The Third Day

TIFF 2020 05

The Third Day

Having watched only two episodes of this 6 episode miniseries as part of the festival, I'd say this series is interesting to say the least. It has a top quality cast from some of the best British actors/actresses involved, it's greatly atmospheric and gothic which I really liked and the story seems engaging enough for 6 hours. Also this series is kind of special because a theatrical live episode is going to drop and broadcasted in about a month so I'm really excited to see how this project will shape out.

I have watched the first 4 episodes so far. I agree with every single review here. So why are they so polarized?

Yes the cinematography is stunning. Yes the scenery is breathtaking. Yes the acting is wonderful and yes the plot is edge of your seat twisty...

But it is also over the top, makes me want to gag, long drawn out scenes that verge on, "where is the fast forward button" and outright confusion at times.

I think it has potential and may just need time to find its sweet spot. As a mini series it may not ever find it.

The bottom line is that it clearly is not for everyone. If you like artsy, mysterious, movies, you will probably love this. And if you prefer a more direct, fast paced, drama you probably won't.

Hope this helps.

It's so hard to rate this, because it's one of the most intense and creative shows I've ever seen. There are some aspects that are really well done, and the cinematic effects (filters/lighting) carry a lot of the weight and accentuate Sam's experiences. Sometimes, though, it's a little overdone, much like my 14 year old self on Instagram with all the effects. And then there's the plot. Again, incredibly creative and intense, but any sort of character motivation is sacrificed to serve plot twist upon plot twist upon plot twist. It makes little sense at the end. The only character whose motivation I can follow somewhat clearly is Sam's, and there are many things in the first episode that should have been answered or referenced in the following parts of the series. Maybe they will be in the coming 'second half'. I really hope the 'Winter' segment is easier to follow, because every single character changing allegiances approximately 4 times per episode is making ME feel like I took LSD at a Celtic festival.

It's a pity most of these reviews were written by people who didn't finish the series. I don't expect everyone to love confusing, unnerving, slow burns as much as I do. But I am disappointed to see how many people missed the unreliable narrator twist that was done in a way I haven't seen before.

No, the main character's decisions don't seem to make any sense. I wonder if that was done with intention? I wonder if it hints at a reveal?

I guess, if you don't like sticking through a weird story to get a weird ending, that's fair. I do, and I found this series did it very well.

The cast is phenomenal and take the audience through the twisty journey excellently.

One episode seen and I wanted to see more. This series seemed to me, kind of a mix of Lost with Midsommar. And the color of this series sometimes reminded me of certain Wes Anderson films.

It has fantastic cinematography. A mysterious and captivating story. An incredible deck of actors who overflow with charisma. The atmosphere is mysterious and eery, with pleasant comedy undertones. Paddy Considine is fantastic. Jude Law is great. I will certainly wait for the next episode.