Written by: Kevin Berge
Eliot is either really scared or just suddenly realizing his computer on at home. You can never tell with him. (Image courtesy of: youtube.com)
Quick Take: Mr. Robot is the kind of TV series that never feels like it is television but more an extended film with numerous surprise twists and turns where the beginning was always a set up for the end. Giving an unromaticized view of hacking, the short first season tells its story in tight fashion with a star making performance by lead Rami Malek.
***The remaining review promises to be spoiler free; however, going into detail with a complex series like the one in Mr. Robot can be difficult without making some allusions to what is to come. If you want to experience the show without any preconceptions, stop and turn away now.***
Mr. Robot opens with the main character Eliot Alderson portrayed by Rami Malek (Night at the Museum) speaking directly to the audience, questioning us as if we are all just figments of his imagination. It shapes the tone and feeling of a show that never lets the audience ever take something for granted.
For every question, there is an answer that breeds a whole slew of new questions, and it's easy to get lost plunging down the rabbit hole with this series. Borrowing in tone from gritty films like Taxi Driver and Fight Club, you will be able to decide early on if this is the show for you.
Of course, it's difficult to pull away from a show when its lead is so uniquely compelling. Eliot is not inherently likable or unlikable. He's extremely intelligent but damaged. He deals with moral dilemmas as if they were economics problems, weighing the effect of his actions much more highly than the rightness of the decision.
Even though he guides the audience through the series, it's difficult to track what he will do. In lesser hands, these wide characteristics would be difficult to keep grounded, but Rami Malek is engrossing as the lead, playing with three different voices - always in constant conflict between his Freudian ego, superego, and id.
Even if nothing else can carry through to the future from this series' impressively tight first season, there is no doubt that Malek will be the central point of this series, keeping the series worth watching. He has already been nominated and won awards for his performance which may ultimately begin to dominate award shows if the series remains strong.
Mr. Robot opens with the main character Eliot Alderson portrayed by Rami Malek (Night at the Museum) speaking directly to the audience, questioning us as if we are all just figments of his imagination. It shapes the tone and feeling of a show that never lets the audience ever take something for granted.
For every question, there is an answer that breeds a whole slew of new questions, and it's easy to get lost plunging down the rabbit hole with this series. Borrowing in tone from gritty films like Taxi Driver and Fight Club, you will be able to decide early on if this is the show for you.
Of course, it's difficult to pull away from a show when its lead is so uniquely compelling. Eliot is not inherently likable or unlikable. He's extremely intelligent but damaged. He deals with moral dilemmas as if they were economics problems, weighing the effect of his actions much more highly than the rightness of the decision.
Even though he guides the audience through the series, it's difficult to track what he will do. In lesser hands, these wide characteristics would be difficult to keep grounded, but Rami Malek is engrossing as the lead, playing with three different voices - always in constant conflict between his Freudian ego, superego, and id.
Even if nothing else can carry through to the future from this series' impressively tight first season, there is no doubt that Malek will be the central point of this series, keeping the series worth watching. He has already been nominated and won awards for his performance which may ultimately begin to dominate award shows if the series remains strong.
Being socially bombarded by a sociopath isn't the best medicine for an antisocial recluse. (Image courtesy of: gizmodo.com)
To be frank, the USA Network has not often been the prime network for quality television. Sure, they've had a lot of popular series, but many are extremely cut and dry. Besides watching Monday Night Raw each week, I have not really paid much heed to their other programming until now.
Mr. Robot is a completely different beast of a show. This is the kind of series that HBO or Showtime would be more likely to air. It's intense and well crafted, written with an eye for the whole structure not just the shock value of an individual episode. The acting from its leads and supporting cast are noticeably high quality.
What really makes the show stand out though beyond Malek is the visual style of the show. It is not often television is shot with such an intense attention to detail and mood. Even with the show's heavy film influences, it feels entirely original with direction that truly stands out.
As Eliot struggles to understand everything around him, the camera angles draw the audience into a claustrophobic setting with unusually high shots on characters, focusing on the head without showing much of the bodies. A few scenes are unnervingly intense because of this trapped mood.
The whole world of Mr. Robot is hyper-real, colored in editing in dull shades with a lot of familiar environments in an unknown place. For a hacking focused show, there is no dramatization of action. There are no camera shots following a spark down a wire. There's barely even a focus on intense typing. Tension is in the characters.
Mr. Robot is a completely different beast of a show. This is the kind of series that HBO or Showtime would be more likely to air. It's intense and well crafted, written with an eye for the whole structure not just the shock value of an individual episode. The acting from its leads and supporting cast are noticeably high quality.
What really makes the show stand out though beyond Malek is the visual style of the show. It is not often television is shot with such an intense attention to detail and mood. Even with the show's heavy film influences, it feels entirely original with direction that truly stands out.
As Eliot struggles to understand everything around him, the camera angles draw the audience into a claustrophobic setting with unusually high shots on characters, focusing on the head without showing much of the bodies. A few scenes are unnervingly intense because of this trapped mood.
The whole world of Mr. Robot is hyper-real, colored in editing in dull shades with a lot of familiar environments in an unknown place. For a hacking focused show, there is no dramatization of action. There are no camera shots following a spark down a wire. There's barely even a focus on intense typing. Tension is in the characters.
Not witty quip here, I just think this is a really cool pic. (Image courtesy of: screenrant.com)
Beyond Malek, the cast are pretty well chosen though some blend into the background. Christian Slater (Interview with the Vampire, True Romance) has been one of my favorite actors for a while, and he finds a career-defining role as the title character Mr. Robot. Portia Doubleday as Eliot's best friend Angela really shines late in the season.
Darlene, the most familiar of the hacker group, is played by Carly Chaikin with the right mix of mystery and snark. The Macbeth and Lady Macbeth power couple pairing of Tyrell (Martin Wallström) and Joanna Wellick (Stephanie Corneliussen) are fascinating, bizarre, and unfortunately underdeveloped.
The script for Mr. Robot defines the series, particularly using Eliot's frantic shifts and intelligence to give a compelling guide to the proceedings with hints and tricks in every episode. Nothing is certain, and many of the scripts' best beats end up playing both misdirecting and illuminating roles.
There are a number of twists in the story of Mr. Robot that all play to flesh out the characters and story being told. While the show hints and even telegraphs some of its turns, others will come out of nowhere yet make perfect sense. This is the kind of series that bares rewatching.
There is a real skill and art to the way Mr. Robot is crafted, and its acting is tight and compelling. However, it is not a series for everyone. The show plays tricks often and does not even attempt to make its audience feel comfortable. It can be hard to keep watching with a sense of physical pressure building with multiple episodes watched at once.
At its core, this is a well crafted television experience, almost a film in terms of the way it is so tightly orchestrated. Most films though are only two hours long, and this is ten hours of intense claustrophobia. Not everyone will be able to stomach the show, but it's a rewarding experience to watch from start to finish.
I do worry though long term how long of legs this series will have after all that it did in just one season. It is possible it will struggle to ever reach the heights of its opening act.
Darlene, the most familiar of the hacker group, is played by Carly Chaikin with the right mix of mystery and snark. The Macbeth and Lady Macbeth power couple pairing of Tyrell (Martin Wallström) and Joanna Wellick (Stephanie Corneliussen) are fascinating, bizarre, and unfortunately underdeveloped.
The script for Mr. Robot defines the series, particularly using Eliot's frantic shifts and intelligence to give a compelling guide to the proceedings with hints and tricks in every episode. Nothing is certain, and many of the scripts' best beats end up playing both misdirecting and illuminating roles.
There are a number of twists in the story of Mr. Robot that all play to flesh out the characters and story being told. While the show hints and even telegraphs some of its turns, others will come out of nowhere yet make perfect sense. This is the kind of series that bares rewatching.
There is a real skill and art to the way Mr. Robot is crafted, and its acting is tight and compelling. However, it is not a series for everyone. The show plays tricks often and does not even attempt to make its audience feel comfortable. It can be hard to keep watching with a sense of physical pressure building with multiple episodes watched at once.
At its core, this is a well crafted television experience, almost a film in terms of the way it is so tightly orchestrated. Most films though are only two hours long, and this is ten hours of intense claustrophobia. Not everyone will be able to stomach the show, but it's a rewarding experience to watch from start to finish.
I do worry though long term how long of legs this series will have after all that it did in just one season. It is possible it will struggle to ever reach the heights of its opening act.