The Mosquito Coast (2021) (Apple TV+) TV Show Review & Comments (Spoiler free)

Casimir Harlow

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Thank you Cas. Our plan is to find a week with nothing going on, get the week free Apple offer, & binge the heck out of the Disney+ stuff we think we'll like. This has joined that list
 
We watched the first two episodes back to back over the Bank Holiday weekend, really enjoyed it. Good performance from the leads, tense at times. The picture quality and Dolby Vision is excellent, sound is also spot on.
 
We’re enjoying it but I’ve read a lot of reviews that suggest it’s not worth the time so lord knows what’s in store. Reminds me of zero zero zero in that the production quality is extremely high but to be fair it’s not a patch on that epic piece of Tv.
 
I have now watched the first 2 episodes as well - the production values are great. I am finding the story a little confusing at the moment as I have no experience with the book or the film. But it is certainly interesting so far and I’ll keep on watching- george
 
Never seen the Ford movie, or read the novel, so didn't know what this was about. The trailer that pops up on my ATV doesn't seem to bear any resemblance to the description in this review, it makes it look like a very generic thriller, but sounds like it may be a bit more interesting than that. Is the story that much of a classic that they assume everyone already knows what it's about, or just bad marketing? Anyway I will give it a go based on this.

I'm still in my free year of ATV+ and in that year I have watched Greyhound, the first episode of Servant (meh) and See (terrible!) and about half of For All Mankind before I got bored of it. Everything else got about 10 minutes max. Even if this is great, I don't think I will be renewing the sub.
 
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I'm still in my free year of ATV+ and in that year I have watched Greyhound, the first episode of Servant (meh) and See (terrible!) and about half of For All Mankind before I got bored of it. Everything else got about 10 minutes max. Even if this is great, I don't think I will be renewing the sub.
Kind of agree with you, I’m on a free deal but with the content they provide I doubt I’d be paying.
Trying is worth a watch with rafe spall, disarming comedy drama, I can recommend it.
 
To echo what others have said. Production values are off the charts, and the picture and sound quality is the best I've seen in a TV show since See (also Apple TV+).

I'm also a big, big fan of Justin Theroux since finishing out The Leftovers – an almost criminally underwatched masterpiece that unfortunately doesn't reveal its God-tier status until season 2.

I enjoyed the first two episodes. Part of that is definitely the production values and audiovisual fidelity, both of which are keeping my attention more firmly fixed to a story that isn't doing anything particularly special. There's some weighty performances mind you, and the writing is well above average.

Will definitely continue to watch. It's an 8/10 from me based on first two episodes.
 
I've been kind of, sort of (not) looking forward to this and left it for a review here by yourself or Tom. So, my initial doubts are that I really liked the film in story and lead pair who were very believable. It's become one of those that you saw at a formative time and don't want some young upstart reimagining what had all the imagining you needed. In fact, the blend of Ford in mad scientist mode, Mirren as the faithful calming sea, the jungle scenes and wondered natives all faithfully blended to produce some real and extraordinary ice.
I will give this a spin though, in large part to your review, to see if it has some formative metal and can stray away from my other concern, that it's going to be a thinly veiled and weak attempt at jungle Ozarks.
Unfortunately, Apple has steadily drifted into the realms of producing great looking offspring that you like, rather than truly love.
 
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Well I can’t say the third episode had much going on at all, felt like a complete drag which is disappointing. Hope it’s a blip
 
I signed up for Apple tv last year and they keep sending me a credit note to match my monthly payment. I've had 'Apple tv' free for 5 or 6 months so far!
 
burn.
 
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4 Episodes in - thumbs up from me, episode 4 was excellent.
 
4 Episodes in - thumbs up from me, episode 4 was excellent.
Agree. It's getting better with each episode and it is SO well made. It's an 8.5/10 for me right now. This and Mare of Easttown both excellent weeklies right now.
 
Wasn’t very impressed with episode 3, felt like filler to me but yes 4 was an improvement. I still find it infuriating that we’ve yet to really discover what he’s done to incur the wrath of the government officials who were chasing him in the first 2 episodes.
 
Wasn’t very impressed with episode 3, felt like filler to me but yes 4 was an improvement. I still find it infuriating that we’ve yet to really discover what he’s done to incur the wrath of the government officials who were chasing him in the first 2 episodes.
Yeah, the scene where
he's about to tell his kids then gets interrupted
infuriated me.
 
I found episode 4 to be good but it had two really OTT and quite stupid scenes.
The one for the obvious satiating of Mexican audiences and woke-ness; was with Allie
not only being read the riot act of being 'American' through and through. It wasn't enough, however; to humiliate him at gun point and force him to realise his smallness in actions and thoughtlessness, they had to make him piss his pants too by end. His family also not consoling him and just, yep, you deserve it even though we're similar and you're trying to save us. That just felt too much and didn't fit. It was clear (why the long face) Chuy wouldn't of shot him. I felt it would of been far more impactful for Americans to have been left with Chuy's words to ponder and/or acknowledge but no. Now the audiences they're clearly trying to address would far more likely bring another emotion to bear.
Second, and quite bizarre, was how the Gothic sadistic matriarch suddenly buckled at her Grandé nephew being held. One moment she's clearly nuts and up for all manner of machinations but the next, is a shrinking mess. It was clear that they had all manner of resources and people in the region but nothing. No. Just let them go and send no one to intercept them from the entire region. A total waste of a predicament build up.
Allie is continually the fall guy here to beat up on and it's getting harder to like him or his family that, for the most part, look on.
 
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Quite agree and by holding so much back the writers have slowly stripped away the empathy for the family. I read reviews prior to watching the first episode and on the whole they’re fairly negative. I couldn’t see why after the first 2 episodes but unfortunately it’s becoming clearer for me. Thankfully we’re also watching mare of east town and that’s more than making up for this .
 
Give this a shot last night, 1 ep in and I’m liking it. I was a The Leftovers fan, so Justin pulled me in, and as I grew up watching Mellisa in Home and Away and more recently The Slap, thought it was worth a punt.
Loving the direction, oversaturated speedy drones will do it for me!
 
Well, it continues to annoy in them demanding to know where/who they're going with, as if it's a surprise, after massive timewasting build ups. Then finally, the mad old bat suddenly reappears after no doubt having gained her verve from the vapours for more silliness.
They wasted a decent actor with a modicum of sincerity too. And as much as I like Paterson Joseph, what the heck was that? He was all over the shop in manner and style. Weird. Just weird.

Waste is the word that covers this. Started well but keeps maddeningly making dumb decisions for all the characters.
 
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I’ve been quite disappointed by it all, opened well first 2 episodes then a road to nowhere followed by some mayhem and being chased. Worst thing, still don’t know what’s going on, I’ve no idea why they wrote it this way to the point it’s maddening.
Thank the lord Mare of Easttown has been on.
 
I started to drift off watching the latest episode, seem's to have stalled, I will finish it as I'm intrigued what the outcome of all this will be.
 
I’m still enjoying it. One of the best new shows out there IMO.
 
I think an IMO is right, for me it’s desperately disappointing and after the first 2 episodes I said to my wife I just don’t understand the negative reviews.
Now I totally get them, so much is hidden from the viewer that it’s just a bit of a joke.
Takes a lot for my girl to agree with me on anything and now she’s of the same opinion.
Apparently it’s green lighted for a second series, guess that’s down to Apples woeful content.

As a last point I can count on one hand the amount of decent shows in the past year or so and Zero Zero Zero is by far the best of them for me. Honourable mention to The Outsider but it seems that the rush for content has far outstripped the quality.
 
I was kind of enjoying this, but the way it consistently withholds important information from the viewer was doing my head in eventually. You can't hide the core information we need to know to understand why the characters are doing what they are doing in the name of suspense. That's not suspense, it's just narrative contrivance that makes it less and less fun to watch.

That out of the way, only 7 episodes? I didn't even know last week's was the season finale. Didn't feel like one. Nothing was really revealed AGAIN, and it was just more running away and 'mild peril'. I hate the way this show has been constructed at the macro level. Beautifully made at the micro level, but poorly paced. And to get to the end of a whole, short as hell, season and still not have a firm idea why any of it is happening is unforgivable.

Overall, it's a 3/10 from me. That may seem harsh when there are praiseworthy aspects, but story and structure are just that much more important than beautiful photography.
 

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