A young girl is destined to liberate her world from the grip of the Magisterium which represses people's ties to magic and their animal spirits known as daemons.A young girl is destined to liberate her world from the grip of the Magisterium which represses people's ties to magic and their animal spirits known as daemons.A young girl is destined to liberate her world from the grip of the Magisterium which represses people's ties to magic and their animal spirits known as daemons.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 15 wins & 51 nominations total
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Summary
Reviewers say 'His Dark Materials' is lauded for its strong performances, particularly from Dafne Keen and Ruth Wilson, and its impressive visual effects and production design. However, some critics find the adaptation lacking in character development, pacing, and faithfulness to the original books. The series explores complex themes like identity and morality, though these are not always effectively conveyed. The show's visual style and world-building are often highlighted, but opinions on their translation from books to screen are mixed.
Featured reviews
Guessing No One Reads Anymore
Even though I never read the books, I KNOW this is based off of them. Other reviews suggesting that this is a waste of money and comparing it to The Golden Compass, even they are one and the same except the series is far superior because it can actually delve into the source material. People need to do a little research and quit being lazy before spouting off about something they know nothing about obviously.
I've seen other series get the same treatment because people don't read or do research. So annoying. Anyway the show is great. Yes, the movie only got the tip of the iceberg. The show actually goes deeper into the relationships of characters and their backgrounds. The acting is good. The actors are fantastic. And it is British because it's supposed to be.
Give it three episodes before you throw it away due to crappy reviews giving this show the shaft.
I've seen other series get the same treatment because people don't read or do research. So annoying. Anyway the show is great. Yes, the movie only got the tip of the iceberg. The show actually goes deeper into the relationships of characters and their backgrounds. The acting is good. The actors are fantastic. And it is British because it's supposed to be.
Give it three episodes before you throw it away due to crappy reviews giving this show the shaft.
This isn't Harry Potter
I've heard a few people complain already that "It's trying to be "Harry Potter".
The first book in the HDM trilogy was published two years BEFORE the first "Potter", so y'all can stop that nonsense right now. I like both franchises, but "His Dark Materials" is shorter, better written, and has deeper content.
I was let down by the movie adaptation, so I'm very happy to see this new version which can take its time and look and feel more like the book. I'm hoping it's a hit. This series is anything but predictable. I won't spoil it for anyone, but expect the unexpected.
The first book in the HDM trilogy was published two years BEFORE the first "Potter", so y'all can stop that nonsense right now. I like both franchises, but "His Dark Materials" is shorter, better written, and has deeper content.
I was let down by the movie adaptation, so I'm very happy to see this new version which can take its time and look and feel more like the book. I'm hoping it's a hit. This series is anything but predictable. I won't spoil it for anyone, but expect the unexpected.
Glad I finally gave this a chance
I have to start off by saying I knew absolutely nothing about His Dark Materials going into it. I never read the books or saw the movie (The Golden Compass). The only thing I knew was from the trailer and a couple reviews on what the plot was but from what I read this was a great adaptation. I personally thought it was entertaining from beginning to end. I never got bored for even an episode. I'm glad they were given enough seasons/episodes to tell the entire story and not get cancelled on a cliffhanger or questions not answered. This had a satisfying conclusion. You can tell how much money and attention to detail went into this show because it was absolutely beautiful. James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruth Wilson, Dafne Keen and the rest of the cast were all brilliant.
Absolutely breathtaking in scope and storyline.
I haven't read the books, but I know many people have commented that this series is more faithful than Hollywood's Golden Compass. No surprises there!
I've loved Ruth Wilson since she was in Luther, and she is no less brilliant in HDM. Even though the storyline and cast of characters are quite involved, there's no difficulty in following what's happening. Even the daemons are "believable ".
You don't have to delve too deeply into the hidden meanings and sub texts: you can just enjoy it for the adventure it is. But, you CAN, if you want, think quite deeply about the issues behind the storyline. Thought provoking to say the least.
I love it.
I've loved Ruth Wilson since she was in Luther, and she is no less brilliant in HDM. Even though the storyline and cast of characters are quite involved, there's no difficulty in following what's happening. Even the daemons are "believable ".
You don't have to delve too deeply into the hidden meanings and sub texts: you can just enjoy it for the adventure it is. But, you CAN, if you want, think quite deeply about the issues behind the storyline. Thought provoking to say the least.
I love it.
Overall a great adaptation
Having just binged the three seasons, I'm happy enough to come here and give it a positive review.
First and foremost I think the effects were really something. Everything felt quite immersive, there were rarely times that something felt too fake. Some of the imagery was exactly how I imagined from the books, for example the abyss and the mulefa world.
Some of the performances were amazing and award-worthy. My favourites were Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter, Will Keen as Father MacPhail. Simone Kirby as Mary and. Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina. They each really brought their characters to life, from the tensions of Coulter and MacPhail to the serenity of Serafina and the more ordinary yet inquisitive Mary.
Some other portrayals I was less keen on, including the two main characters, though I think they improved towards the end and delivered an impactful finale. I also wasn't completely sold on Asriel, perhaps just a bit too different from my personal image of him. My other gripe is that I felt there wasn't enough time for some characters to be properly fleshed out and felt for, which led to some scenes being less emotional than they could have been.
Regardless, this series overall did the books justice and I would definitely recommend it.
First and foremost I think the effects were really something. Everything felt quite immersive, there were rarely times that something felt too fake. Some of the imagery was exactly how I imagined from the books, for example the abyss and the mulefa world.
Some of the performances were amazing and award-worthy. My favourites were Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter, Will Keen as Father MacPhail. Simone Kirby as Mary and. Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina. They each really brought their characters to life, from the tensions of Coulter and MacPhail to the serenity of Serafina and the more ordinary yet inquisitive Mary.
Some other portrayals I was less keen on, including the two main characters, though I think they improved towards the end and delivered an impactful finale. I also wasn't completely sold on Asriel, perhaps just a bit too different from my personal image of him. My other gripe is that I felt there wasn't enough time for some characters to be properly fleshed out and felt for, which led to some scenes being less emotional than they could have been.
Regardless, this series overall did the books justice and I would definitely recommend it.
Soundtrack
Preview the soundtrack here and continue listening on Amazon Music.
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the first time the novels by Sir Philip Pullman are adapted into a television series. The previous film adaptation, The Golden Compass (2007), was once cited by the author George R.R. Martin as one of the reasons he wanted Game of Thrones (2011) to be a television series rather than a feature film. Martin later shared his thoughts on the series on Twitter, calling it "SO much better than the feature film." There are only three novels in Pullman's series, however, and several in Martin's, so it's not surprising the original plan was to adapt His Dark Materials into a film trilogy.
- Crazy creditsThe opening titles are a zoom out, starting from particles of Dust at atomic level and zooming out to show the various multiversal locations within the story (and the objects/people/vehicles within these multiverses) before concluding the zoom out to reveal the series title.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The South Bank Show: Jack Thorne (2019)
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Vật Chất Tối Của Ngài
- Filming locations
- Wolf Studios, Cardiff, Wales, UK(Interiors)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h(60 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 1.78 : 1
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