The Crowded Room

This is a solid show with solid characters and actors. Tom Holland nails the role of Danny. It has a slow build, but it's never dull, never boring. It's like a giant puzzle and you're putting the edges together the first couple of episodes. By the third episode you're recognizing colors, patterns, connections; it's falling into place. I, like many, typically judge a show by its IMDb rating, but I'm glad I followed my instincts and read other reviews so I didn't miss a chance at seeing this one. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Tom Holland receives some nominations for his performance. The majority of the other characters are likable, and if not likable they're relatable.

Was initially excited to watch this then so put off by the absolutely awful reviews. Which upon reflection were unfair also I sensed some pettiness with the critics reviews as they didn't like being asked not to mention what we later learn in the show. I've just finished episode 6 and felt compelled to write this review after the fantastic performances I've just watched. I agree the first few episodes setting the scene are a little slow and disjointed to begin with but it is all leading up to more! Give it a chance there really are some fantastic performances especially Holland who really gives it his all.

The Crowded room is a tough watch, it's good just tough. This is a psychological thriller that takes place in Manhattan in 1979. It follows the arrest of a young man named Danny Sullivan (Tom Holland) after a shooting at the Rockefeller Center. An investigator named Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried) starts to unfold Danny's life through interviews. Those interviews start to show a very mysterious past that led Danny to be who he is. Danny himself starts to understand his own mental heath problems and the events that led to the shooting. Emmy Rossum also stars as Holland's mother in this. There's no denying the star power on screen here and all do an excellent job, the writing is lacking a bit but because of the performances the actors give it still makes for a good watch. Playing this character was so emotional for Holland and since he's having such a hard time letting this character go that he's taking a year off of acting to clear his head.

I initially had no interest in watching this due to the terrible ratings it had, despite the fact that I really like Tom Holland. I was browsing for something to watch, and nothing appealed, do I thought I'd give it one episode to see if it piqued my interest. I was invested 15 minutes in and watched all three episodes back to back. It's fabulous! Tom Holland is so believable, so masterful in his performance! Now I understand why I'm seeing news stories about how he's taking time away from acting because the series has broken him. It's intense! While the series is a bit of a slow burn, it's as it should be. The story, suspense, and top notch performances have been riveting. I can't wait til next week!

This was surprisingly good series. Great levels of drama and mystery and the pacing is perfect. Each piece of new information is provided at the perfect time to keep the viewer engaged and build up more mystery and drama. And the pieces fit like a perfect puzzle. The character's trauma is exposed step by step and it makes the viewer sympathize with a criminal, despite the crime.

But one of the strange failings of the series, one which jumped at me because other Apple series approach the same way, is a strange "sin of the past washing". They put a lot of African-American (or women, or minorities in general) characters in positions of power (judges, prosecutors) which was certainly not the case at the time (late 1970s). The show that caught my eye with the same was For All Mankind and I can't unsee it now. Washing the past makes in various series, present one included, makes it look like some people were far more accepted at the time than they really were, and it makes newer generations believe that.