Seasons(2) / Episodes(20)
Plots(1)
A psychological-horror series set in the Stephen King multiverse, Castle Rock is an original story that combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King’s best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland. (Hulu)
Reviews (2)
A series, during which my initial excitement transformed into a feeling of boring mediocrity. Stephen King probably got lost in his own world, because, in the end, the atmosphere is the only thing this series has to offer. The interesting premise didn’t progress anywhere from episode to episode. Nothing was happening. Interesting characters get lost in the unwanted originality and the series itself actually projects everything you loved about the series Lost, but also all that you hated about it. The producer J. J. Abrams’s touch can be seen plainly in this series. At the end of the first season, you get to thinking about the meaning of some of the episodes. Were they reality or fiction? Or could they be an alternate reality? I don’t know. It was filmed magnificently, and I was really enjoying the filmmaking ideas in some episodes, but as a whole? In the end, the series brought up way more questions than it managed to answer. And I actually don’t even know if I want to know the answers.
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I have an immense fondness for King's works. Setting the series in the town of Castle Rock, where Shawshank prison is also located, was, in a word, a brilliant move. But the execution was a bit lacking. Without Skarsgård, who completely captivated me with his performance (honestly, his gaze was mesmerizing—few actors can deliver such a devilish look), it would have been worth nothing. He saved the series, and I consider that a fact. The other actors played well alongside him (especially Sissy Spacek, with what might be her best work in the seventh episode), but for the most part, they couldn't quite keep up. The story initially seemed interesting and fresh. But instead of gradually explaining things, they just kept throwing in more and more questions, so I realized the series would end on an open note, leaving viewers to imagine various endings. And I don't like that. The seventh and ninth episodes were perfect, but the last episode made me incredibly, truly angry. It felt like they came up with it over a beer and didn't put in the effort. With a bit more work, it could have been an amazing project. As it stands, it's just an above-average series with a few great moments, which were immediately killed by some absurdity or other. What a shame. I give it 64%.
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