A Thousand Blows

The sets, scenery and costumes are fantastic even the actors who are some of my favourites especially Erin Doherty and Stephen Graham, however something felt off with this series? Not because I'm expecting it to be peaky blinders, absolutely not it's, it's own show, but it felt far too disney if that makes sense? The writing/directing mainly and this doesn't reflect the actors. I guess this is meant to be the part characters are simply introduced to build upon the storyline they've given us as the preview they've shown at the end looks more gripping! I just hope that's the case as I really want to like this more. I just found myself slightly underwhelmed at present.

A Thousand Blows is a Hulu original series based off the real life stories of a group of people battling for survival in the most brutal part of East London in the 1880's. Two best friends, Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall) on the rum from Jamaica find themselves thrown into the criminal world of London's bare-knuckle fighting scene. As Hezekiah continues to win and find fame and fortune, he attracts the attention of the Queen of the Forty Elephants, Mary Carr (Erin Doherty), who then works with Hezekiah to further her criminal empire. Then there's the boss of the East End boxing world, Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham), who is determined to destroy Hezekiah because he's threatening everything Sugar has built. What happens next is a battle between the two of them. This is one of the early surprises of 2025 so far.

I don't always enjoy costume drama, but this one is definitely one to watch. Stephen Graham didn't disappoint! He is made for this role. What an amazing performance from his end.

I also loved how the crime syndicate displayed is one with women. Erin Doherty is perfect for the role of Mary Carr.

Throughout great acting, good script and the locations are spectacular. I suspect AI is used for some scenerys but it is done well in this case. I guess what ever keeps the production coats down and free budget for other things like great actors is a plus !

Cliffhanger in the end, meaning there will be a second season and I will definitely watch it.

I ended up enjoying A Thousand Blows much more than I expected to. I've been looking forward to it ever since I first saw the trailers. I'm a fan of this genre so I was going to give it a chance no matter what. It ended up not only meeting my expectations but exceed them. This series is created by Stephen Knight, the same guy who created great shows like Peaky Blinders, See, Rogue Heroes, All the Light We Cannot See, etc. The writing is very good but what makes this series work so well is the acting. The three leads, Malachi Kirby, Erin Doherty and especially the ridiculously underrated Stephen Graham are what makes this series a must watch. Graham is such a good actor, you might know him from Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders, Gangs of New York, The Irishman, Band of Brothers, Taboo, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bodies, Venom and so many other great movies/shows. He was great in all of those. I can't say enough about what an underrated actor Graham is. If you're a fan Stephen Knight's other work then give this a chance... I promise you won't be disappointed.

I started watching A Thousand Blows yesterday afternoon on a whim. Not knowing anything about it, unsure if I'd even like it because I'm not a huge fan of boxing, I'm glad I gave it a chance. I was hooked from the first scene. The acting and storytelling is thoroughly and thoughtfully executed, moving seamlessly among story lines and character arcs. It all weaves together into a beautiful narrative tapestry.

Every character plays their part with complexity and warmth. Given the setting and subject matter, the writing could easily rely on well-worn tropes, as it does in so many potentially great series. Thankfully none of that is happening in A Thousand Blows, as each character and plot is written in a way that gives people fully formed personalities and motivations.

Each character's actions and motivations are relevant and important to the story. The dialogue is realistic and continually supports and builds the narrative. The effect provides the viewer with a sense of being carried by the writing so that you can easily get fully absorbed in the narrative. Solid narrative structure is such a rare quality in television these days, so it was refreshing to say the least.

The series is perfectly paced, wasting no moment and never dragging or lagging in story progression. By the end I found myself satisfied with what had transpired and excited to see what happens next.

9/10 completely binge-worthy and satisfying.