perkypops

I am not marking this out of ten because it would simply trivialise the effort the producers have made. I hadn't read the book but I have been close to someone who did commit suicide, hence my interest.

Whilst watching I dealt with it as a documentary about one suicide with no other intention than to set out the evidence of the person who died. By the end I could understand why the outcome had gone wrong for every single character involved, from any standpoint I chose to observe. I will watch it again but not for a long while because even now, after several weeks, there are scenes I remember more vividly than anything I have watched on TV or in a cinema for a long while.

There are times when this series is very hard to watch, and I paced my viewing according to how I felt at the end of each episode. I found all the characters to be complex and complicated, much more so the more episodes I watched until, by the end, I was left exhausted by the folly of it all. If that is what the producers set out to do to the viewer then they achieved it with several notches to spare.

I cannot dismiss it as irresponsible as some have done so, on here and elsewhere. I will not endorse it as a statement about suicide or how such tragic events can be changed because I do not believe that is the message the series delivers or intends to deliver. It left me on empty and I am pretty sure that is what I felt about the suicide I experienced up close and personal.

If you want to watch it then do so with an open mind but don't judge it before you reach the end. If you find yourself jumping to conclusions before episode thirteen then this 'documentary' is not for you.

From the first lines spoken in this deeply, darkly black comedy you feel you are in for a treat and you most certainly are. Pathos, farce, black comedy at it best but with an undeniably astute message underpinning an excellent script sprinkled with the occasional clever little cinematic trick. The acting is supreme right across the board. The direction and detail (watch a cyclist zig-zag down a road) bringing out the detail and meaning of what unfolds before us. In every way this is a real gem of a film. And time moves so incredibly fast watching this movie so well paced is all the action.

Certainly a movie deserving of as wide an audience as it can possibly get.

Nine out of ten.

Lad is involved in incident with mobile phone and starts to exhibit special powers which he begins to use in many interesting ways. British cast, with younger actors predominating, does well in a film which is well photographed, well edited, and has a good soundtrack and better than average script. It's entertaining, has some novel twists, and is certainly well worth the watch.

Perhaps it doesn't have the budget of the alternative superhero studios but Netflix have done well to release this as one of their originals. You will pay more to see worse.

Recommended to anyone interested in the superhero genre or who like good, solid entertainment.