Barons

I fell under the spell of this new Australia Surfing TV show Barons immediately. The series considers a critical reflection on the cultural landscape of our Australian shores, our beaches that continue to coordinate our social space, knowledge and identity forming in every generation. The actors are fresh and talented castings, they are next generation artists that tackle the content head-on as they do the waves with bravado. The surfing footage is as slick as. Barons is a series to be celebrated on all levels, its groundings in 70s nostalgia of yesteryear translates generationally, its cast boast high quality acting ( the Snapper a standout). The producers got this one right in that reflecting on how far we have come as a nation drawing conversation around equality and first nations rights, Barons manages to broker the topics of discrimination acts and how surfing culture played a roll in carving out our identity as a unified peoples. Sand and land and panel vans have never been more appealing . Kick arse show. Love it.

Barons beautifully paints a picture of a very specifically Australian Surf culture as it emerged in the 70's. The way this is shot and presented gives an immersive and sensuous window into that time, drenched in sun and film light leaks. The story and settings are well put together, but the casting choices are the real standout, with Sean Keenan, Ben O'Toole, Jillian Nguyen and the rest of the ensemble blending together beautifully to give a sense of the dynamics shifting between them, but also wonderfully portraying the period in which it is set.

This has a wonderful cast. Some future Aussie stars I'm sure. Hunter Page-Lochard stands out in particular. The pacing of the series is slightly off at times and there are a few ropey American accents however what makes make up for it in other ways is the lush cinematography (makes me want to head to a warm beach asap) and the details in the seventies throwback costuming is very good also. The recent Daisy Jones and The Six adaption could've learnt a lot from this in terms of 70's vibes with feeling included. The series is not very long so it's a relatively easy watch if you want something that's easy to get into. I give it 7 out of 10.

Quite reminiscent of time gone by. I only realised after watching the 1st episode that it's loosely based on the beginnings of these surf companies. Lots of potential, I just hope it doesn't go the way of indulgent melodrama.

I watched all 8 episodes in a couple of days - thanks to Covid. In my opinion this is a seductive drama with excellent acting and believable story. Stand out performances for me were Ben O'Toole, Jillian Nguyen, Hunter Page-Lochard, Sophia Forrest, Catherine Van-Davies and Sebastian Tang.

What I really appreciate is how the series tackles entrenched misogynistic beliefs, laws and behaviours. You see the women managing these aspects of their community with intelligence and stamina.

Well worth watching till the end.