From IMDB: “Abby Arcane returns home to Marais, Louisiana to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus, only to discover the dark, terrifying mysteries of the swamp.”
Story: A wonderfully woven horror/mystery/relationship drama set in the swamps of Louisiana. Side note: I’ve been wanting to visit Louisiana for many years, and this just makes me want to visit even more (even though it was shot in Wilmington, North Carolina). 5/5
Script/Dialog: This show has more than a few subplots and balances them quite well, giving each one purpose towards the overall arc. All the dialog is sharp, even during the few cheesy moments. 5/5
Cinematography/Camera work: There are some horrific images in this show that the camera captures well, but the show is very dark in terms of lighting and can be a little hard to see if you’re watching during the day. There were times where I had to rewind to try and figure out what had just happened, but that’s chalked up to the editing too. Standouts include shots of Swamp Thing, but also locations of the town’s setting, like the pub at the edge of swamp. I want to go to there. 4/5
Editing: The show as a whole is a puzzle of different pieces coming together. Each piece gets their due screen time. Sometimes the action sequences can get a little hard to follow. 4/5
Sound & Music: Great ambient sounds add to the swamp atmosphere, but the music was kind of standard for the superhero and horror genres. I would’ve liked more local sounding tunes, similar to what the Peanut Butter Falcon did with their soundtrack. 4/5
Directing: Majority of the artistic choices were justified. The show was able to successfully mesh different major Swamp Thing comic storylines, making this the definitive live-action version. The casting is on par, the setting is on par and having Swamp Thing’s costume being a real costume instead of a computer generated one deserves the ultimate praise. 5/5
Acting: Andy Bean and Maria Sten feel the most natural with that sharp dialog I mentioned above. Gimme a romantic, screwball comedy with those two in the lead, please. But all the actors give fine performances, and Derek Mears turn as Swamp Thing is just as good as the late Dick Durock‘s iconic version. 5/5
p.s. Andy Bean is hair goals.
Overall: 4.57 out 5
Jose Zuazua is editor-in-chief of Quick Lunch Break Reviews. He has an associates degree in film production. He’s on Twitter and Instagram, and is also currently writing his first short novel.
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