Moon Knight

There is an article that says this is a bold experiment when Marvel changes its style and it is successful. I want to clarify this point of view from my perspective.

Marvel has tried a lot of things since the Infinity Stone era, but they still want to keep the light and funny. A lot of the bad stuff from Wandavision to Hawkeye has been just entertaining and not very emotional. No Way Home is the exception because of its fanservice connections to previous Sony movies. Even Moon Knight, the show's merits don't overshadow the lack of harmony between the story itself and the style of the MCU. But perhaps Marvel got lucky with Moon Knight. The Egyptian mythology, especially the culture, I want to emphasize this point, the culture is told in great detail and makes the story more convincing, combined with the music, another highlight of the show, creating beautiful scenes. Oscar Isaac's acting is really great as this character is also a fertile ground for him to express. Although the editing and the lack of harmony of Marvel somewhat hindered the inherent appeal, I still want to give praise to Mohamed Diab, he brought a very original breath to a story about his own country. Of course, in the end, it's hard to say that this is a great show. There were many scenes that made me wish they had focused on this show as a standalone show and taken it more retro and serious. Another downside is that the show's color palette is not consistent. Take the classic The Mummy for example. That movie had a consistent color palette. This show doesn't have its own color palette. In many scenes, I think Oscar Isaac created depth for the character himself. And this partly makes the viewers still feel attracted even though those scenes are not convincing and reasonable enough. Honestly, I'm very hesitant to think about this superhero appearing in an MCU movie that features characters from other shows. The future will tell, but I think this character would be better suited outside of the MCU.

Moon Knight is like nothing Marvel's done before-and I'm all in for the ride! The series throws out the traditional superhero playbook and gives us something gritty, weird, and seriously fun. If you thought WandaVision was trippy, get ready, because Moon Knight cranks up the surrealism even more. With a mashup of Egyptian mythology, action, and psychological horror, this show keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Oscar Isaac? Absolutely killing it. Watching him flip between the nervous, quirky Steven Grant and the hard-edged Marc Spector is a masterclass. One moment he's fumbling through life with that British accent (which, yeah, feels a bit bonkers but endearing), and the next, he's this tough mercenary wielding ancient powers. Isaac's performance is the glue that holds everything together, especially when the pacing gets rocky. And let's not forget that Isaac is technically juggling three characters. Yes, the third alter, Jake Lockley, makes a chilling appearance-teasing a darker layer to this already complex character.

The plot itself is simple on the surface-Steven and Marc's tangled lives collide as they investigate Egyptian gods and a looming apocalyptic threat-but that's where the simplicity ends. Moon Knight thrives on chaos. Its unpolished, unpredictable narrative makes every episode feel like an adventure through Steven and Marc's fractured minds. There are some wild tonal shifts, and sure, not all of them land perfectly, but that's part of the charm. It's gritty, it's suspenseful, and there's a raw energy here that you don't see in every Marvel series.

Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow is a whole vibe. He brings this sinister, almost cult-leader energy that keeps you guessing. And May Calamawy? She holds her own as Layla, stepping into the spotlight as the Scarlet Scarab by the end of the season. Her action scenes and the dynamic between her and Marc/Steven elevate the show even further.

The pacing? Yeah, it can be a slow burn, especially early on. The show takes its time setting up Steven's confusion before really diving into the action, and that might turn some people off. But trust me-stick with it. Once you're through those first few episodes, Moon Knight finds its groove. And while the show doesn't fully escape the Orientalist undertones of the original comics, the direction from Mohamed Diab keeps the focus on character and chaos, giving us a visually stunning experience.

Speaking of visuals, the Moon Knight suit is incredible, and the action sequences-especially those where Marc or Steven summons the suit-are sleek and satisfying. However, the creatures and gods sometimes feel underused, lurking more in the shadows than in full focus. But that eerie, horror-inspired edge works in the show's favor, keeping things unpredictable.

At its core, Moon Knight is a character study wrapped in mythological madness. It's not trying to tie itself too tightly to the MCU, and that's what makes it so refreshing. There's a freedom here that lets the show explore mental health, trauma, and ancient power in ways Marvel hasn't touched on before. Plus, the internal tug-of-war between Marc and Steven adds depth that keeps you emotionally invested.

Ultimately, Moon Knight isn't perfect, but it doesn't need to be. It's a chaotic, daring, and entertaining leap into new territory for the MCU. With Isaac's powerhouse performance, strong supporting cast, and a story that's just wild enough to work, this is one Marvel series you don't want to miss.

This series should get a higher rating, and reading the reviews I find that the bad ones are mostly from people who didn't take the time to watch up to episode 5; which is essential to watch to being able to judge this story.

Some room for improvement (action is a bit 'marvelish' and predictable), but overall a great series containing smart writing and outstanding acting (Oscar Isaac in particular of course). Finally something new and fresh which actually asks for your attention whilst watching!

I have never taken the time to rate a series before, but this one definitely deserved a good one.

Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) is a meek gift shop worker in a British museum who aspires to do more meaningful work as he researches Ancient Egyptian history and language in his off hours while being ignored by his colleagues. As Steven suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), he is prone to blackouts and takes precautions to prevent himself from blacking out or wandering off at night. When Steven awakens in the middle of one of his episodes, he discovers he is living a double life as Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac) who is facing off against charismatic cult leader Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) who leads disciples who worship the Egyptian goddess Ammit. Now Steven finds himself on the run uncertain of reality as he deals with the conflicting voices of Marc Spector and Egyptian moon god Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham) in his head.

Moon Knight is yet another MCU series for Disney+ that sees the introduction of the character of the same name. As the character (at least as revised past his initial appearance in Werewolf by Night) was heavily entrenched in Egyptian mythology, the series was set to be directed by acclaimed Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab who although surprised by the "out of the blue" offer to helm the series saw it as an opportunity to give a unique portrayal of his native Egypt portraying it in a more modern and light eschewing many of the ethnic and cultural stereotypes surrounding various horror and adventure stories related to Egypt. Jeremy Slater worked on the pitch with his intention to go as dark as Marvel would allow while still telling a fun adventure story in the vein of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Upon release the series received strong reviews mainly centered on Isaac's central performance and was a success like it's various miniseries that preceded it. There is a lot to admire in Moon Knight from a strong central performance to a unique take on Egyptian lore, even if I did feel somewhat underwhelmed by the ending.

As expected, Oscar Isaac does really well playing a mentally troubled man who finds himself in over his head with two distinct personalities vying for control of the one body. Isaac does well playing the more meek Steven Grant while also playing the distinctly more assertive and cold Marc Spector, and it's engaging character in performance that Isaac really sells. I also rather enjoyed May Calamawy as Layla El Faouly who is a former associate of Marc's and she makes a welcome ally on the adventure who's able to hold her own as well as provide valuable insight. Ethan Hawke is fantastic as Arthur Harrow and from his first introduction he plays the character with menace and allure so you can understand why he'd be able to draw such devoted disciples to his cause. Mohamed Diab does a solid job of directing the series playing the material for psychological horror/thrills as well as the pulpy adventure elements you've come to expect from something like this and while there is humor, Diab does take the material fairly seriously and gets some solid mileage out of the material. The one downside to the show is the ending which leaves the series feeling like it's without proper resolution. Despite leading to a creative and engaging climax there's no real epilogue and it feels like we're not given closure on several points as the series gives us one final "reality bender" that leaves you scratching your head going "what just happened?" and certain threads such as Layla's character just feel pushed by the wayside. Apparently Marvel designed the series to be more "open to coninuation" in comparison to stuff like Wandavision or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but not only is Oscar Isaac not signed for any follow-ups at the moment (at the time of this writing at least) but even Loki which did end on an open ending had a greater note of finality to its first season despite the promise of a second one.

If it weren't for a frustrating ending that feels like it left too many dangling threads, this would probably be one of my favorite MCU projects. It's got a great cast, a memorable hero, and a memorable villain but I really felt let down by the brazen season baiting of the ending. I will say that it's nice it kept the references to other MCU properties to a minimum, but despite standing on its own the way it finishes feels like it's missing parts of the resolution.

Moon Knight is so much better than it has any right of being and that's mostly because of the incredibly underrated Oscar Isaac. He's so good in just about everything he does and is absolutely terrific in this as well. The way he makes both split personalities seem like two completely different people takes skill as an actor. He really makes you care for the character and what happens to him. Ethan Hawke was as good as always too. He never disappoints in any role. It currently has a 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and for good reason. I'm not sure if they plan on doing another season or not but based off this first season I sure hope they do.