In 2015, Netflix users streamed over 42.5 billion hours of content. I can personally say I’ve added a good million hours to that total myself. With that being said, I’ve watched just about everything Netflix has to offer, from small indie shorts to big budget Netflix Originals. With this in mind, I decided to put my binge-watching to good use, and start giving suggestions to my fellow bingers.
Up first is the BBC miniseries, “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell,” a fantasy show adapted by BBC, from a novel of the same name, written by Susanna Clark. The miniseries centers around two 19th century magicians’ relationship as mentor and mentee in England. Young Jonathan Strange, believes that magic should be shared throughout England and used for any purpose. His older mentor, Mr. Norrell, believes in practical magic, and that it should only be used by the highly trained, and at the most important moments. This of course paves the way for how the two magicians deal with the trouble they’re faced with throughout the series.
Actors Bertie Carvel and Eddie Marsan (Strange and Norrell, respectively), give a great performance, playing the two very different magicians. With Mr. Norrell’s strange behavior and uptight attitude, coupled with Jonathan’s often sarcastic charm, I was never bored watching the two of them in a scene together. The series sets up a great backstory of each of the two main characters, then brings them together in a timely fashion. Mr. Norrell’s dabbling in darker magic is quickly found out to be the main problem of the story.
Another character, simply known as “The Gentleman,” is introduced and he quickly steals the show for me. Flamboyant yet intimidating, The Gentleman strikes up a deal with Mr. Norrell over something I won’t get into for spoilers’ sake, and you’re quickly thrown into the magical world of these three main characters. The series drew some parallels with a more popular show that came after it, “Stranger Things.” The biggest parallel being the giant plot-point of another realm or dimension, which is mainly accessed by characters while they’re asleep. You quickly discover that The Gentleman is the channel to this other dimension, and by using it to do his dirty deeds, he becomes the villain of the series.
The parallel between the two shows immediately interested me, because the aesthetic of this other dimension is incredible. Every scene shot within it has some sort of blur or fog about it that almost made me wish I could visit it just for a night. The costume design alone sold me from episode one. In the real world, the characters are clothed in dull browns and beiges, and then they change to crisp whites and glittering golds, in this sleepy dimension. Another great factor about these shows is the magic itself. I’m really meticulous when it comes to visual effects and CGI, calling it out when I think it looks too fake and cheesy. However, in these shows there are really no tacky effects. All of the magic looks awesome and subtle, yet still interesting and somehow believable.
Taking all of that into account, if you’re looking for a cross between “Merlin” and “Stranger Things,” I believe that “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell” is your show. With only seven, 60 minute episodes, this show is a quick watch that will have you believing in magic by the end of episode one.