Homecoming: De Volta à Pátria

NOTE: This review applies only to Season 1.

The premise is intriguing and the acting is quite good, but the pacing is so slow that it often becomes boring. The story would have been more effective as a 2-hour movie than it is as a 10-episode series. You can tell that every episode was padded with yawns to fill the 30-minute time slot. The plot is so simple, it could be written in no more than five paragraphs.

Julia Roberts, Stephan James and Bobby Cannavale all turn in good performances, but there just isn't much to work with here.

Julia Roberts is laid back most of the time and seems to be on sedatives. I've seen the film described as a "thriller" so I watched all 10 episodes waiting for some thrills. They never happened. It just isn't worth the time.

I read a few of the reviews prior to watching this. The initial perception - it is slow to start. However, the first few episodes provide those key tie-in's that end up making this a very entertaining show! Having been in Iraq for 5 years, this show sure hit home. Very good! Thought provoking! Haha, yes I binged watched it. Is definitely worth it! Enjoy it folks!

Season 1: 6/10 (1 viewing, 8/18/2020) i enjoyed the season throughout, if only could have stuck the landing. the directing was distinct and impactful, and the tone was intriguing and a bit unsettling. i just wish it concluded with more of an oomph.

Season 2: 7/10 (1 viewing, 8/28/2020) a slight step down with how i described the first season's directing as impactful. a slight step up in excitement and intrigue with a slightly faster pace, possibly due to the fewer number of episodes. and a much stronger finish than season 1. well-made overall

Season 1 of Homecoming is interesting. It unravels in a way that intrigues and holds you in suspense until the end. I was thoroughly invested and binge watched and was satisfied with the storyline. 8/10.

Season 2 of Homecoming is super boring. Why was it even made? Janelle Monae is fine. But her character just isn't interesting, and nor is the story. 5/10. I don't know the person who really wants to sit through this slog.

My average is 7/10, but season 1 is definitely of a different caliber than season 2, and I wish I could rate them separately.

I've just got back from a screening of the first four episodes of Homecoming at TIFF, and I must say that I am impressed. I was initially a little off-put by the show's strange pacing (it is a drama series with half-hour long episodes), but by the third episode I was really digging it. Although the story moves at a slow pace, it is thoroughly engrossing and packed full of spine-tingling moments.

I have not listened to the podcast this is based on, as I wanted to go in blind, but I'm a massive fan of Mr. Robot and was very excited to see what Sam Esmail would do with a pure noir. I was not disappointed. The directing of the series is ridiculously strong, including some familiar Esmail-isms (top-down shots, unusual framing, etc) and a lot of steady-cam and long shots. The third episode in particular had a number of images that took my breath away.

Outside of the directing, the acting is probably the strongest element of the show. Julia Roberts and Stephan James bring impressive depth and emotion to the two lead roles, while the other characters are more defined by their quirks and are often used comedically. Shea Wigham in particular stands out because of all the subtle little mannerisms he employs to define his character. Bobby Cannavale is also very good, although his character is quite mysterious at this stage.

Overall, I am really loving Homecoming so far, and would recommend it to anybody who likes a good mystery, although it might be a good idea to wait until the whole season is out so it can be watched in hour-long chunks.