by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Certain styles of television are making a strong statement in 2022. With so many options, it’s easy to find a variety of different types of shows and series. Over the last few years, a few forms of television that have enjoyed a bump in notoriety lately include the western, the miniseries, and shows featuring Indigenous People. For westerns, shows like Yellowstone, Justified, Outer Range, and Westworld have all given the genre more exposure than ever before on TV. Miniseries are on the rise, and this year’s highlights include Black Bird, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Five Days at Memorial. Shows featuring Indigenous casts like Reservation Dogs and Dark Winds have enjoyed a boom in critical acclaim.
The English capitalizes on all three of these.
Written and directed by Hugo Blick, The English is a miniseries following Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt) as she goes on a quest for revenge against the man responsible for killing her child on the American frontier. She meets Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a member of the Pawnee tribe and a former cavalry scout, who assists her in the march toward vengeance. Together, they embark on a journey of retribution, and learn about the struggles they each have culturally in a country that neither of them feels a part of.
I said on Twitter that The English might be the most beautifully shot show of 2022, and I stand by that after thinking about it for a few days. Itis stunning to look at. There are many wonderfully shot scenes. Nature and the land make the United States look way more beautiful than it is. Also, the colors are a sight to behold. Between the use of the colors in the sky during a sunrise or sunset, or having the flowers pop out more, the design and execution of the colorful scenes are flawless. Huge props to the creative team for gorgeously filming this series.
The English is a great revenge story that harkens back to old school westerns. The series is evenly paced (odd thing to say for something that is six hour-ish episodes long), and the tension that builds throughout the series is palpable. Strong action sequences also help The English pay homage to older western series and movies. Well-choreographed and violent, kudos to the stunt team and those who worked on the action for making a strong impression on film.
One last thing to note on the technical side is the music, which also contributes to making the series feel like an old school western. It’s well-crafted, sounds gorgeous, and adds to the tension effectively. The song choices are also really strong. The mixing of songs with beautiful cinematography is fruitful. In the final episode, there’s a song by The Wailin’ Jennys combined with a scene of two performers riding together in a field of red flowers. It gave me the chills.
The performances are outstanding in this series, starting specifically with Spencer. He does an amazing job, and provides both memorable action sequences and a lot of depth and emotion. Eli is a smart, tactical, and caring individual, and Spencer is phenomenal. Blunt is dynamite as well. I’ve come to expect her to do a great job in all her performances, but Spencer is one that I will be keeping an eye out for in the future.
The greatest strength of The English, though, is the chemistry between Spencer and Blunt. Whether they’re talking around a campfire, planning an attack, trying to save one another’s lives, Eli and Cornelia know how to make the most of their relationship. Both Spencer and Blunt really sell me on their companionship, and it’s something you feel when they’re happy together, when they’re triumphant together, or when they’re sad or hurt together. It adds an extra layer of stakes when you see how much these two look out for one another because we don’t want to see either of them get hurt.
I also have to give props for the action sequences. Everything is great, from using horses, to mixing up fights involving guns or bows and arrows. There’s a lot of peril in western settings, so the action sequences stand out because we’re not fighting with modern items like tanks or missiles. The violence can be a bit much at times, especially if you are uneasy about blood. That doesn’t change that the action is well choreographed and felt realistic.
As for the story, the revenge side may seem basic at first. When we start to dive deeper into what happens, there’s a mystery element and betrayals that make for a compelling and satisfying conclusion. The loss of a child is a heavy topic, which will understandably upset some people watching it. However, The English does a great job of expressing Cornelia’s grief and assuring viewers that revenge will not solve everything long-term. There are also elements of coming together with people of other cultures, and realizing how relationships can develop. Finally, there are themes involving a sense of duty and honor. There’s a lot to unpack about the story, but it’s one area that I still enjoyed — just not as much as other parts.
The English is a wonderful surprise here in 2022. Technically, the miniseries is nearly perfect. It has a great mix of colors, shots, and sounds. The performances are the best part of this series, particularly the two leads. I am a little bummed that this is a limited series, because I wouldn’t mind hearing more about these characters. However, what we get is memorable, and a strong addition to Amazon’s streaming portfolio.
Score: 9/10
The English is currently streaming on Amazon Prime video.
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