Thumbs up or down for those who die? The Allocynian people passed judgment

Available on Prime Video from July 19, They About to Die is a peplum series that has topped the platform’s charts since its launch. Adapted from Daniel P. From Mannix’s book of the same name, this fiction goes behind the scenes of ancient Rome. To satisfy the people, Emperor Vespasian (Anthony Hopkins) relies on entertainment. Chariot races and gladiator fights keep the crowds on their toes, thirsty for spectacle and blood.

Behind the scenes is another matter. Calculator Tenax (Iwan Rheon) arranges bets related to races, especially his champion Scorpus (Dimitri Leonidas). Vespasian’s sons, Titus (Tom Hughes) and Domitian (Jojo Macari) show their rivalry. The first is a soldier and the second is a manipulative politician.

There’s also Calla (Sarah Martins), a merchant from the Numidian people who arrives in Rome after her children are kidnapped by Roman soldiers, her daughters become slaves, and her son becomes a gladiator. Life in Rome is brutal every day, and not a single resident is spared.

But did the series convince the audience? With an average audience rating of 2.6 out of 5 for 275 ratings at the time of writing, Who Will Die is not very well received. the verdict.

They liked it

Charles Terrier (5/5): “Top series, very close to the books… an epic moment in the history of Rome and the Flavian dynasty“

Gregory Codina (5/5): “A very good series, with good acting, action, intrigue, a hint of romance, superior artistic direction. A series that I didn’t expect and which turns out to be a nice surprise, some advice: watch, don’t trust some of the comments from bored people… make up your mind and hope there’s a season 2 🤞”

Harley (4.5/5): “I don’t have enough critical thinking to evaluate this series objectively. However, I hung in there, had a great time, and that’s all that matters. I appreciate Sarah Martins acting, setting story, cinematography and lighting. Overall it’s just breathtaking, I want more! I can’t wait for season 2.“

A series that I did not expect and which turned out to be a good surprise

Anthony L (4.5/5): “Even if it’s not perfect, I had a great time watching this series. Some of the actors are excellent, especially Ivan Reon and Dimitri Leonidas. On the other hand, the special effects aren’t really up to par, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.“

Panoptes of Argo (4/5): “In ancient Rome, the originality of this series lies in the use of circus games competition, which is the main asset for climbing, maintaining oneself or falling down the social ladder. The intrigue and stakes are high. The special effects are quite realistic.“

lia (3.5): “A huge fan of peplums, I think this series does a good job, although it doesn’t reinvent the genre (quite a bit cliche…) and we’re far from Gladiator… the interpretation is quite uneven and some characters are likeable, others less so. The sets, costumes and special effects are decent. Overall, this is an entertaining series with effective fight scenes.“

They didn’t like it

Steve (3/5): “Gladiator on the menu, a good plaster of Spartacus (series), all with a good splash of rum… but now it’s a decade too late to offer this somewhat heavy, yet strong, refreshing dish. We note the excellent work on the rather realistic lighting, but also on the anachronistic digital effects, especially in the rather unsuccessful first episode.

The fairly basic storyline is also meant to be close to a certain vision of the brutal and decadent era. Inconsistencies, but also some nice surprises, especially in the treatment of certain characters. It’s all perfectly respectable, but it lacks the rhythm and vision necessary to enter the mainstream series club.“

Cromaria (3/5): “So what’s wrong with this series? Special effects that sometimes don’t fit at all. A sequence of scenes that is sometimes messed up. The series does not take time to get to know the characters properly, to establish the arcs of this or that character. Often very caricatured.“

Such a hefty budget for a bottomless series.

Lecter_H (2.5/5): “In the end everything is average and this series did not grab me. The pacing is pretty good, but for me it’s not a rewarding action, just a thrill in acting like The Young and the Restless, Dallas or Dynasty. Sorry for the old reference. The series is too focused on social issues, relationship conflicts, all this is loaded with a lot of discussion and the result seems too artificial to me.“

LpKz86 (2/5): “What a disappointment, so far from gladiator and co., I love the peplum, but it just doesn’t work at all. The first 2 episodes are long and flat. The computer generated images are really unrealized and in certain scenes make you want to vomit. Despite a pretty famous director and a soundtrack that works, Mayonnaise doesn’t work, nothing works here.“

Alexis B (1/5): “Aww aww… what a disappointment, I was really expecting a high energy and well put together peplum sequence, but unfortunately, apart from a soundtrack orchestrated by Woodkid and some nice shots, the sauce doesn’t work. It’s boring, too long and not really interesting. The book remains far from this pseudo-epic that is offered to us. damage“

Maxim Florimond (0.5/5): “Such a hefty budget for a bottomless series. Not scripted, poorly acted, poorly edited, poorly executed. It’s a shame, because it’s possible to do better. By wanting to make it mainstream, we are losing the meaning of the film. Some characters go to impossible places, it’s unreal. We’re trying to make a bad copy of the Roman version of Games of Thrones. does not accept“

in total

The peplum genre, the presence of Anthony Hopkins on the poster, and the name of Roland Emmerich clearly aroused the curious. While some are happy with the story, others note inconsistencies in the characters’ narrative arcs and the computer-generated imagery that dates back to a different time.

And you ? Thumbs up or down for those who die?