Post by BloodyMonkeyZ on Jun 22, 2013 10:02:11 GMT -6
Hemlock Grove – an original Netflix series, 13 episodes of drama, mystery and darkness. In the shadows of a rusted Pennsylvania steel town, the mangled body of a teenage girl is discovered. As they hunt for a monster among them, rumors mount and many of the eccentric residents become suspects, from the newly arrived gypsy family to the wealthy Godfrey clan. In the twisted world of Hemlock Grove, everyone hides a dark secret. From director Eli Roth (“Hostel”) comes a chilling supernatural series based on Brian McGreevy’s novel.
My first impression of Hemlock Grove was oh, no another teenaged angst series with vampires or some such monster as a backdrop, but I was in for a pleasant surprise. I have not read McGreevy’s novel, but I definitely am going to after watching the Netflix series. I realize with many movies, or in this case a 13 hour more or less series, there maybe a few plot holes. I think they did a pretty good job of tying everything together toward the end but I feel there are some very juicy details left out that I am dying to know.
Famke Janssen plays Olivia Godfrey, and her performance is worth a watch for no other reason than she believably portrays pure evil, yet I couldn’t help but empathize with her as a mother. Her son, Roman is played by Bill Skarsgard who has not only inherited his father’s Nordic good looks but also his acting talent. Peter Rumancek, a young gypsy is played by Landon Liboiron and he is definitely an up and coming talent. He portrayed sensitivity and pain very effectively and brought me to tears in a couple of scenes. Penelope Mitchell was convincing as Letha Godfrey, but she was over the top in her sweetness and bubbliness in some scenes. Letha’s father and Olivia’s love interest was played by Dougray Scott. A good performance, but not great, he seemed to be thinking of being somewhere else in some of his scenes especially in the climactic episodes. The most difficult character to portray was Shelly Godfrey played by Nicole Boivin, I think she gave a convincing portrayal of Roman’s mysterious sister. Christina Wendall is a pivotal character in the series and was played by Freya Tingley. Although she is cute as a bug, I really felt like she had a smile almost breaking out in every scene, so to me she did not come across as an authentic character, but it was only a minor distraction.
The story is about teenagers and their families and their encounter with evil, but it is definitely not a show for teenagers under 17 to watch. The scenes are graphic and violent, the language is foul. I couldn’t take my eyes away from some of the more graphic scenes. They were realistic and intelligent and appropriate for the story. There are a few humorous scenes, but this show runs on evil, the exploitation of it in a supposedly civilized world.
This series is not for everyone, but if you are a horror fan and love a mystery and are not turned off by violence, watch it. The style is original with some scenes almost dreamlike. You won’t be disappointed. I think Eli Roth has finally grown up.
I give it 4 stars, the only drawback is it is only on Netflix at the present. All 13 episodes are available to watch now. I caught them over a 3 day period, and was looking forward to each episode. I am not sure if or when they will put on DVD, but will keep you posted.
My first impression of Hemlock Grove was oh, no another teenaged angst series with vampires or some such monster as a backdrop, but I was in for a pleasant surprise. I have not read McGreevy’s novel, but I definitely am going to after watching the Netflix series. I realize with many movies, or in this case a 13 hour more or less series, there maybe a few plot holes. I think they did a pretty good job of tying everything together toward the end but I feel there are some very juicy details left out that I am dying to know.
Famke Janssen plays Olivia Godfrey, and her performance is worth a watch for no other reason than she believably portrays pure evil, yet I couldn’t help but empathize with her as a mother. Her son, Roman is played by Bill Skarsgard who has not only inherited his father’s Nordic good looks but also his acting talent. Peter Rumancek, a young gypsy is played by Landon Liboiron and he is definitely an up and coming talent. He portrayed sensitivity and pain very effectively and brought me to tears in a couple of scenes. Penelope Mitchell was convincing as Letha Godfrey, but she was over the top in her sweetness and bubbliness in some scenes. Letha’s father and Olivia’s love interest was played by Dougray Scott. A good performance, but not great, he seemed to be thinking of being somewhere else in some of his scenes especially in the climactic episodes. The most difficult character to portray was Shelly Godfrey played by Nicole Boivin, I think she gave a convincing portrayal of Roman’s mysterious sister. Christina Wendall is a pivotal character in the series and was played by Freya Tingley. Although she is cute as a bug, I really felt like she had a smile almost breaking out in every scene, so to me she did not come across as an authentic character, but it was only a minor distraction.
The story is about teenagers and their families and their encounter with evil, but it is definitely not a show for teenagers under 17 to watch. The scenes are graphic and violent, the language is foul. I couldn’t take my eyes away from some of the more graphic scenes. They were realistic and intelligent and appropriate for the story. There are a few humorous scenes, but this show runs on evil, the exploitation of it in a supposedly civilized world.
This series is not for everyone, but if you are a horror fan and love a mystery and are not turned off by violence, watch it. The style is original with some scenes almost dreamlike. You won’t be disappointed. I think Eli Roth has finally grown up.
I give it 4 stars, the only drawback is it is only on Netflix at the present. All 13 episodes are available to watch now. I caught them over a 3 day period, and was looking forward to each episode. I am not sure if or when they will put on DVD, but will keep you posted.
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