Too Old to Die Young

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Season 1
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 43
  3. Negative: 8 out of 43
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User Reviews

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  1. Lambo442
    Jul 24, 2019
    2
    The first episode was incredible. Intense, disturbing, intriguing. But with the second episode everything goes downhill. The characters introduced in Mexico are very flat, they hardly every speak (especially the nephew, who just sits there brooding). There's too much of a pause between each line of dialogue and the long panning shots start to become a chore. It's a real shame as there's aThe first episode was incredible. Intense, disturbing, intriguing. But with the second episode everything goes downhill. The characters introduced in Mexico are very flat, they hardly every speak (especially the nephew, who just sits there brooding). There's too much of a pause between each line of dialogue and the long panning shots start to become a chore. It's a real shame as there's a lot it had going for it, the amazing music by Cliff Martinez of course, the cool plot line established in the first episode, with this corrupt cop trying to balance his love life whilst staying alive. Then it all gets very dull.… Expand
  2. podzorama
    Jun 28, 2019
    8
    This is the second show that I have seen, where the unflinching vision of the Directors and Writers have resulted in Masterpieces that have seriously blurred the line between TV and Film, to create a unique viewing experience.
    The first being the magnificent Twin Peaks the return, and now this.
    Too Old to Die Young takes no Prisoners. You either let it into your life or you don't. NWR is    This is the second show that I have seen, where the unflinching vision of the Directors and Writers have resulted in Masterpieces that have seriously blurred the line between TV and Film, to create a unique viewing experience.
    The first being the magnificent Twin Peaks the return, and now this.
    Too Old to Die Young takes no Prisoners. You either let it into your life or you don't. NWR is never going to make it cozy and easy for you, never going to hide away from the cold depiction of all those hard to confront issues that are part of the Human Existence, and he is going to show it to you in his own unique diamond edge style.
    Scenes are long, the camera still, dialogue sporadic, the viewer has no choice but to soak up the hyper real colour, lighting, and the ubiquitous White Noise of each scene, with characters arranged like characters from a Renaissance painting.
    It is stunning and hypnotic to watch.    … Expand
  3. stk35054
    Jun 25, 2019
    10
    Subversive? I don't know if neo-noir, dirty cops and Mexican drug cartels were mixed for the purposes of rolling cigarettes into their figurative shirt sleeve. As for the stagnant camera frames, I believe they are intended to achieve two things, capture imagery photographically and disquiet and re-quiet the audience--the freneticism of audiences silenced by the inaction of the filmmaker.Subversive? I don't know if neo-noir, dirty cops and Mexican drug cartels were mixed for the purposes of rolling cigarettes into their figurative shirt sleeve. As for the stagnant camera frames, I believe they are intended to achieve two things, capture imagery photographically and disquiet and re-quiet the audience--the freneticism of audiences silenced by the inaction of the filmmaker. These episodes no doubt suffer from absurdity but if anything they do not over-rely on dialogue.… Expand
  4. jgedak
    Jun 23, 2019
    10
    One of the most awkward, unsettling, disturbing show's I've ever seen--but sooooo well done!
  5. montjo
    Jul 8, 2019
    8
    Uber-slow but all the more fascinating. Clever writing, top notch acting and breathtaking photography.
  6. OlivierPiel
    Jul 6, 2019
    8
    I'm usually much harsher than critics, but here it is unfathomable why they trash such a beautifully shot series. Granted, cars, neon lights and taciturn characters are the fetish of Mr Refn, but the attention to lighting details, the composition and the framing of the pictures are just gorgeous.
    Others complain about the wooden and unnatural acting but it is refreshing to get away from    I'm usually much harsher than critics, but here it is unfathomable why they trash such a beautifully shot series. Granted, cars, neon lights and taciturn characters are the fetish of Mr Refn, but the attention to lighting details, the composition and the framing of the pictures are just gorgeous.
    Others complain about the wooden and unnatural acting but it is refreshing to get away from all these method acting scenes that ooze too much fake pathos.
    Some other complain about the stillness and silence or lack of a plot. But this is exactly why it is much more a cinematic experience than other Netflix or TV shows. Refn understands that show like True Detective or similar neo-noirs are just mediocre disposable paperback thrillers that become instantly obsolete once the whole story is revealed.
    On the other hand, he doesn't fall into the second-degree superficial pulpy farces à la Tarantino where non-stop action and half-clever zingers are put there just to distract the audience about the emptiness of the whole endeavour.
    As in his previous works, he confronts the American mythology of the police thrillers with our innate fascination with it, and distills its essence...and find at its heart a sort of metaphysical yin/yang battle between female and male instincts.
    This is very well done for the first 8 episodes or so. Sadly, the ending feels very lazy and rushed as it resorts to clichéd monologues on the end of the civilization and sophomoric sociological/philosophical musings , and worse a stalled narrative. Also he overdoes it on the Trump doom and gloom parallels. It feels cheap and pandering to the audience. This brings down the whole myth building exercise and concludes in a very boring hackneyed political and sociological epilogue.    … Expand
  7. CPD98
    Jun 21, 2019
    8
    Los espectadores más impacientes no tienen nada que hacer aquí. Pero los que aprecien el estilo del director disfrutarán cada capítulo. Gran puesta en escena, personajess inquietantes, toques de violencia dura y buena banda sonora.
  8. SlinkyBender
    Jun 19, 2019
    4
    I'm only 2/3 of the way through the first episode and I just checked to see how much time is left for the third time.
  9. invein
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    Fans of Refn and/or Brubaker will not be disappointed as both creators influence is very apparent in this 15h downward spiral into the heart of darkness. Brubakers harsh, disturbing and surprising writing certainly shines through. The scenes and characters often feel like they would belong in the world of his Criminal-Series. The slow pacing/long shots and grading add to the graphic-novelFans of Refn and/or Brubaker will not be disappointed as both creators influence is very apparent in this 15h downward spiral into the heart of darkness. Brubakers harsh, disturbing and surprising writing certainly shines through. The scenes and characters often feel like they would belong in the world of his Criminal-Series. The slow pacing/long shots and grading add to the graphic-novel vibe, similar to looking at Sean Phillips artwork, frame by frame so you can admire the mood and darkness he puts into his drawings. Refn's neo(n)-noir aesthetics are just a perfect match. If you are not familiar with the creators and their work, be aware that the show is not only very slow paced, but also very disturbing. Brutal torture, physically and verbally as well as some very bleak moments, that will probably haunt me a while – almost every episode is an atrocity-masterclass. My only complaints about the show are, that they often used CGI blood (a minor mishap but noticeable and immersion breaking none the less) and some supernatural elements, that kinda felt out of place for a serious show like this. Aside from that, there is nothing I did not like about this show. It's one of the boldest achievements in modern "television", a tour de force of blood, sex and bleak neon-colored images. Now critics may disagree with me on this, it's one of those shows you either love or hate. But you still have to admire the work that went into this behemoth of show.… Expand
  10. simonmoon
    Jun 20, 2019
    2
    This series looks great, but its super slow pace and that it's largely creepy (in a bad way) and nonsenscial make it almost unwatchable. Cristina Rodlo is undeniably a captivating on screen presence. I'm sure Miles Teller is doing what he's told to do, but it would have been much better had he ignored the director and spoke at a normal pace. What we see and the way people act make meThis series looks great, but its super slow pace and that it's largely creepy (in a bad way) and nonsenscial make it almost unwatchable. Cristina Rodlo is undeniably a captivating on screen presence. I'm sure Miles Teller is doing what he's told to do, but it would have been much better had he ignored the director and spoke at a normal pace. What we see and the way people act make me think, that Refn is an idiotic creep, who thinks he's subverting the very thing he is doing without subverting it at all.… Expand
  11. NikitaKuzhel
    Jul 7, 2019
    5
    Еще до выхода "Слишком стар, что бы умереть молодым", многие пророчили, что творческая свобода и хронометраж в 13 часов позволят Рёфну разгуляться на всю катушку, так что амбиций было много. Лично я считаю, что сериал получился крайне слабым не потому, что ожидания были велики и оказались не оправданы, а потому что Рёфн так и не придумал, зачем растягивать довольно простую и, что самоеЕще до выхода "Слишком стар, что бы умереть молодым", многие пророчили, что творческая свобода и хронометраж в 13 часов позволят Рёфну разгуляться на всю катушку, так что амбиций было много. Лично я считаю, что сериал получился крайне слабым не потому, что ожидания были велики и оказались не оправданы, а потому что Рёфн так и не придумал, зачем растягивать довольно простую и, что самое важное абсолютно не насыщенную действиями историю на 13 часов.

    Во-первых, стоит отметить, что дерзкий и необычный подход, если и не оправдывает себя, то хотя бы говорит о себе своей дерзостью, что запоминается. Сериал имеет структуру фильма, который просто нарезали на 10 частей, то есть, допустим, завязка расположилась аж на первых 4 сериях и не одна серия не закончится клиффхэнгером. Вот только такой подход абсолютно не оправдан и вызывает лишь раздражение, ведь самое тяжелое это вытерпеть первые 4 эпизода.

    А вот во-вторых, мы натыкаемся на то, что для 13 часов тут очень мало чего происходит, тот же Твин Пикс: Возвращение имел схожую структуру, но был настолько насыщен разного рода действиями, что не давал заскучать. Тут же атмосфера медитативности выглядит как издевка, ведь когда персонажи делают паузы по 5-10 секунд, что бы сказать "ОК" или "Ладно" это только вгоняет в скуку и рушит всю атмосферу. Да и визуально тут скучно, что абсолютно губительно для такого рода повествования. Очень много статичных и ничем не примечательных кадров, конечно достаточно кадров и красивых, только вот смотреть на них 1-3 часа еще интересно, но только не 13. Да, определенно моментами сериал интересен, именно тогда, когда что-то происходит, особенно 6 эпизод, где почти всю серию мы наблюдаем за конкретными действиями.

    Сюжет же интригует по началу, ведь очень сложно разобраться что к чему, вот только к финалу, тебе настолько сильно разжевывают посыл, как будто держат за круглого идиота и финал получился откровенно не интересный и ни о чем.

    По итогу тратить на это время я бы советовал только истинным фанатам датского режиссера, остальным советую проходить мимо.    … Expand
  12. generousreviewe
    Jul 29, 2019
    0
    Don't let the poor pacing distract you from the poor everything else.

    What to praise in a show like this? The costuming? The guy who held the boom mic? Surely someone involved was doing good work, but whoever they were, they certainly didn't have any creative control.
  13. MarshallCavalli
    Aug 15, 2019
    6
    Refn's attempt at a series isn't as great as he thinks it is. The writing is pretentious and obnoxious with no purpose and there are episode that have nothing to do with the rest of the show. Just don't watch it.
  14. Bertaut1
    Jul 1, 2021
    8
    I loved it, but this is the definition of "not for everyone"

    Created by Nicolas Winding Refn and Ed Brubaker, and directed by Refn, Too Old To Die Young is Refn sans restrictions. If you thought Only God Forgives was slow and plodding, all style and no substance, and pretentiously self-indulgent, then TOTDY is not for you. Running for 13 hours across the course of 10 episodes, Refn    I loved it, but this is the definition of "not for everyone"

    Created by Nicolas Winding Refn and Ed Brubaker, and directed by Refn, Too Old To Die Young is Refn sans restrictions. If you thought Only God Forgives was slow and plodding, all style and no substance, and pretentiously self-indulgent, then TOTDY is not for you. Running for 13 hours across the course of 10 episodes, Refn regards it as "a 13-hour movie" and insists that it is not a television show. Either way, I loved it. The aesthetic is exceptional, the quirks are pure surrealism, the humour is spot on, the violence (particularly the sexual violence) is sudden and barbaric, but never gratuitous or pointless, and the themes are fascinating. This isn't going to turn a single person into a Refn fan. Indeed, it will probably alienate some of his more casual fans, as it tests the limits of what even the most artistically open-minded viewer will watch on their television screens. That said, if you're on-board, you're in for an unforgettable ride.

    Martin Jones (Miles Teller) and his partner Larry (Lance Gross) are two uniformed LA cops on patrol. After sexually harassing and extorting a young woman because he can, Larry is taking a selfie for his mistress, when Jesus Rojas (an exceptional Augusto Aguilera) shoots him in the back of the head. And from that opening scene springs the story, which introduces us to local crime boss Damian (Babs Olusanmokun), Martin's 18-year-old girlfriend Janey (Nell Tiger Free), her billionaire father Theo (a completely insane William Baldwin), former FBI agent Viggo Larsen (John Hawkes), his associate Diana (Jena Malone), and Yaritza (a stunning, scene-stealing Cristina Rodlo), a young woman with a penchant for sexual domination who claims to be the High Priestess of Death.

    The most obvious aesthetic elements of the show are the cinematography by Darius Khondji and Diego García and the editing by Matthew Newman. The first episode, and several of the later episodes, are bathed in neon, with vibrant reds, purples, oranges, blues, and greens saturating the screen. The second episode then is set in Mexico and is a complete contrast to the first, almost over-exposed, with whites popping and bleeding into any nearby blacks.

    Additionally, every shot feels deliberate, meticulously composed, important, like every element of the composition is saying something of significance; for example, whether the camera moves or not offers a commentary on the content of the scene. And scenes go on for a loooooong time; most run at least two beats beyond where the natural end would seem to be, with long silences and languidly-paced, emotionlessly delivered dialogue. This all creates a sense of extreme awkwardness that makes the viewer restless and uncomfortable, which, of course, is precisely the point. This lethargic sense is helped immensely by the editing, which is almost imperceptible. It feels like the show was edited before it was shot; every cut feels measured, happening where it does because that's the only place it could happen. I'd be shocked to learn that a lot of coverage was shot to be assembled in the editing room later; it's too tight for that. Coupled with this, the sound design by Paul Hackner is unique. For interiors, there is often no ambient room noise and because there are such long pauses in the dialogue, the silence is oppressive. It has the effect of suggesting the characters aren't in the room, making it feel almost ethereal and hypnotic.

    And what is all of this in service of? What is Refn saying? The main theme is very straightforward – toxic masculinity and the commodification of the female, in particular the sexual commodification. TOTDY is a show wherein many of the female characters are looked upon by men as objects to be used rather than as people with their own agency. In one particular scene, a porn director washes down a young woman with a hose, the way one might wash down a horse after a race. When the show begins, it seems to commit the same sin, as none of the females have much in the way of vibrancy, and all are defined based upon their relationships with men. It's only as the characters of Diana, Janey, and Yaritza assume centre stage that we realise this isn't a show about men. Paedophiles, racists, misogynists, murderers, people traffickers, a father who unashamedly hints at incest – it's quite a collective of male bottom feeders to pitch against the female characters.

    All in all, I loved the show. But there's no denying that the very things which some people embrace and celebrate, will drive others up the wall. And certainly, it's not hard to imagine a hell of a lot of people watching for 20 minutes before hastily changing the channel and deeming the whole enterprise the "worst show ever." Amazon has allowed Refn to indulge in everything that his detractors criticise and his fans laud, and the result is either a travesty or masterpiece, depending on your perspective.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 2 out of 8
  1. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Peter Bradshaw
    Dec 4, 2019
    80
    This is a story about sexual violence and the misogynist spectacle is uncomfortable, although arguably part of the point. It could be that Jena Malone, glimpsed here at any early stage, will have a greater part to play. Too Old To Die Young is macabre, and nauseating in many ways, but very well made and very watchable.
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  2. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: David Fear
    Jun 18, 2019
    40
    [A] limping, baggy megillah, which fails to justify its marathon-length running time as anything more than a self-satisfying, hardboiled-by-numbers folly.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: David Rooney
    Jun 14, 2019
    30
    Stylishly crafted but stultifyingly dull. ... Jesus had better be some kind of savior if Too Old to Die Young is going to be more than just a ponderously portentous sleazefest shaken out of its torpor by the occasional bloodbath. [Prime Video only screened episodes 4 and 5]
    Read full review
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