artemis8

Whoever thought it was a good idea to have the main character mumble unintelligible lines past a cigarette in his mouth for the film's first 15 minutes is an idiot. I was ready to turn it off, but then read a review here that mentioned that the first 15 minutes are difficult, so I kept watching. A person could skip the first 15 minutes entirely and not lose anything except finding out that the two main characters are a DJ and the town's switchboard operator. And that there's a big basketball game that is not really related to the rest of the plot. Worth watching in a pinch, like if you just can't find anything else you feel like watching right then.

From the start, the movie attempts to create an extreme atmosphere of suspense, even when nothing in the least suspenseful is happening. It lacks any buildup of tension, but instead attempts to create it where it doesn't yet exist, even in the most innocuous scenes, using the most obnoxious soundtrack I've ever had to endure. Making pancakes for her rude, sullen son? Intense, dramatic music. Driving down the street to take the annoying son to school? Pounding, shrieking tense music. This got very old very fast. Weird occurrences in the house that point to something unexplained clearly going on? Nobody pieces any of it together or apparently even makes the slightest attempt to. Just more overly-dramatic, pounding music. All of the characters are unlikable, and I didn't care at all what happened to any of them-I just wanted the horrible music to stop. Suffered through about half of it before turning it off. Don't waste your time on this.

I actually think this series is a solid 8, but I gave it 10 stars to help balance out the baffling 1-star user reviews. There is nothing whatever wrong with the series! It's beautifully done in every way-gorgeous costumes, lavish sets, clever writing, good acting, and compelling characters. Who on earth gives something like this a 1-star review? Is there some kind of vendetta going on here that I don't know about? This is fiction people! It's a charming, creative romance very loosely based on some historical facts, is there something wrong with that? Watch a documentary if you want historical accuracy. This is entertainment, and very enjoyable entertainment at that! I'm enjoying it immensely and look forward to each episode. I was delighted when a second season was just announced. I hope there may be many more to follow!