There’s something nice about seeing Tom Holland play someone other than Spider-Man on an Apple TV+ series Crowded room. It’s not because his view of the wall-crawler was bad in itself, but rather because he felt he had reached a point where there was little difficulty in doing so, neither for him nor for the audience. Like many stars trapped in the Marvel machine, there comes a point when you start to desperately hope they get out before they spend too much time trapped in their universe when they could try out other parts. While some of Holland’s attempts to leave behind the web-slinging character were overdone, there were also more promising works such as Devil all the time, where he showed he could handle the more serious parts. On the surface, it looks like this new series could also give him a lot more meat to sink his teeth into. Alas, the deeper you get involved, the more history inexplicably keeps you at a distance. Whether it’s the manner in which he reveals his “secret” to the point of desperation, or the way the subsequent consequences of his supposed surprise overlook Holland himself, Crowded room has the exact name, more embellished than attractive.
It all starts with a shooting in 1970s New York, which the 10-episode series takes back and forth. It is believed that a disturbed Danny Sullivan (Holland) is behind this, who does not seem to know what exactly happened. The only person who can help him is the elusive Ariana, played by a typically strong Sasha Lane exciting recent movie How to blow up a pipeline, who appears to have fled the scene and left Danny to fall. Investigator Ria Goodwin enters, played by Amanda Seyfried in her first television role since her stellar performance in Screeningwho is trying to get to the bottom of what really happened and seems to care more about him than the police who just want to close the case. As she begins to question Danny about his involvement, the series takes us back to his painful childhood, when home and school brought their own traumas with them. Seeking safety from both, we learn that he contacted the aforementioned Ariana and the virtually absent Itzak (Lior Raz), who accidentally moved up the street from him. This good fortune is one of many that the series is starting to draw attention to again and again, proving that Danny’s life is not all that it seems. Or at least that’s what it’s for.
The ‘mystery’ of The Crowded Room never seems truly mysterious
There’s a weird tension at the heart of the series where what’s going on with Danny becomes crystal clear early on, but the story seems to think it’s actually quite complicated. While this review doesn’t reveal what’s going on with him, Riya’s recurring interrogation feuds tickle the details with such obviousness that the show starts to get almost laughable in its attempt at intrigue. The credits reveal that this adaptation is inspired by a non-fiction novel by a well-known late author. Daniel Keyes, whose very name may betray the game, but it introduces many changes that are never connected. Some of them are superficial, mostly names and places, while others are of great importance both in terms of tone and theme. The most significant is the real person that Keys wrote about who committed more serious crimes, while Danny is conceived as a tragic figure at war with himself.
Holland does his part to bring this to life by capturing Danny’s shifting emotions and fears without ever overacting. Problems start to arise due to the fact that the characters, in particular Holland and Lane, are isolated from the rest of the story, when some details need to be stated elsewhere. It’s all part of how the series initially portrays a psychological thriller based on both the initial incident and the possible conspiracy that could be tied to it. However, various misdirections are built on subtle attempts at subterfuge, which are themselves nullified by the fact that history continues to draw attention to its contradictions. Instead of letting us slowly piece together what doesn’t seem to fit together in Danny’s story and life until he’s sitting across from Ria, he keeps hitting us over the head with repeatedly drawn lines of dialogue. Most of them end up with Seyfried, who does her best to sound natural, but is thwarted by direct writing.
It can be forgiven if Crowded room haven’t danced around your deceptions for so long. Instead, there are just too many episodes that are hinted at in subtlety, like they’re being yelled at through a bullhorn. When you’re five steps ahead of the characters and the show is constantly trying to pretend we might not know where it’s all going, any investment in what’s going on becomes a wear and tear. This is partly due to a flashback sequence that also serves as a backstory for Riya as she takes on a more central role, but it still comes at a moment when the audience’s patience with the story runs out.
The show that kept bouncing while watching this was Sam Esmailmasterfully Mr. Robot, which strikes a balance between thriller and measured character exploration with far greater care. No matter how hard the actors try to give some emotional depth here, it can often seem like they get lost in the shuffling. Even when the truth is revealed, we don’t fully feel the impact this has on Danny, as the show instead shifts towards the trial, making him more of a passive observer. This is partly reflected in the way his life is now in the hands of his lawyer, played by an underused Christopher Abbott outstanding recent film Sanctuaryalthough most of it seems cold.
‘Crowded Room’ addresses abuse with mixed results
Beneath it all, there is a growing focus on abuse and how it affects the future of the characters. Without going into too much detail, some of them may seem reserved and compassionate. It’s not just trauma for her sake, and the scenes where the characters openly talk about the pain of their lives feel honest. Even the description of the most devastating moments is done with restraint, which seems both a little kindness to the characters and an authentic depiction of how we block out certain parts of our past in order to survive. Unfortunately, at other times it can feel like it’s turning into a thriller again, with “twists” undermining the emotional impact of what’s going on. Even with the cast, there are too many moments where the story starts to unravel and gets tangled up in a superficial spectacle.
When everything takes a moment to slow down and just listen to the characters in moments of emotional transformation, one can see what a more focused version of this story could be. Instead, the emphasis on a dim mystery includes what might have been a brooding over these heavier subjects, is his greatest tragedy. In the end, Crowded room was true to its title, never giving enough space for its characters to actually breathe.
Rating: WITH-
First three series Crowded room premieres on June 9 on Apple TV+, with the remaining seven episodes airing weekly.
Source: Collider
I have worked as a journalist for over 7 years and have written for many different publications. I currently work as an author at Daily News Hack, where I mostly cover entertainment news. I have a great deal of experience in the industry and am always looking to learn more. I am a highly motivated individual who is always looking to improve my skills. I am also a very friendly and personable person, which makes me easy to work with.
