Penny Dreadful

Penny Dreadful is one of the better Supernatural/Horror TV series I've ever seen. While I have to admit that I'm not the biggest supernatural fan this hooked me from the start and kept me coming back for more until the next thing I knew I binged the entire series! Eva Green & Josh Hartnett are the stars here as they lead a pretty stellar cast! I'm glad I finally gave it a chance as should you.

Well, I'm trying to write a completely spoiler-free review here, but I guess it's safe to announce that 'Penny Dreadful' looks positively gorgeous. Great production design and cinematography: by the time we get to see Victorian London as night descends upon the city and the fog starts creeping through those narrow cobblestone alleys, nearly every frame looks like a beautiful, Gothic painting (and not once did I spot a fake looking CG-background). As far as the actors are concerned, they portray their obscure, troubled characters with a certain kind of "theatre" intensity that fits the story and the turn-of-the-century setting very well.

Story-wise I don't want to give away anything – but of course, there are unholy things lurking in the shadows that need to be fought (and they look rather convincing: the make-up effects are another strong point of this show). Like the iconic "Hammer Horror" films of old (usually starring either Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing – or both), 'Penny Dreadful' draws its setting, characters and general inspiration mainly from some famously dark tales written by Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde (and to a lesser extent from sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories). And just like the Hammer films - who may seem rather tame now but were shockingly violent for their time - this show is neither for purists of said literary works nor for the faint of heart.

While some scenes are genuinely scary in a tension building, "old school" kind of way, we also get blood soaked action sequences that will probably put off some viewers, but seem entirely appropriate given the show's title (in the 19th century a "penny dreadful" used to be a booklet of cheap, sensational fiction printed on pulp paper which could be purchased for - wait for it: a penny).

My overall verdict: 'Penny Dreadful' dishes out a hefty mix of gory violence, classic horror creatures, sex and action, but it never forgets to build atmosphere. The B-movie elements are undeniably there, but they're deliberate (the title says it all), and this is by no means a cheap affair. Beautifully crafted and with a great cast, I strongly recommend this show to anyone who likes the old "Hammer Horror" movies as well as films in the vein of Tim Burton's 'Sweeney Todd' and 'Sleepy Hollow'.

But not just for the fans of "Goth Horror" is this well worth checking out; I would say that after 'True Detective' and perhaps 'Fargo' this is one of the most promising new TV-shows of 2014.

Favorite Films: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054200841/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

If heaven and hell are real I pray I'm forgiven for my fascination with such dark shows. Just by looking at the poster you know this is going to be something unholy. You got Frankenstein, demons, the Christian devil himself, God, vampires like Dracula and Dorian gray, werewolves, witches, and not the pretty kind, all put in a fiendish Victorian setting with a remarkable script and great cast lineup to go with it, how could you not love this show. It's heartbreaking that it only had 3 seasons but after Vanessa Ives character arc was completed it's hard imagining the show going forward despite the assemblage of characters they could have made center of the show. It just wouldn't be the same without her.

This is definitely one of my favorite shows ever, first show I ever binge watched too. I remember wanting to watch this after seeing how genius the poster is but didn't think a horror tv show could be interesting. I got S1 late afternoon on a Friday; that was when I learnt that horrors could be intellectual, not just jump scares and gory murders. By Sunday morning I was finished with the whole series, left me feeling void inside because I knew I wasn't going to find another series like it again. If you're a fan of the genre, here's a gem for you.

I actually enjoyed Penny Dreadful much more than I thought I would. I thought it would be just another another supernatural series that's worth watching but would end up forgetting after a while. It's not. I was hooked from the start. It has so many twists and turns that it will keep you entertained through the series. It's only three seasons long but they are 3 great seasons. All three seasons are equally good. Having three seasons this show never grows stale and goes out while still interesting. Eva Green and Josh Hartnett are both fantastic actors and this is some of their best work of their careers. If you're a fan of this genre then Penny Dreadful should be a must watch for you. I promise you won't be disappointed!

I'm only just now watching this. After reading the plot description, I thought it sounded ridiculous and there would be no way to intertwine horror classic characters in one show and have it be anything other than nonsense. Boy, was I wrong. The whole thing is deeply steeped in gothic horror, but they explore many other angles and do some excellent character study. Some really great acting in here, and as mentioned repeatedly, Eva Green is just spectacular.

Be wary of the low star reviews, and notice that most of them complain of it being slow. That should tell you something right there. There's nothing slow about it unless you have the attention span of a child? I don't know, it's a ridiculous claim.

Ive seen mention of the third season being not as good, I'm deep into 2 so I may see that but it won't sway my feelings. I feel like it's a gift already!

Other shows I've loved: Kingdom, The Dark, Mindhunter.