre qui ait inspiré cette série soit moyen (et pas forcément très inspiré, hélas) il dépeint avec une précision glaçante ce monde alternatif au sein duquel les forces de l'Axe ont remporté la guerre et conquis l'intégralité des Etats-Unis, désormais partagés entre le Japon impérial et l'Allemagne nazie...

    Cette nouvelle géopolitique a bien été décrite par Philip K. Dick et s'il est au moins une chose dont peut se targuer la série, c'est justement cette étrange ambiance de l'Amérique occupée. Le premier épisode de la série est déjà d'une mollesse sans précédent mais il faut bien un temps d'exposition pour nous plonger dans ce monde inédit...

    On note déjà des comédiens uniformément mauvais et un scénario bancal... et les épisodes suivants ne font que confirmer cet enlisement de l'écriture et une adaptation complètement à la masse (en dehors du cadre général bien sûr). S'il ne se passait pas grand-chose dans le livre, on atteint ici des sommets dans l'inaction et les bavardages incessants, les clichés et la somnolence.

    Et lorsqu'il arrive éventuellement un truc, c'est tout simplement invraisemblable et bien ridicule. En fait, les dialogues laissent toujours à penser qu'on va assister à quelque chose mais qui soit n'arrive pas, soit débouche sur un pétard mouillé. Les épisodes qui durent une heure donnent l'impression qu'ils en durent trois... et tout ça pour de la merde finalement !

    Et dire qu'ils ont étalé ce remplissage de conneries sur 3 saisons déjà, ça laisse pantois... Finir la première est un exploit, alors se taper les deux autres... au secours ! Immense déception donc.
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  11. Nov 28, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Can't understand the bad reviews, the writing and acting is decent? This dystopian version of history is really enjoyable to watch. A binge-watch series.

    PS: really like the people who reviewed who said it's not plausible. They did not get any of it
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  12. Nov 20, 2015
    9
    This is the best new show of the fall. I loved the pilot when it aired during the Amazon pilot season, and I thought the second episode -- released as part of a sneak peak a few weeks ago -- was just as good. This show is based on a Phillip K. Dick short story about an alternate timeline where the Nazis and the Japanese won WWII and split the United States. That creates some strikingThis is the best new show of the fall. I loved the pilot when it aired during the Amazon pilot season, and I thought the second episode -- released as part of a sneak peak a few weeks ago -- was just as good. This show is based on a Phillip K. Dick short story about an alternate timeline where the Nazis and the Japanese won WWII and split the United States. That creates some striking images, and allows for a very fascinating story. I liked the performances and the set up, and I can't wait to see where this series goes as it develops. Expand
  13. Nov 22, 2015
    4
    It was an enjoyable ride for the first nine episodes, and completely fell apart at its finale which seemed to cop out of a lot of things to leave room for a possible second season. Originally a 7.5 but the finale brought it down to a 4.
  14. Nov 28, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't want give any spoilers here which makes it difficult to write this review. I can say that the dystopian premise was effectively disturbing. The 10 episodes felt much like reading a graphic novel. I was disappointed with the lazy script writing. Unreal coincidences can be forgiven in a graphic novel but why were the main characters so "stupid"? For example, why didn't Frank pick up the money as he was escaping from .... If you saw the series you know what I am talking about. And the ending! Don't get me started!!! Expand
  15. Jan 7, 2016
    6
    If the characters would be half as interesting as the setting of the world is, the show could be fantastisch. It is the biggest amount of giving away opportunities per minute. All the time you think, this could have been done better. Symptomatic for the partly bad production: if you let your actors speak german, it should sound like real german but if you let Hitler speak german, it has toIf the characters would be half as interesting as the setting of the world is, the show could be fantastisch. It is the biggest amount of giving away opportunities per minute. All the time you think, this could have been done better. Symptomatic for the partly bad production: if you let your actors speak german, it should sound like real german but if you let Hitler speak german, it has to be german without any english accent or let him speak english for gods sake but dont make such a Scheiße! Expand
  16. Feb 4, 2016
    10
    I absolutely loved this show. I thought it was beautifully shot and flawlessly executed. The acting was superb. The tension was always high, and you could always feel the stakes for the characters. If I had any gripe with the show, it's in the attention paid to the films themselves. Somehow these strange films overpower what could be an epic thriller in an engrossing alternate history ofI absolutely loved this show. I thought it was beautifully shot and flawlessly executed. The acting was superb. The tension was always high, and you could always feel the stakes for the characters. If I had any gripe with the show, it's in the attention paid to the films themselves. Somehow these strange films overpower what could be an epic thriller in an engrossing alternate history of the post-WWII world. Instead you have believable, human characters responding to unbelievable, supernatural events. While it's still interesting to watch, the show probably could have been better had it stuck with what was believable within the type of universe that any of us would inhabit, given the post-war events that transpired.

    Even so, I thought the show was remarkably well done, easily one of the best I've seen this year, and much better than many more popular shows. It's well worth the watch, and comfortably earned a 10/10 from me.
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  17. Dec 2, 2015
    10
    Aside from a couple character flaws, (Mainly between the woman and the man from the east coast) it's a great first season. Probably the best I've seen since Breaking Bad.
    I don't feel like typing a long review with spoilers, but it's a great season. I really hope for a season 2.

    9.5/10
  18. Jan 25, 2016
    9
    Once you get past the elements of this scenario that seem impossible, I really loved this show. My first impression was that there is no way the USA would surrender. If the Nazis got the bomb first they would have taken over Europe and maybe we would have pulled back until we finished our bomb, but attacking America would have been a bloodbath with a never ending insurgency. The ability toOnce you get past the elements of this scenario that seem impossible, I really loved this show. My first impression was that there is no way the USA would surrender. If the Nazis got the bomb first they would have taken over Europe and maybe we would have pulled back until we finished our bomb, but attacking America would have been a bloodbath with a never ending insurgency. The ability to deliver enough A-Bombs to get america to surrender just didn't exist in the 1940s

    That being said, the show is good entertainment with good characters and an interesting premise. I found myself badly wanting to watch 1 more episode, and saddened when I was done with them all. And that's exactly what you want from television. Engaging Entertainment.
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  19. Feb 4, 2016
    9
    The first season of this show was very good, i think it deserves a higher rating.The plot is a little predictable but is more than a decent plot, the performace of the actors is also very good, this show makes you hate/empathize with the characters on both sides wich i think its great, cant wait for season 2.
  20. Nov 29, 2015
    8
    It's fun. The story is a little drawn out, but it's fun. I love this show makes you sympathize with villains. The ruthless Japanese inspector and head of the SS in America appear more human as you progress through the first 10 episodes. The cast is great.
  21. Dec 28, 2015
    8
    Gripping for the first five episodes, then it's clear they started planning for season two. A huge improvement on the book, which is slow-paced and overly concerned with antique sales and political etiquette.
  22. Aug 28, 2017
    10
    The Man in the High Castle is an extraordinarily well-acted drama, based on the Phillip K. Dick novel of the same name. Although Dick adaptations have become common fare recently, the show makes considerable distinctions and differentiates itself from the source material in the relationships between the main characters. Their perspectives are unique and interesting, and are what move theThe Man in the High Castle is an extraordinarily well-acted drama, based on the Phillip K. Dick novel of the same name. Although Dick adaptations have become common fare recently, the show makes considerable distinctions and differentiates itself from the source material in the relationships between the main characters. Their perspectives are unique and interesting, and are what move the show forward in terms of both plot and general regard.

    As an alternate history story, it focuses on both sides of occupation. What if the United States had lost WWII? This is the hypothetical question which forces The Man in the High Castle to its inevitable conclusion of reconciling its fiction with our reality. Overall, I'd say Dick would find a lot to enjoy in the show.
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  23. Nov 22, 2015
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This review contains spoilers, click expand to view

    This show has to be one of the most profoundly disappointing productions in recent years, and there have been a lot of disappointing productions. Philip K Dick wrote a wonderful alternative history that allowed the reader to imagine very dark events, but the show has done little to build on the original premise. The characters’ internal motivations largely make no sense, responding half-heartedly to acts of horrific barbarism. It feels like the script leaves no room for authentic emotion, focussing instead on having the characters do whatever it takes to move the plot along. For example, the protagonist (Juliana) continually acts in a grotesquely irresponsible way. Even after her boyfriend’s family has paid with their lives for her actions, he still stays loyal, never once lashing out with the anger that would naturally result from seeing your sister, niece, and nephew gassed because of Juliana’s mistakes. She repeatedly betrays his trust, only for him to react as if there’s no injury. Moreover she lies about her work for the resistance with a psychopathic ease. She similarly takes advantage of the loyalty shown her by the trade minister.

    On the other end of the spectrum DJ Qualls’ Ed McCarthy suffers from the lack of any consistent personality. He vacillates from resolved to weakling, from astute to naive, without any explanation. The scenes between him and Rupert Evans’s Frank Fink are some of the most trying in the show. The writers bypass the much-needed work of establishing the parameters of McCarthy and Fink’s friendship, skipping to an awkward dynamic whereby McCarthy persistently pesters Evans to undertake or avoid a course of conduct. Yet it’s clear that McCarthy’s simply there to provide rhetorical counterpoint at times when Juliana is out of town and thus unable to debate Frank. The show runner never establishes why McCarthy does any of what he does. Also, the character fluctuates dramatically, in one scene acting from extreme fear and risk aversion, while suddenly shifting to volunteer to take major risks for the leading couple of the show. Such change could be the product of an interesting narrative arc, in which McCarthy came to see the importance of their work for the resistance, but the show never explains his shift. Rather, he’s just scene to flip personalities.

    Setting aside the writing and character development, the show’s cardinal flaw is that it misses the opportunity to explore the more nuanced ways that an occupation of the United States might have affected the trajectory of our economy, culture, etc. For example, in the Japan-occupied zone, nearly all the Japanese characters speak perfect english, but the Americans only speak a smattering of Japanese. This makes little sense. Given the Japanese policies in other occupied territories (such as Korea and parts of China), one could only expect that the Americans of the pacific states would be forced to speak Japanese and adopt Japanese cultural practices. Here, we see nothing of the sort, aside from the occasional Judo class or a character saying Arigato as a rhetorical flourish. Why, for example, do Japanese characters adopt the attired of the Americans, and not the opposite. On the economic front, why is America largely unscathed by war and able to achieve the same level of economic development that we achieved as a victorious post-war nation. Rather than flush out any of these points, the show seeks just to set the stage for lots of fighting/action. It’s a shame.
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  24. Jun 13, 2016
    0
    Guys don't bother, this show is horribly boring and filled with plot holes. The main characters seem to act without thinking about the consequences. Show is just utter crap, i don't get all the great reviews surrounding this series. No one in the series seems to act but just worry and worry about what is about to happen. Long and draggy screen time. Juliana is annoying as hell btw.
  25. Dec 7, 2015
    3
    I wish I had read the reviews (bad ones, for some reason amazon and netflix shows tend to have a lot of good reviews) before wasting the weekend hoping something will happen in the show.

    3 points are mostly for the first episode. It seems like it took them 2 weeks to make the first episode and2 week to make the rest 9. The show stretched so far that it felt like the Nazi's were
    I wish I had read the reviews (bad ones, for some reason amazon and netflix shows tend to have a lot of good reviews) before wasting the weekend hoping something will happen in the show.

    3 points are mostly for the first episode. It seems like it took them 2 weeks to make the first episode and2 week to make the rest 9.

    The show stretched so far that it felt like the Nazi's were starting to torture me instead of the characters. Mediocre acting and so many stupid (or lazy) plots.

    I should have stuck with watching Seinfeld (hmmm.. ) reruns!
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  26. Nov 27, 2015
    9
    This series shows EXACTLY what happened after WW2 in Russia occupied territories - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland ... Its interesting to watch how the world would have turned out, how bad nazis were, but most people will never understand that something like this happened 50 years ago ... Almosts every new scene proofs that, gives desperate feeling, its like watching history inThis series shows EXACTLY what happened after WW2 in Russia occupied territories - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland ... Its interesting to watch how the world would have turned out, how bad nazis were, but most people will never understand that something like this happened 50 years ago ... Almosts every new scene proofs that, gives desperate feeling, its like watching history in different colours, creepy, interesting and sad all at one time ... And the all world just closed their eyes to that ... Expand
  27. Feb 25, 2016
    3
    A dull plot with nothing more than flat characters for an otherwise potentially good (yet not in the slightest original) idea. The viewer gets the impression of almost 0 research having been put into this film. It completely pandered to a an uneducated US-american audience, fails to explore the other winners of the war (Britain and Russia), fails to connect from end of the war viaA dull plot with nothing more than flat characters for an otherwise potentially good (yet not in the slightest original) idea. The viewer gets the impression of almost 0 research having been put into this film. It completely pandered to a an uneducated US-american audience, fails to explore the other winners of the war (Britain and Russia), fails to connect from end of the war via comprehensible causal relations (militarily, economically, logistically, politically, etc.) to an occupation of North America, etc. There's also no effort to integrate proper linguistic immersion, which would have happened (everywhere an occupying force goes, it spreads its language, whether a British, American, Japanese, German, Russian, Spanish, etc.). In short, this series is so lacking, it's something a pupil could come up with at school, but nothing of the calibre, one would expect from the film industry. I ceased watching after a few episodes, I simply could not put up with this rubbish. Visually, if you turn off the sound, the series seems nice. Oh, one other thing: they sing Edelweiß... (in English!) as the title song… despite the song being österreichisch. (Facepalm!) Expand
  28. Nov 22, 2015
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I very much wanted to like this series. It is so ambitious and (considering it's an Amazon headliner) during production possessed all the resources it would have needed to succeed.

    Acting was poor. Characters were thin and hard to relate to. Their emotions were poorly conveyed and their motivations were unclear. Someone close to the main character and she is essentially fine. She decides to do something and people close to her get hurt. Does she not have a heart? Or does she lack a brain?

    The entire universe that they create is laughable. As other users have pointed out, everything was stamped with a swastika. Likely because everyone constantly forgets they are being controlled by an outside power. For approximately two decades. Fat chance. Many objects/structures/vehicles were old/seemingly dysfunctional/generally crap. Yet the Germans had "superior tech" in this reality. Did they want to occupy and work hard at maintaining control in the United States just to turn it into a dump and laugh at it from Berlin? Everything within 2 episodes has cost a whole number in whatever the local currency was. 3 Yen for medicine, 2 Marks for food. 3 Marks for something else. So, no smaller denominations to pay for smaller purchases? That totally makes sense. On and on, the list of these inconsistencies grows as I begin episode 2.

    What I disliked the most was the cliché choices for environment designs. Anyone that has played Fallout or Bioshock will gag at how hard they try to replicate the vibes those games created.
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  29. Dec 27, 2015
    0
    This is so bad. Have not seen something as bad as this show for a long time.
    Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid.
  30. Dec 3, 2015
    0
    Had to turn it off after about halfway through the first episode, there was no entertainment value to the show. The idea of the show seemed good but it completely failed.
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 30
  2. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Reviewed by: Michael Starr
    Dec 8, 2015
    63
    The series, in large part, fails to deliver on its fascinating premise. Simply put, it’s plodding, moves at a glacial pace and overreaches with too many diffuse narrative strands.
  2. Reviewed by: Bruce Miller
    Nov 23, 2015
    80
    Directed by David Semel, the first episode (now available on Amazon) sets a visual tone that immediately sets this apart from other thrillers.... By the second episode, you’ll want to know who’s really good and who’s bad and how the latter will meet their untimely deaths.
  3. Reviewed by: Isaac Feldberg
    Nov 23, 2015
    90
    The first six episodes (all those provided to press ahead of release) consistently surprise in how they deepen those characters and weave their journeys together.