I was fortunate enough to catch a screening of The Jersey Connection at this year's inaugural New Jersey Web Festival. The festival screened only one episode per web series and because of this I only saw the first episode called The Screenwriter. Based off just the first episode alone, The Jersey Connection cemented itself as one of the best web series at the festival. Not to say the other web series at the festival weren't good, but TJC was in a league of its own with its retro, old-school cinematography to its rapid plot and character intensity. The series creator- twenty four year old Jersey boy named Tim Firtion- explained after the screening that his only goal was to tell a story he thought would entertain. After watching the rest of the first season on Youtube, I can honestly say that Mr. Firtion succeeded and then some.
The story is about a botched drug heist and its aftermath. The plot itself is quite simple actually and has been a crime trope since the dawn of movies, but HOW the story is told in a reverse-chronology format and how the characters interact with each other is what makes the series work as well as it does. Yes, there is loads of violence. Yes, the language is some of the filthiest I ever heard. There is drugs. There is sex. There's a plethora of references to other movies, even visually. The acting is very impressive. The Jersey Connection has all the ingredients of a crime thriller and combines them in such a way that it all feels fresh and exciting.. Can't wait for the next season. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you check this thing out. There aren't many others out there like it.
