Love & Death

It's not Law and Order but it is taken from actual events which you might not believe until you see the credits. It is one of those series that sucks you in from the very start a n d does not disappoint. For reference if you have seen it ,Under the Banner of Heaven would be a good comparison and that series was just as good as this one. Elizabeth Olsen will just blow you away with the way she just becomes the character. The writing, acting and direction and performances are absolute top notch. Ask yourself how much time and effort do you put into finding 'content' worth watching ?

HBO, now MAX ,doesn't drop a complete series all at once which I didn't realize when I first started watching this one and when I had to wait for the next episode, I couldn't wait.

I have seen both series on this incident and they each have their merits and flaws. The Hulu series entitled Candy, starring Jessica Biel, is the story told as if the protagonist is Betty, and she is an innocent victim of another woman's rage. Whereas Love and Death, on HBO Max, starring Elizabeth Olsen, is told as if the protagonist is Candy, who suffered an attack at the hands of an troubled and mentally unstable woman.

Both resent the same facts, bent to fit the needs of the protagonist.

In my opinion, the HBO series is much better. I found the characters much more likeable and the way the story is told, to be much more engaging.

Not to mention the beautiful sets and wardrobe that brought me right back to the 70's in tone and look.

Jesse Plemons once again puts in a stunning performance, as does Lily Rabe, herself a veteran of difficult, and well done performances.

Not to mention the beautiful framing with the axe, Betty's legs in the foreground and Candy in the background. Easily could have been the background for the title card.

I think this program would have been good no matter who played the starring role. Based on a true story, great acting, directing, cinematography, and music. I loved the music.

But I agree with other reviewers here at IMDB, I can never take my eyes off the screen when Elizabeth Olsen is on. I've only seen her in Avenger movies, Wandavision, and now this. She even plays a bad person in this. But still, she is gorgeous and a great actress. She has star power.

I binge watched all the episodes from beginning to end. I was riveted. I don't see how it could have been done any better.

10 out of 10 for me.

I don't know why two versions of the same story came out of Hollywood one year apart. And in my opinion, Love & Death isn't as good because Candy exists. Candy was more atmospheric and better stylized, had much better casting choices, and depicted the characters much more closely to the real people they were based on. Olsen, while very talented, looks too young and Rabe looks nothing like the real Betty Gore. Candy also did a much better job of capturing the essence of the late 70s/early 80s. As I said, Elizabeth Olsen is very talented but Jessica Biel just did an overall better job at giving us the Candy Montgomery of 1980.

Jesse Plemons is a very underrated actor. He never fails to deliver a good performance. He is not as good as Elizabeth Olsen, but he is good. Elizabeth Olsen is fantastic. Her range is great and she makes this character very believable and sympathetic. Every time she is on screen it's hard to look away. Whatever she does is interesting. Is this the year she wins her well deserved Emmy? This performance could be the difference.

Like every other show from HBO, the visuals are amazing. The sets and the visual effects are spotless. Even if you find the story uninteresting I'm sure you could watch this show just because it's so beautiful to look at.