The Man in the High Castle, Amazon's addictive new thriller
Will dystopian drama about life in Nazi-ruled America become the next must-watch box set?
Amazon's big-budget dystopian thriller, The Man in the High Castle, debuts on its streaming service today and reviewers are already hooked.
The series, based on a book by sci-fi writer Philip K Dick, and scripted by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), imagines what life would be like in the US if the Nazis had won the Second World War. The pilot became Amazon's most-watched original drama when it debuted in January and from today the full season of ten episodes is available to download.
In this alternative history, it is 1962 and the US has been partitioned into three parts ruled by the Japanese, the Nazis, and a neutral zone that acts as a buffer between the two areas. The story focuses on Juliana (Alexa Davalos) a young aikido student who unwittingly becomes involved in a resistance movement when her sister is killed by the authorities.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Critics were impressed by the pilot and are now giving the season positive reviews.
Tim Goodman in the Hollywood Reporter calls The Man in the High Castle a "bold, intriguing, visually-impressive effort".
It's an oddly compelling twist on history, says Goodman, one that has a science fiction feel without spaceships or aliens but instead presents a kind of alien among us. Goodman concludes that this "refreshingly intriguing" series is "worth the investment".
Maureen Ryan in Variety agrees, saying The Man in the High Castle starts well and gains weight and heft as it goes.
Ryan praises the show's "fantastic world-building" that sees every single element of the Japanese Pacific States' San Francisco and the Greater Nazi Reich on the east coast given a tactile, detailed reality.
She adds that this "serious, ambitious drama" is less of a character study, and more a meditation on how powerful and corrosive forces work their way through society. It also asks whether individuals can really make a difference, says Ryan, and explores the answer in "an intelligent and visually exhilarating way".
James Poniewozik in the New York Times agrees that the show is "chilling" and "unsettling", but worries that the character building is weaker than the world building.
Juliana and her boyfriend Frank (Rupert Evans), the main ensemble leads, take a while to emerge as individuals, says Poniewozik. But Rufus Sewell stands out as a pitiless American Nazi leader who is also a mild-mannered patriarch at home.
Despite this, says Poniewozik, the show marries its heady ideas with an assortment of genres from sci-fi to espionage thriller and mysticism to create a mystery that is "bracing" and "addictive".
All episodes are available to download from Amazon.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Cicada-geddon: the fungus that controls insects like 'zombies'
Under The Radar Expert says bugs will develop 'hypersexualisation' despite their genitals falling off
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Is the Gaza war tearing US university campuses apart?
Today's Big Question Protests at Columbia University, other institutions, pit free speech against student safety
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Can Hollywood successfully tackle the horror of the Holocaust?
Talking point Critics say three new films depicting 'humanity's darkest chapter' offer 'unexpected hopefulness'
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'True Detective: Night Country' and the rise of Arctic Noir
The Week Recommends Why we love police procedurals set in the bleak and remote polar extremes
By David Faris Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
Drama movies 2024: new films out this year
In Depth Latest reviews include The Boys in the Boat, One Life and Tchaikovsky's Wife
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Best new hotels and places to stay in 2024
The Week Recommends Featuring stylish island resorts, historical properties and wilderness retreats
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Albums of the year: best music of 2023
The Week Recommends A look back at the best pop, rap, jazz, dance, classical and rock releases
By The Week UK Published
-
Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay review: an institution reinvented
The Week Recommends Traditions are maintained and the tweaks are clever and modern
By Neil Davey Published
-
Tulum: a Mexican beach town of 'two halves'
The Week Recommends With the 'pueblo' and 'Zona Hotelera', Tulum is home to great hotels, restaurants and beach clubs
By William Leigh Published