The Town (2012) User Reviews

On the contrary, this is very good.

[geustice · 8/10 · 27 March 2013]

After watching this I was surprised to see such a low score on IMDb.

The previous review was too harsh: 1. 'There's only one pub'. Actually there was one other pub mentioned which was key to one of the plot elements. (Also, there's a scene at a night club.) 2. The 'mayor and his side-kick, who seem to be from a kids' series'? I don't understand where that comes from. I also expect mayors of English towns form a diverse group. This is a drama not a documentary so exaggeration and creative license are expected.

3. Perhaps the reviewer does have a point about the title. It could have been more imaginative, or at least not as provocative.

4. I spent six years in a small English town, then five years in London. I can safely say the latter WAS a 'different planet'! At least from my experience.

5. The fact that Mark is a lot older than his sister was explained fairly well in the last episode... by the Gran – just one of the good reasons why she was in the programme.

Ah well, each to their own. Just because I liked it doesn't mean everyone will. And in this case it appears there were quite a few who weren't impressed. I say give it a chance and make up your own mind. It deserves a better score.

Very believable

[mb-155 · 8/10 · 8 January 2014]

Looking at some of the perhaps a bit pedantic reviews on here I had to write up a bit too after watching satisfying episodes back to back via Sky on demand. This appears to be a totally under rated drama yet the story line is intriguing and the lovely music excellent. It is well acted and very realistic in spite of what some people claim. I was interested in all the characters. The sadness is very believable and nearly brought tears to this viewers eyes. The love affairs are believable too. The 15 year old girl, going off the rails is typical. Are people so stoical they what more, perhaps gun shots, from a drama than this ?

Well-acted tone piece

[rkhen · 8/10 · 20 September 2015]

This is a very good "series" (if three episodes are a series). The actors are all very strong; Andrew Scott, in the lead role, is a revelation, as is Martin Clunes. This show belongs to a uniquely British genre, the something-is-surrealistic -about-this-place -but-everyone-seems -to-find-it-normal -and- that's-also-odd mystery. (The most salient example of this genre is The Prisoner, though The Town is a great deal more understated.)

The comments of some reviewers that the series doesn't explain every detail of the characters' lives; that some plot points are superfluous; and that it isn't a documentary on local government; are all accurate. I didn't care, and I doubt other admirers of well-crafted television will, either.

Bottom line: I liked The Town very much, and wish it had been an entire series.

Great rainy day viewing - murder and mystery in a small English town

[christyna026-183-6280 · 9/10 · 18 June 2016]

From the other side of the world, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this 3part series. I found it much more enjoyable that some episodes of Midsomer Murders that seem to be repeating on our local channels interminably, although some of them ARE intriguing. The bewilderment and disbelief of the siblings was extremely poignant, especially Mark's belief that he would be able to return to his 'life' in London and forget what had happened - as if! I suppose if you live in England, some of the action might seem unbelievable, but as an outsider, watching the lives of the people in 'The Town' seemed quite believable to me. But then, I also enjoyed the Harry Potter series and recently the re-run of Independence Day. I suppose you just have to accept that what you are watching is 'theatre', even though it's on the screen, and accept it as that. If you want realism, watch a documentary. If you want atmosphere, pretty scenery and a (reasonably) plausible story line, you really can't complain about 'The Town'. I watched it in one hit after recording it from free-to-air, and I'm glad I did. Go on, make yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up, and watch the complete series on DVD. You won't regret it - unless you are young and prefer your TV viewing to be full of action.

Ignore the bad reviews!!!

[alvktt · 10/10 · 3 November 2021]

This is absolutely classic brilliant British drama. Three perfect episodes. Absolutely and completely totally satisfying. Great story. Great characters. Beautifully wound up. I totally loved it.

Good atmosphere and characters but ultimately ruined by implausible plot

[wmadavis · 5/10 · 28 March 2013]

This is one of those stories that as it goes along, more and more is revealed until it gets to the point of being ridiculous. It has good characters, a good atmosphere, and I enjoyed everything about it but that core aspect of the plot, with twists and turns that make it so ridiculous that it leaves a bad feeling when you've finished watching it, like you've been cheated. It starts off with deaths so mysterious that you share how devastated the son is in being unable to comprehend or cope with it, then it is answered in a somewhat plausible though unsatisfactory manner, then that's up-ended by a twist, then THAT'S up-ended by another twist and then it's over.

No one seemed to care enough

[gallagherkellie · 5/10 · 12 October 2021]

I find it very strange that the grandmother and the daughter didn't shed a tear in the whole series or seem really bothered or inquisitive about their parents Suicide. Everybody else was so dismissive also.

The acting was well done but it was kind of obvious that the mayor had to have something to do with it, otherwise what was the point of him being in the show?

I'm not really sure the point of showing the lives of the florist ladies either.

Disappointment

[pawebster · 5/10 · 24 December 2012]

Andrew Scott puts in a great performance and makes it just about worth watching. The plot itself is serviceable. That's the good news.

The rest is bad. It's called 'The Town', but should have been called 'The Hamlet', since there's only one pub in use and everyone meets up all the time in a tiny range of locations. Then there are the ridiculous figures of the ruling mayor and his side-kick, who seem to be from a kids' series on CBBC. What parallel universe is this meant to be? I am not the first to note that English towns don't have mayors like this. Without this nonsense, I suppose the title would have had to be changed to something more relevant.

Has Mark never been back to Renton for the last decade or more? Is London on a different planet? Why is he over double the age of his sister? Why is their Gran in the programme at all?

Not entertaining

[pilot1009 · 3/10 · 21 August 2022]

Got to halfway through part two and gave it away. There is apoint where you say this is not keeping me interested or what is happening here is ridiculous or really it has crossed the line for believability. This one registered on all counts.