Long Bright River

I haven't read the novel, so I went into the show with no knowledge of the story, and I won't be able to compare the two. I am currently on episode seven, and though the storyline is decent, I think if the casting choices had been weaker, it would have lost my interest. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Amanda Seyfried's beautiful performance elevates what I otherwise might have deemed Mare of Easttown's less impressive sibling. Her attention to nuances and line deliveries makes what could easily be an unremarkable scene intriguing, and I've found myself very drawn to her character. The young actor who plays Thomas is also great. I look forward to finishing it, and though I fear the threat of predictability, I'm certain I'll still recommend this to people, especially fans of Seyfried. It's a slow-burn, but I haven't felt like I've wasted my time. If you like murder mysteries with layers and appreciate the good-but-flawed heroine cliché, I'm sure you'll like Long Bright River.

I'll start by saying that no, I didnt the read book and overall I did like this series. It was just too long and the story does drag on. The acting is great, and sadly this feels alittle too real. Alot of flawed characters either hooked on drugs or doing a job that they are ill suited to do. The story is depressing but also not the average hollywood story or reboot. Amanda Seyfried's character can be annoying and naive at times but watching her life unfold as the older sister of an addict was sad on many levels. And unlike the same crime series on TV it's nice to watch a story that I could imagine really happened. I just wish they made this one happen in 1 or 2 less episodes.

My rating is 5 stars for two reasons. First, it is so dark...what is the fascination with filming scenes in lighting so dark the viewer sees nothing? This technique is not something to be applauded. It is not "artistic" nor creative. Stop already! Make a podcast if all the audience can do is listen and not see! Second, the story could have been effectively told in half the episodes. It felt as if the studio slotting 8 episodes drove the content rather than the story line. A final aside - the casting for younger versions of characters was awful. By no stretch of the imagination would these actors grow up into the adult versions. I always find poor casting distracting.

Solid show highlighting the many devastations and complexities of addiction. Good cast with better than average acting - Amanda Seyfried was a real bright spot lead. It could have been a great show if it was tightened up to only 5 or 6 (max) episodes. What began as a tight, engrossing story that adeptly wove multiple storylines devolved into a superficial whodunnit melodrama that was, IMO, wholly unnecessary (and detracted from the depth of the first episodes). It feels like they changed editors after episode 3. It's a bummer as it had real potential to be great.

I don't understand why Hollywood believes there needs to be 8 episodes for every show. How about make as many episodes as the story requires- case in point is Adolescence, they made the number of episodes needed to tell that story and it is more powerful because of the restraint.

Amanda Seyfried is one of the most underrated actresses ever This is a compelling mini series with a plot twist every ten minutes. Being from the Philly area I really enjoyed all the local references, and the producers ( Seyfried among them) really nailed the " it's a Philly thing " vibe!

The plot is basically a story of a Philly cops desperate search for her missing sister. But the real story, is a look into the hardscrapple world of lower middle class America, and their daily struggles to just get through to the next day. And it's wonderful My big knock on this series is this, however Will somebody please pay the electric bill !!!

It's sometimes appeared as though every scene- even the outdoor scenes were filmed in obnoxiously dim lighting Director took this " film noire" thing wayyyyy Too far.