A very successful spin on Gothic Penny Dreadful’s.
A “penny dreadful” was a cheap comic book like form of entertainment in Victorian England. These horror stories were popularized incarnations of vampires and werewolves, in the gothic style of Dracula and Frankenstein. The new series Penny Dreadful is a patchwork of classic and new Gothic characters. The series features origin stories, nods to the original classics, as well as new twists and turns in an extraordinarily dark and unpredictable tale of a man searching for his daughter, and the select few chosen to assist.
The acting in this series was very impressive, particularly from Eva Green, who portrays the clairvoyant Vanessa Ives. Josh Hartnett was also a standout as Ethan Chandler, who in a surprise twist in the final episode is revealed to be more than he first seems, but I won’t spoil it for you. Timothy Dalton also stars as Mr Hawkins, the father of Mina Harker, and in my opinion is one of the least interesting performances, but nevertheless a commendable one. A very interesting character was the lonely and charming Dorian Gray, played by Reeve Carney.
The plot lines and character arcs are extremely well done. Arcs from the original novels are easily recognizable while new elements have been weaved into the fold seamlessly. They are dark, twisted and incredibly entertaining. I would like to thank the producers for making demonic possession scary again.
I was amazed that the production design matched the genre so well, creating a dark and inviting atmosphere each episode. The colour palette is washed out and bland. London is shown to be an overcrowded and industrial cesspit, a fairly accurate portrayal of the conditions faced in the 19th century.
If you have an interest in 19th century horror literature, monster movies, science fiction, horror films or all of the above then Penny Dreadful is for you. I cannot recommend this series higher. It is the perfect combination of drama and thrilling mind blasting gore. And if you do decide to watch the series stay away from the Facebook page until you watch the last episode. Some over eager fans consistently post spoilers.
The acting in this series was very impressive, particularly from Eva Green, who portrays the clairvoyant Vanessa Ives. Josh Hartnett was also a standout as Ethan Chandler, who in a surprise twist in the final episode is revealed to be more than he first seems, but I won’t spoil it for you. Timothy Dalton also stars as Mr Hawkins, the father of Mina Harker, and in my opinion is one of the least interesting performances, but nevertheless a commendable one. A very interesting character was the lonely and charming Dorian Gray, played by Reeve Carney.
The plot lines and character arcs are extremely well done. Arcs from the original novels are easily recognizable while new elements have been weaved into the fold seamlessly. They are dark, twisted and incredibly entertaining. I would like to thank the producers for making demonic possession scary again.
I was amazed that the production design matched the genre so well, creating a dark and inviting atmosphere each episode. The colour palette is washed out and bland. London is shown to be an overcrowded and industrial cesspit, a fairly accurate portrayal of the conditions faced in the 19th century.
If you have an interest in 19th century horror literature, monster movies, science fiction, horror films or all of the above then Penny Dreadful is for you. I cannot recommend this series higher. It is the perfect combination of drama and thrilling mind blasting gore. And if you do decide to watch the series stay away from the Facebook page until you watch the last episode. Some over eager fans consistently post spoilers.
10/10
Check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFXHfEqMcis]
–JoelE
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