Long Bright River

Amanda Seyfried is one of the most underrated actresses ever This is a compelling mini series with a plot twist every ten minutes. Being from the Philly area I really enjoyed all the local references, and the producers ( Seyfried among them) really nailed the " it's a Philly thing " vibe!

The plot is basically a story of a Philly cops desperate search for her missing sister. But the real story, is a look into the hardscrapple world of lower middle class America, and their daily struggles to just get through to the next day. And it's wonderful My big knock on this series is this, however Will somebody please pay the electric bill !!!

It's sometimes appeared as though every scene- even the outdoor scenes were filmed in obnoxiously dim lighting Director took this " film noire" thing wayyyyy Too far.

I haven't read the novel, so I went into the show with no knowledge of the story, and I won't be able to compare the two. I am currently on episode seven, and though the storyline is decent, I think if the casting choices had been weaker, it would have lost my interest. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Amanda Seyfried's beautiful performance elevates what I otherwise might have deemed Mare of Easttown's less impressive sibling. Her attention to nuances and line deliveries makes what could easily be an unremarkable scene intriguing, and I've found myself very drawn to her character. The young actor who plays Thomas is also great. I look forward to finishing it, and though I fear the threat of predictability, I'm certain I'll still recommend this to people, especially fans of Seyfried. It's a slow-burn, but I haven't felt like I've wasted my time. If you like murder mysteries with layers and appreciate the good-but-flawed heroine cliché, I'm sure you'll like Long Bright River.

For a Peacock endeavor that mirrors NBC mainstream template, this show stays within those lines and is good, critically good. Some predictable items. But I could not stop watching. Well done. Amanda is an awesome actress btw. Realistic characters.

Edgy, great plot, dark but realistic. Reminded me *at times* maybe a bit True Detective, Shades of Blue, the Philly outside stuff made me homesick for Boston.

I know this is in a past date-frame, but hate how this reflects certain aspects of law enforcement and actual life.

I tried to give accolades but intentionally wrote so I did not give spoilers.

Impressed.

My rating is 5 stars for two reasons. First, it is so dark...what is the fascination with filming scenes in lighting so dark the viewer sees nothing? This technique is not something to be applauded. It is not "artistic" nor creative. Stop already! Make a podcast if all the audience can do is listen and not see! Second, the story could have been effectively told in half the episodes. It felt as if the studio slotting 8 episodes drove the content rather than the story line. A final aside - the casting for younger versions of characters was awful. By no stretch of the imagination would these actors grow up into the adult versions. I always find poor casting distracting.

I don't get all the negative reviews. I thought this show was very good. Every episode left me wanting to watch another therefore I ended up binging the whole thing in one sitting. By no means is it produced to perfection but the story itself had me feeling all types of emotions. I also didn't think it was predictable, like many others have said l. Definitely had me guessing and on the edge of my seat at times. Check it out yourself and form your own opinion. I also liked On Call who has Spencer from pretty little liars playing a cop. Actors like to step out of the box and not be pigeonholed into playing the same character all the time. It's TV it doesn't need to be so realistic. It's for entertainment purposes. If you want such a realistic crime/thriller, just turn on the news.