The best shows to brighten up your evening
If you’re sorry to waste a lot of time watching, this selection is for you. Just a few hours, and you have something to discuss in the movie buffs’ hangout.
Some people like series that they can watch for six months at lunch and after work (for example, “The Office”). Others prefer small projects that can be managed over a weekend. A selection of 10 miniseries of different genres so that everyone can find something different. Unfortunately, they haven’t made a series about the Baccarat Live game yet, but it’s worth revisiting the Bondiana if you like casinos.
Some of the most popular miniseries include:
- The Take;
- The Crimson Petal and the White;
- Parade’s End;
- Houdini.
The Lost Room
Detective Joe Miller and his trusty partner have a problem with Room 10 of the Sunshine Motel. However, the local mafia, sectarians, and influential people wouldn’t mind getting a key to this fantastic room. Together with the characters, the audience will have to find out what such an unusual thing is hiding behind its door.
It seems that the aesthetics of David Lynch-inspired the creators of the series. The signature style of the American independent director is reminiscent of much here, including a mystical plot and understatement. The project will surely be appreciated by those who like the X-Files or Supernatural series and fans of Elle Fanning: the very young actress plays the missing daughter of the main character.
The Take
Freddie Jackson had a good time in prison and made all the necessary connections. Once released, he begins to conquer the city’s criminal market, sweeping away all obstacles in his path.
Tom Hardy is good at playing charismatic macho characters, but the actor looks no less suitable as a psychopathic criminal. The audience will have to savor the details of the life of the criminal world, which is presented here in all its glory.
The Crimson Petal and the White
William, a resident of Victorian London and not too successful an heir of the perfume business, falls in love with a nineteen-year-old prostitute nicknamed Candy Girl. Soon, the hero transports the girl to his home, not for her age. It turns out that he hides his wife from the outside world, who went crazy after the birth of a child.
The series is a good representation of the dark atmosphere of the novel of the same name by Michel Faber, the author of “Get in My Skin.” The leading roles are played by excellent actors Romola Garay and Chris O’Dowd (the latter had previously humored in “The Computer Men” but showed incredible dramatic talent). The bright Gillian Anderson appears in a cameo as a brothel hostess. If you’re ready to plunge into the era of the time, try online slot games on the theme of old London.
Mildred Pierce
The series is set during the Great Depression. A housewife leaves her husband, and she is left alone with two children. But the heroine keeps her spirits up and finds the strength to start her life again.
The show is based on the novel of the same name by James Kane, which has already once been transferred to the screen. The primary role was then played by the great actress Joan Crawford. However, the relaunch with Kate Winslet also succeeded: the series was highly appreciated by Stephen King himself.
Parade’s End
Virtuous civil servant Christopher Tietjens lives in an unhappy marriage with his unfaithful wife Sylvia and raises someone else’s child. But soon after the hero platonically falls in love with young suffragette Valentine, he is forced to go to war.
A rare adaptation of a literary work (in this case, Ford Madox Ford’s tetralogy of novels) that pleased everyone: readers and viewers alike. The leading roles in the series were played by British stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall, and Australian Adelaide Clemens.
Olive Kitteridge
The miniseries, covering 20 years in a simple American family’s life, are based on the book of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout.
The marvelous Frances McDormand plays former math teacher Olivia Kitteridge, who lives with her husband Henry and son Christopher in the fictional town of Crosby. Like any family story, there are plenty of secrets and skeletons hidden in the closets.
Houdini
The story of the rise and fall of magician Harry Houdini, who became famous for his grand escapades. His life was amazingly bright: the illusionist had a chance to become a destroyer of legends and even meet such people as Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigory Rasputin.
The role of Houdini was played by Oscar-winner Adrien Brody, known for his intellectually expressive performance. And he did a great job, although the actor does not look too much like his historical prototype.
The Night Manager
The secret service recruits the night manager of “Nefertiti” hotel, Jonathan Pine, for infiltration into a criminal group headed by influential businessman and arms dealer Richard Roper.
Suppose the tandem of Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie alone doesn’t seem like enough reason to watch The Night Manager. In that case, the numerous awards will speak for themselves: an Emmy Award for director Susanna Beer, three Golden Globes, and the title of Best British Series of 2016, according to Radio Times.
11.22.63
English teacher Jake Epping goes back in time to prevent the assassination of JFK. What he doesn’t know yet, however, is that the course of history is not so easily reversed.
The retro detective series from the team J.J. Abrams based on the novel by Stephen King will be appreciated by everyone close to the spirit of post-war America of the 1960s. In the central role decided to call James Franco and was not mistaken: the hero in his performance turned out to be a friendly and charming guy.
Rillington Place
The miniseries starring Tim Roth tells the story of the real-life maniac John Christie, who, while his wife was away, lured women into his house, gassed them, raped them, strangled them, and buried their corpses in the backyard.
The name of the series is consonant with the street on which the murderer once lived. However, it can no longer be found on the map of modern London: after the story got publicity, the street had to be renamed because of its notoriety.
The Night Of
The morning after a stormy night with a girl, Pakistani-American student Nasir finds his new acquaintance dead. Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, all the accusations fall on him.
At first, one might think that this is a series about finding a murderer. But instead of a detective investigation, we are shown a long and painful trial. At the same time, young actor Riz Ahmed showed an impressive evolution of his character, clearly showing how a naive guy turns into a man who the cruel penitentiary system has forever changed.
Patrick Melrose
Aristocrat Patrick Melrose struggles to overcome his addictions and return to everyday life. It soon becomes clear that the reasons for the hero’s self-destructive behavior lie in his distant childhood.
In the series based on the autobiographical novels of Edward St. Aubyn, Benedict Cumberbatch gives a masterful performance and shows a very authentic overcoming of a personality breakdown. “Patrick Melrose” also raises essential themes like the horrors of sexual abuse and the effects of childhood trauma. Not surprisingly, the series won two well-deserved BAFTA awards at once.
