Wormwood

First the director, of whom I am a fan, is to be congratulated for bringing this important story to the screen, a sad and terrifying chapter in our history that is larger than the Frank Olson story itself and even the MK Ultra program. That said, he seems to have been constrained by production values demanded by post-Breaking Bad audiences: technical and artistic overkill, relentless musical tension, and genre-bending, when the story itself is not only mind-boggling but well-documented and essential history that is little known or understood. The length (as has been noted) is far more than necessary to tell this story. A two hour movie or a two part series would have been a more effective use of the raw material. I am however pleased to see the Frank Olson story presented with great respect, although the documentary parts were, to me, far the most compelling than the drawn out contemplative sequences. (I loved seeing footage of the confessions of US military personnel, captured in Korea during the war, to having dropped bio-warfare bombs on North Korea counterposed to their recanting the same confessions when back in the US, suggesting that the brainwashing may not explain these confessions.) I do wonder if Netflix pressured the producers to come up with a six part series for their own reasons. The full history of US intelligence black operations since World War 2 could probably fill many decades of screen time, should our media choose to bring such history to the light of day. I would love to think that this is only the beginning of such an essential exploration.

Thank goodness for streaming - now you can also speed through hours of nonsense without missing anything. Very handy for a snail-paced maze of unnecessary "dramatisation". The story stands on its own; either make a 2 hr Hollywood special or don't, but don't degrade a powerful and valuable moment in history with mindless editing. Can't imagine why Netflix wants to throw away money - I'll take it?!

Loved this! Another classic Errol Morris but with a twist. Heartbreaking family tragedy set against the backdrop of shady CIA history. Suspenseful and thought-provoking.

Would've been a much higher rating if it was a 2 hour special. In fact my only complaints are the length of time, and that you can receive a PhD from Harvard for making collages. The actors were great and so was the production. Just needed to be more concise.

I only started watching Wormwoood because NetflixLife posted a tweet asking if anyone was getting into it. No one responded which truly surprised me, so I advised Netflix I'd give it a try.

The story is definitely worth telling. It has all the elements to create a decent docudrama. I always enjoy Peter Skarsgård, but the poor guy was so limited by the material. I'll will admit though, that the first episode was interesting enough for me to keep going.

But sadly, as early as episode 2, I realized 6 episodes were unnecessary. It could have been condensed to 2-3 episodes at the most. The pace is stultifying slow. I think this show might have been markedly better and perhaps more cohesive if they simply used the recorded interviews with the key characters.

I thought I'd try one more episode, but early into episode 3, Id had enough. I wasn't going to watch 3 more hours for any momentum or improved pacing.

I rarely review a show where I feel compelled to write a review. Wormwood is the exception. I simply had to express my disappointment in what could have been, with a different director perhaps, a terrific exposé on devious real life doings of the CIA in the late 40's through the early 70's.