Director – Mitch Jenkins (Act of Faith, Show Pieces)
Starring – Tom Burke (The Crown, Extinction), Ellie Bamber (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Serpent), and Siobhan Hewlett (Dread, Torchwood)
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 3.5/5
I’m starting a new chapter in my life and that new chapter has granted me a vacation that I was not expecting. With all these new changes and some free time on my hands I decided to finally check out the Watchmen miniseries. I’m a huge fan of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen adaptation but never found the time to check out the miniseries. However, once I did I decided to keep the Alan Moore marathon rolling where I finally was able to check out The Show.
Shout Factory sent this one over a few months back but I was unable to check it out until now. It seemed like the perfect movie to follow up Watchmen with. Like always, I want to thank Shout Factory for hooking me up.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows the mysterious Fletcher (Burke) who arrives in the sleepy town of Northampton in search of an old necklace that was said to be stolen from his client. However, his investigation leads him through a dark underworld and he discovers the real truth about the necklace and the inhabitants of the town. **Spoiler Alert**
I had very little knowledge about this film prior to my initial viewing. Hell, the only thing I really knew about it was that it was written by Alan Moore and that was about it. It doesn’t hit as hard as some of Moore’s other work but it still has it’s place in cinema even if I found it to be a little weak at times.
The acting in this one is nothing that stands out. The characters are what you would expect from a film written by Alan Moore but the cast doesn’t do that great of a job bringing them to life. The cast is great but they lacked the energy you would expect from a film with characters so colorfully written and detailed.
The story for this one has a lot going on. Moore has a knack for writing stories with beautifully written characters, amazing scenarios, and an almost trademark noir flair. The Show has a lot going on but most of it is for show. Most of the discoveries and wild additions to the story could be removed and the story would still be the same. It’s fun at times but all it does it extend the film’s run time. If anything, it leaves the viewer wishing the film would have explored these further. It seriously needs to be edited and trimmed down further to make it flow better and adjust the pacing.
Finally, don’t expect a blood bath. We do have a little make-up effects and some light blood but that’s the extent of it. The film is a fantasy film at heart and the effects follows that genre. Overall, The Show is a sold fantasy mystery that tries to capture that noir look and feel with a supernatural twist. It works but it does have some noticeable flaws. Check it out but don’t expect a film that will stick with you.
