Upon its release, Eric amassed an IMDB rating of 7.4. It served the viewers’ expectations with an intense storyline and commendable performances from the cast despite grappling with some narrative shortcomings.
Eric is a gripping psychological thriller created by the renowned Emmy winner Abi Morgan, known for her engrossing storytelling.
Highlights
- Eric was released as a miniseries; thus, there is no release date for a second season.
- The filming for Eric was done in Budapest, Hungary.
- The series is not based on a true story. However, the inspiration came from Abi Morgan’s real-life experiences as she worked in New York and dealt with missing children cases.
The 2024 series tells the story of an abusive and alcoholic puppeteer father, Vincent Anderson, whose 9-year-old son, Edgar, goes missing in New York City.
Following his disappearance, his entire life becomes upside down as his relationship with his wife dissociates, and he jumps into the loophole of substance abuse.
During his meltdown, he is consoled by the words of an imaginary creature, Eric, who helps him on his journey to find Edgar.
Disclaimer: This review is based on a viewer’s perspective and does not represent any official endorsement or critique.
Clashing Perspectives: Critics Divided on the Series ‘Eric’
Eric (2024)
Vincent, a distraught father dealing with his son’s disappearance, finds comfort in his friendship with Eric, the monster residing under Edgar’s bed.
Genres
Drama Crime Thriller| Released Date | May 30, 2024 |
| Casts | Gaby Hoffmann Benedict Cumberbatch Dan Fogler |
| Writers | Abi Morgan |
| Directors | Lucy Forbes |
The 2024 thriller series records a Tomatometer score of 71%, which is quite high, receiving mixed reactions from the critics.
One of the top critics from Rotten Tomatoes, Randy Myers, expressed his appreciation for the series. He mentioned,
The period details couldn’t be better, and the final episode weaves the many elements together with effortless poignancy.
Similarly, another top critic, Anita Singh, has dropped rather positive feedback emphasizing that it was far less weird than she had expected, along with its inventive and assuring paradigm.
On the other hand, another critic made a quirky remark, stating that the series’ twist was more interesting than the mystery itself.
The metaphor he chose was quite hilarious.
You don’t drink the cocktail for the garnish, but that doesn’t stop it adding some, much-needed, zest.
Specifically, the series has received utmost praise for its storyline, the way the dots have been connected, the way the characters are linked to one another, and the ultimate character development by the end.
Here is a quick sneak peek of the series,
The negative views were presented, expressing extreme disappointment in generating intimacy with the characters that was in contrast to the positive feedback.
Even the aspect of character development clashed among the critics, where one supported while the other opposed.
Angie Han, tagged as a top critic, wrote,
The role is heavy on the kind of showboating — screaming, sobbing, crawling around in the muck — that makes for splashy Emmy reels. But it’s frustratingly light in terms of intimate character development.
In addition, some of the reviewers also showcased their dismay but mentioned how they won’t stop watching the series whatsoever.
This suggests that although the series is not impactful enough to leave an indelible mark, it is still entertaining enough to warrant the binge.
Another critic voiced her opinion by saying that the series bites more than it can chew.
She further elucidated that the series melted into a procedure to cover all different aspects of race, sexuality, and mental health when it could only touch the superficial aspects of the subjects with no depth in the content.
Netflix’s Limited Series Eric Bites More Than It Can Chew
Well, they say for a series to stand out, it either needs a captivating performance or a mystery-filled plot twist that makes you crave more.
I must say, Eric has both of them; however, most of the components seem to be overpacked and spilling all over. When it comes to the plot, even a slight majority can ruin its essence.
I appreciate the creators’ attempt to create an intriguing TV series and fit all its aspects into this short six-part series, but was it the right choice?
I would probably say no!
The mixture of multiple elements, such as corruption, martial dissociation, psychological breakdown, addiction, grief, and inhumanity, diverted the viewer’s attention, which wasn’t even properly covered in the climax.
The series transitions from one plot thread to the next in each episode, and I agree that all the threads were tied in the last episode, but I didn’t see how it was so worth it.
The threads didn’t make the series exciting, although it wasn’t that boring either.
Not to forget, the voluminous layers of back stories of certain characters diminished the ability for proper representation, it appeared that writers lost their way in between.
Although the core mystery of the series was revealed too soon, I found the second last episode compelling enough to keep the viewers in their seats.
I actually loved the intimate storytelling approach to parental guilt, which was so deeply rooted that Vincent started hallucinating a cartoon character with similar characters to his son.
Having said that, the series seems to be fighting its own demons and chasing a higher degree of ambition in itself.
It would have been best if the writers had realized the impact of Michael’s storytelling earlier.
It could have presented the dynamic with the co-existence of the two fascinating characters, Michael and Vincent.
A simply structured series with only a few elements to focus on might have been better, in my perspective, that could have saved the cast and the crew from tremendous hard work.
Thus, I found the series to be an ambitious swing that was either a hit or a miss, but in this case, it appears to be hovering between the lines of success and failure.
In addition, the series tried to wrap up well, giving closure to all the characters despite having a cluster of stuff to deal with.
Gaby Hoffman As Cassie Anderson: A Captivating Character You Can’t-Miss
Gaby Hoffman is seen as Cassie Anderson, the protagonist’s wife, one of her rare roles that was never seen before.
In the series, Hoffman brought nuanced performance where she got enough screen time and showcased outstanding performance with enough emotional resonance.
Eric Interview: Benedict Cumberbatch & Gaby Hoffmann on Netflix Dramahttps://t.co/3rMHU6A4LK
— ComingSoon.net (@comingsoonnet) May 30, 2024
She can be seen as the only sane character in the series, struggling to keep her family together while grappling with the potential loss of her son and the deteriorating mental state of her husband.
In my opinion, Hoffmann’s preparation paid off for the role as she delved deeper into Cassie’s psychology and worked with an acting coach to understand and internalize the character’s emotional journey.
Her hard work was evident on-screen because she balanced calmness and emotional commotion.
Calm vigor was crucial in scenes where Cassie tried to support her husband while dealing with her grief.
Despite playing aside veteran actors like Benedict Cumberbatch, her potential was not overshadowed, and she shone the brightest.
Personally, I loved the character because it showcased the strength and resilience a mother can have when it comes to their child.
Her indulging in the character made us see Cassie as Hoffman herself.
Now, every time Hoffman is mentioned, we can’t help but get the picture of Cassie in front of our eyes.
Well, that is the kind of impact an amazing actor leaves off, and this is the true core of acting in the entertainment industry.
