“It cannot be that this whole country is only full of killers and thieves,” says Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), reflecting on the America of 1890, to which she has traveled from England in order to avenge the death of her son. And she’s right: There are also psychopaths, sadists, rapists, racists, idiots, imbeciles, religious fanatics and carnival freaks. They pepper a landscape whose panoramic vistas Mr. Blick emphasizes with poetic intentions, interrupted only now and then by spasms of violence and rivers of blood. –John Anderson, Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2022
The English, an epic tale of murder, revenge, and violence in lawless America during 1888, features Emily Blunt as an aristocratic lady from England who journeys to the United States to avenge the murder of her son. After nearly getting raped and murdered herself, Lady Cornelia allies herself with a Pawnee ex-cavalry scout Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer) as they journey through a dangerous landscape where thugs, bushwhackers, and outlaws attack without warning.
Lady Cornelia believes the man who killed her son can be found in the new town of Home, Wyoming. Along the way, Lady Cornelia learns about Eli Whipp’s savage past and the deadly aspects of his life.
This six-episode series on Amazon Prime Video, with its outbursts of graphic violence in each episode, might not be for everyone. But, if you’re in a spaghetti western mood, The English will take you back to the days of the good, the bad, and the ugly. GRADE: A
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve wandered the American West without encountering a single person whacking a bush.
Jerry, THE ENGLISH makes up for all the bushwhackers you missed out on!
I was already planning to watch this, primarily because of Emily Blunt, and this will seal the deal. Amazon just has so many series that it’s really difficult for one to stand out unless it has the built in audience of BOSCH or REACHER or LOTR, which was a real disappointment. The last out-of-nowhere Amazon series I saw was OUTER RANGE, which got off to an interesting then quickly fizzled out.
Michael, I agree with you on the number of offerings on Amazon Prime Video. It’s hard to keep up with all the programs!
I was impressed with the first episode. It was filmed beautifully. I will go on based on this.
Patti, like you I was struck by the beautiful western scenes…with violence lurking.
We watched the second episode last night. Blunt (of course) and Spencer are very good and the scenery is gorgeous. Still not sure where it’s going and it is a bit uneven, but we’ll stick with it.
As far as Amazon goes, we also get Acorn and Britbox and PBS Masterpiece and MHz Choice through Amazon, which makes it even tougher to keep up! At the moment we have four different French language series going.
My recommendation: skip James Corden in MAMMALS.
Jeff, I see that James Corden is leaving Late Night and pursuing other interests.
Our Commonwealth late-night hosts just don’t have the Yank stick-to-itiveness of the Colberts and Kimmels and Carsons. Trevor Noah also quitting in the near future.
Todd, I imagine the job of a Late Night host stresses people out. The Network Execs are always looking at the ratings. The pressure to perform every night is always high. Burnout results.
We will definitely give this a try, if only because my husband likes Emily Blunt so much.
Tracy, your husband has excellent taste!