What is it about?
Englishwoman Cornelia Locke arrives in the wild west of the United States to seek revenge on the man she believes is responsible for her son’s death. There he meets Eli Whip, a former cavalry scout from Pawnee’s people. They very quickly discover a shared history that they will have to overcome…
English, a series created by Hugo Blick with Emily Blunt, Chaske Spencer, Tom Hughes, Raf Spall… Thursdays at 9pm on Canal+, two episodes per night and available on MyCanal.
A western unlike any other
Don’t let its title fool you: The English, a six-part miniseries, is more about the ideals on which the United States was founded than the United Kingdom itself. Set in 1890, the series tells the story of English aristocrat Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), who travels to the American West to find the man responsible for her son’s murder.
Along the way, he meets Ellie Whipp (the excellent Chaske Spencer), a former Pawnee Cavalry scout who is trying to settle the land he won as a result of his military service, even though he knows it won’t be easy. This incredible friendship may sound like a fragrance, but the two have real chemistry. And their characters exist beyond the symbol. It’s a true drama, with thrilling and violent threats simmering at every turn.
Of course, the West is still brutal and lawless, characteristics that are in the DNA of the United States. The series does not spare any character, no matter how well-intentioned, from the harsh reality of the environment. At its best, the Englishman feels like a spiritual cousin to the Mad Max movies, with unspeakable brutality set against a backdrop of dark, grim beauty. Each shot is breathtaking and here we must salute the photography of Arnau Vals Colomer.
Returning to the show’s brutality, a memorable array of secondary characters — including a squinty-eyed old outlaw — add to the nightmarish mood. We had little opportunity to watch a TV series like The English. This is a real revisionist Western, that is, an anti-Western, that is, far from the clichés and stereotypes of the genre. Refreshing, yet tough and bloody.
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Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
