Residue (2015) User Reviews

Style over substance

[derbo73 · 5/10 · 30 July 2016]

Atmosphere and camera get 10 out of 10 points from me. The cast is OK, not awful but not very good either. Characters are quite overdone stereotypes, but it fits to the overall style for this mini series. The whole production feels like something between a dark dream and a PS4 adventure game. Many shots reminded me of what is done in comic books (especially the final scene of episode 3). The story and the the plot lack substance and logic. We don't learn what is behind all this and cannot judge it fairly by now, but how the military acts inside the restricted zone is dumb and not well thought out.

I enjoyed watching it but it felt like a short computer game or an amateur short story, and it stops right in the middle of the build-up. So what we get here is an overly artsy mega-trailer for something that could become an interesting story- or simply die when the truth behind it all is revealed. Is it a horror story with ghosts? Is it sci-fi with a nano-bot artificial intelligence as the antagonist? Something even wilder? I already have the feeling that the answer will not satisfy me in the and especially not make a good excuse for all the lengthy and somewhat narcissistic storytelling.

Half of a Great Series

[brandon_veracka · 6/10 · 13 February 2018]

Residue has all the makings of a great TV show. I strongly disagree with others who say it's unpredictable or too much like Misfits. Residue has a great pair of lead characters and some strong supporting roles. The concept--although familiar--is still rather fresh and shown from an interesting angle. Truthfully, the only major issue with this show is its resolution, or lack thereof. With more time to flesh out its story, as well as time enough to set up a proper ending, this would've been a great show.

Even with that said, this is NOT a 2 out of 10 show; it just isn't.

This is where my review ends and my gripe piece begins. On the subject of reviews here, I must say I find it both ridiculous and childish seeing ratings and angry reviews for this show of twos and threes. Five out of ten means average. All too often when a reviewer watches something that frustrates them, they leave a disproportionately low rating out of anger; that's not a review, that's a reaction, and it's overly subjective. A good reviewerror tries to stay neutral and therefore objective to the piece in question. I'm far more frustrated by the lack of any professionalism in reviews on IMDB than I am with good shows or movies that don't end well!

Bittersweet

[Aidener · 7/10 · 14 September 2015]

I want to start by saying that this is visually and artistically beautiful. The color palette, and the atmosphere is truly great.

The plot is interesting (a random explosion in the middle of a city and a government that is clearly hiding something) and the visual effects are really good. All of the actors give good performances, and though short and slow-paced, its 3 episodes are addictive.

The problem here is that the ending is way too open. It's frustrating, honestly. I think that until this gets a second series, it's not that worth watching, because in the end, you know exactly what you knew when you started the first episode.

Everything here has the potential to work perfectly. It's just incomplete. I'll be glad to watch a second series, if it ever sees the light.

Did not last a full season

[fogtrope · 6/10 · 21 February 2017]

The characters are somewhat interesting, though not always believable. It would seem that the series was terminated abruptly as there are all sorts of loose ends in the final episode. The tone of the series is 'dark' an understatement, given that the writers did do a decent job of making the characters as interesting as possible. As mentioned before in other reviews the season is only 3 episodes long and therefore seems to indicate it may not have been well received. Pity, as the series starts to get interesting and reveals some of its secrets in the final episode. Those who are X-files fans will see some familiar tropes being played out here. So enjoy the ride while you can, as it stops abruptly.

..no end?

[pippolomeo · 5/10 · 25 December 2016]

simply avoid this mini series unless there will be a season 2 available at the time you are going to view it: the three episodes simply do not advance in any way in development of the story: it is just a series of open questions, tension moments and some character development.

everything seems to be fine with the series: photography, filming, acting, except for the fact that it simply ends where it started, abruptly.

more than for the will of leaving questions opened, the reason seems to be that they ran out of funds, as the final is.. well.. not a final in any way.

I was liking what I was seeing, then, at about the middle of episode three, I started asking myself how many episodes the series had, since after two and a half episodes, nothing really changing happened. I was shocked to see that I was actually looking at the last half hour of the show and I was even more shocked half an hour after, when I realized that the series was over, and nothing other than a series of killings had happened.

Where's the end?

[pvildep · 7/10 · 23 May 2017]

I was hooked...and then it was over? I didn't read ahead to realize there was only THREE episodes. There is no ending, which is a huge drawback. This was an amazing storyline with incredible special effects and great acting. If anything should've been given a full season (and maybe a second) it was this gem. Watch it once, wonder why the production company would think this is a good way of doing things, and then move on.

Good pictures, good actors, terrible story

[moritz-imdb-231-176485 · 4/10 · 5 August 2018]

Ends abruptly in the middle of the story buildup - do not waste your time, unless you like disappointment.

Indie project makes its mark

[al-01077 · 9/10 · 8 April 2015]

I saw this on Netflix, it's a really promising start to a very interesting story. I didn't know Netflix were doing pilots, nor in business with the indie sector so this is a very exciting step for all of us who watch their content regularly and like shows such as Utopia and Black Mirror. This show feels very British but is also handling story on its own terms. I was reminded of Black Mirror as this also subverts story convention and run its story in a mini-series format for this first season. This feels anything but conventional but be warned, these first three chapters end on a massive cliff hanger, so there looks to be a wait in store before it goes any further. I would say bear this in mind before you watch this otherwise you will be annoyed! The story set up in these three parts (intriguing length for a pilot) combines sci-fi, the paranormal, a government conspiracy and a massive great big quarantine zone unlike anything I've seen right in the middle of a future-set British metropolis. I would say get to the third episode as it gets visually really interesting right there. The vibe is dark but the show looks great, and the cast are really strong at pulling you into this world. I would recommend this if you are the type who looks to spot future hits and gets into the action early.

WE ARE ALL WEARING MASKS NOW?

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 30 November 2018]

The film was shot in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. During a New Year's Eve celebration a bomb goes off at the Nightshade Night club killing 236 people. It turns out there was a military waste dump under the establishment and contaminates have created a quarantine zone. Although all is not what it seems. Photographer Jennifer Preston (Natalia Tena) sees ghostly images in photos of people who have recently committed suicide. These are low budget black smoke Dementors .

There is an underground society and a number of people wanting to know what really happened, why, and what the heck these things are. The film doesn't give any real closure. The production seems to have a theme about society surviving by wearing masks and other stuff about not wearing masks and the government etc. But as you can tell I didn't quiet grasp the whole meaning, maybe because I was making it out to be deeper than it was. My understanding this is free on Netflix.

Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity.

One to forget.

[fad-38798 · 2/10 · 4 August 2017]

Poor dialogue, poor acting and poor delivery. The characters are two- dimensional and clichéd, the script lacks drive and focus and the overall plot lacks structure. Score sounds like a teenagers wannabe indy list, fails to set, move or enable the plot or camera-work.

Plus points, good camera-work and effects, decent production values, and I think the director did his best with what he had to work with.

This is not a TV show that will go at the top of anyone's CV...

A stylish TV thriller made with thought and heart.

[flocompute · 10/10 · 10 April 2015]

I have seen this series a few times now and would whole heartedly recommend it for anyone interested in a exciting TV series with interesting characters including Jennifer (played by Game of Thrones star Natalia Tena) and helmed with style by director Alex Garcia (misfits, Utopia).

It's superbly shot with great scale and is a step above recent UK TV releases. The mystery starts with a bang and the action doesn't let up from there. Amidst the chaos lie ethereal entities that could be tricks of the mind. Conflicts and corruption perforate every inch of the world and are a symptom of a society hurtling out of control. It's in this uncertainty that our protagonists are searching for the truth which could take them to the brink!

I won't say any more but suffice it to say I can't wait for the 2nd season!

Dark Misfits

[born_naughty · 3/10 · 27 May 2016]

This show, to me, feels like a dark and serious version of Misfits. Now, that might not sound like a bad thing. After all, Misfits is one of my favourite shows, plus they share one of the main actors. And Iwan Rheon really is a good actor. The thing is though that Misfits was never meant to be taken completely serious. Take the humor of Misfits away and you truly have a terrible show. Residue does nothing to change that fact. It's at least as over the top as Misfits is but takes itself 100% serious. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Why are you comparing to different shows in stead of just reviewing Residue as a standalone show as it is meant to be? The similar style and premise just makes it impossible to do so. Take or leave this as you like, but only after making up my mind about Residue and writing this review in my head, only after that I read that Residue and Misfits share more then just an actor. Apparently they share a director as well in Alex Garcia Lopez. Coincidently I watched the first episode of Utopia this week, also by that director, and again I see the same style. Luckily the story is a lot different though. Still too serious for it's own good, just like Residue.

Flawed but interesting

[supernaut1968 · 5/10 · 18 November 2019]

A visually interesting show, with ideas and imagery taken from other shows. Parts of it reminded me of The X Files and others, Bladerunner. Like everyone else, I think the story should have been resolved, the problem being that some will think it's not sufficiently interesting or original to watch a second season. If there is one. A shame because despite a great looking show, the story really doesn't progress and at times, the plot seemed to drift rather than focus on reaching a conclusion.

there's only 3 episodes and almost nothing happens until the last 30 minutes

[phenomynouss · 1/10 · 14 September 2018]

I often found that I have a habit of being distinctly uninterested in getting into shows, and often needing to go past the first episode before being hooked in any way. I gave this show that chance, after being left by the first episode with a sensation I can describe not so much as confusion as merely a sense of incompletion. Virtually nothing happened in the first episode, except for some seemingly random events with some random characters in a needlessly, aggressively dark London setting in which an explosion at a nightclub somehow leads to a tiny section of the city being cordoned off and quarantined due to an unspecified "contamination"

The protagonists are a photographer Jennifer and a member of the Home Department Jonas, as well as a miscellaneous cop whose daughter died in the bombing. Jennifer is seeing spooky ghosties with her camera randomly appearing around people ever since the bombing. Jonas wants to go into the quarantine zone. The miscellaneous cop wants answers and demands this repeatedly.

By episode three, the story actually begins in earnest. And then once it ends, on a cliffhanger, the series abruptly ends.

I feel it is a disservice to review a series in such a way that merely lays out the synopsis, spoilers and all, while casting judgment on the story rather than to go further in terms of intent, atmosphere, theme, and whether the experience of going through it is even fun to begin with.

Even when watching a bad series, I can look through those elements that went into the making of the series, and often find some measure of purpose or intent in them. "This series made an attempt at addressing a socio-economic issue, despite it being boring and badly acted", or "this series was kitschy and overly dramatic but it was genuinely fun to watch it unfold".

This is one of those rare (fragments of a) series where absolutely none of those elements are going for it. There is a perpetual doom and gloom, pseudo-cyberpunky noir vibe to this whole series, which comes in bits and pieces given how absurdly short it is, and entire (unresolved) subplots that come and go right before our eyes that would make absolutely no sense even if the series lasted longer than 3 episodes.

It's the type of series where people don't talk to each other so much as moodily emote at one another, while giving dialogue not so much written as generated via an algorithm of stereotypes, "The Gritty Alcoholic Cop", "The Blatantly Sinister Dirty Cop", "The Sneering Lying Bureaucrat", "The No-Nonsense Token Chick", "The Flamboyant Lower-Level Crime Boss".

This is one of the only series that I can genuinely say I felt I wasted my time watching. It's almost insulting to insinuate this as sci-fi or horror given that it abruptly ends after the third episode, coming out in 2015, and it is currently September 2018 with no further news on it.

IF they filmed more than 3 episodes and Netflix is inexplicably sitting on the episodes (which feels uncharacteristic to me given that Netflix by its very nature doesn't have to abide by a weekly rating schedule and just dumps entire new seasons of new shows all at once), then this might be worth salvaging if only these episodes would be released. If they just filmed the 3, with the expectation of making more after gauging public interest, then it was a complete waste of time.

Interesting new series debut.

[teresa-29148 · 10/10 · 18 August 2015]

Absolutely loved this. It is visually stunning, dark and beautiful. There is a slowness to the episodes which adds to a sense of dark mystery, almost creepiness. Each episode takes you on a journey into an elegant kind of fear and foreboding. I was very sorry to learn there were only three episodes. I would definitely like to see where this mystery is going.The mood and the tone of the show are excellent. The acting was superb. All in all I can't wait to see more.I would be very disappointed if this show was canceled. Also I think a bit of advertising would have helped.I was very surprised it just popped up with no previous pr.

Wtf

[malpaso-90434 · 1/10 · 11 August 2019]

Well thats part of my lìfe im not getting back, it promised a lot but give you nothing but loose ends and one dimensional characters and the acting that was so wooden it was static , With a promise of more episodes to come all i would like to say is please netflix dont pick this up.

Residue's Resolution - or lack thereof

[lucymull · 8/10 · 18 October 2019]

This show was visually breathtaking. The colour palette in particular was incredible, and even without the intrigue of the plot I would have watched it for aesthetic value alone. I was drawn in by the characters and the grittiness of the setting and subject matter. In fact, this may have even been one of my favourite shows on Netflix. The only (and unfortunately significant) downside is the lack of a satisfying ending. I was genuinely upset when I reached the end of episode 3 only to realise nothing more would follow. Honestly can't remember the last time I was this attached to a show, sad to have to leave it without a sense of closure.

Not good.

[tedlis · 4/10 · 12 July 2018]

Three episodes. Very little development of what is going on. First episode starts with the tired trope of a cop eating at a crime scene. Every episode has the government warning about contamination without explaining what the contaminant is. The public seems to accept this ridiculous assertion. I count these comments as spoilers even though I have no idea if any of it is relevant. I'd probably watch Episode 4 if it ever comes out just to see if anything develops.

Boring Beyond Belief

[bshaef · 4/10 · 28 May 2019]

I fell into a deep slumber about half way through the second episode. When I woke from a very refreshing nap, I turned it off and wasn't the least bit curious how the series ended because I didn't know what happened in the first place. I a very damning indictment in my books Someone needs to tell the director that its ok for actors to speak in normal tones and not pause ten seconds between every sentence. That would make them more human. I hope the next Netflix choice is better.

Is very slow

[kcbibuskauna · 1/10 · 29 March 2020]

Incredible. This tv show is very slow and boring. Good to sleep

Interesting new sci-fi. supernatural thriller...just 1 thing

[PaulMemoli · 8/10 · 20 April 2015]

I have watched the first 2 episodes of "Residue" via Netflix and will watch the 3rd episode tonight. The 1 thing that I don't care for and think is totally juvenile is that the main character thinks out loud and then jots the thoughts that we have just listened to on Notepad, or some other word processing software. And believe me, this person is no Einstein! Her thoughts are: "I can't be crazy... this is real!" First we hear her thinking out loud, and then we watch her type her thoughts on her pc. In my opinion, this brings down the entire production. But, I'll watch #3 tonight and see where it leads. I'm already filling in the blanks with an imagination stoked by watching 60 years of science fiction and fantasy TV shows. X-Files, here we come!

Don't bother

[columdillon · 2/10 · 14 June 2019]

Well if you like your shows to have an ending and maybe some good acting don't bother watching it. I really don't know why or how people get a budget to put rubbish like this together.

A promising start but what about that sticky rim thing?

[ricbarrett · 8/10 · 16 May 2015]

There are two rules to live life by. Number one is never tell anyone everything you know and I feel that this series does a great job in that regard so it keeps you on your seat in that way. Of course, this is sci~fi and it's sci~fi with a little bit of twist. If you're a sci~fi fan then you should enjoy this show.

I have to say that it's set in London, or what looks like London but just in the future. In this regard the location scout did a great job. Thumbs up to them.

Another really good thing about this series is that it keeps you on the edge of your seat with punchy dramatics and interesting narrative style.

There's a girl, a citizen of the future, and she thinks she is going crazy because she has to always think about things and write things down on her PC. Maybe there might be too much by way of plot overlays, I don't think so but I can see why other people might. I have had 30 years of sci~fi experience and this series pressed almost all of the sci~fi buttons, which isn't an easy thing to do on such a low budget.

Onto the budget. This really does look like a million pound show but they didn't have a budget of a million pounds. So well done to the CGI department. There we some FX that I could tell were CGI but all the rest I couldn't so they stitched them in well and the FX helped to push the plot along a lot.

To conclude, I would say that sci~fi fans should give this a go. It has futurist elements which are combined well with current social issues and its social currency pays for itself in keeping with modern times. The lighting is amazing and you will really feel teleported into the future. Big thumbs up to the director for this.

This tv show is very bad

[belunacesar · 1/10 · 9 April 2020]

This tv show is very horrible. This tv show is good to sleep

Horrible

[cezbanbelubo · 1/10 · 1 June 2020]

TV show horrible. This tv show is very slow. Boring