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Home > Categories > Entertainment > Television > Penance review

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Score: 7.0/10  [1 review]
2 out of 5
ProdID: 8738 - Penance
Type of Show: Thriller

Penance
Price:
TBC
Sample/s Supplied by:
Click to search for all products supplied by AcornTV

Disclosure StatementFULL DISCLOSURE: A number of units of this product have, at some time, been provided to KIWIreviews by AcornTV or their agents for the sole purposes of unbiased, independent reviews. No fee was requested, offered nor accepted by KIWIreviews or the reviewers themselves - these are genuine, unpaid consumer reviews.
Available:
on AcornTV from October 12, 2020

Penance product reviews

The lives of grieving mother Rosalie and her daughter Maddie are changed forever when they meet Jed. A spark of hope for the future is rekindled within the household. But underneath, a deadly and morally corrupt triangle is taking shape.

Check out AcornTV onlineClick here to see all the listings for AcornTV Visit their website They do not have a Twitter account Check them out on Facebook They do not have a YouTube Channel They do not have a Pinterest board They do not have an Instagram channel They do not have a TikTok channel



Tags:
julie graham   kate oriordan   neil morrissey   nico mirallegro   penance
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Product reviews...

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Click here to read the profile of alexmoulton

Review by: alexmoulton (Alex)
Dated: 27th of October, 2020

Link to this review Report this review

 

This Review: 7.0/10
Storyline:
Score 8 out of 10
Actors / Animation:
Score 6 out of 10
Soundtrack:
Score 7 out of 10
Personal Choice:
Score 7 out of 10

Penance is a peculiar style of mini-series. Combining the tropes of the middle-aged woman falling for a young stud, and a mother grieving over the loss of her son, Penance is walking the tightrope between gold-digger and crime genres, touching on the thriller genre as well with only three episodes to complete all of the various arcs brought into play.

The series is adapted by Kate O'Riordan from one of her own books, so there should be no issues with the context and direction of the series being present. And it is true that this is where the series excels; in its one-on-one interactions. Julie Graham takes on the role of the matriarch in this family thriller, and her engagements with the supporting cast are well done. Despite the number of directions her character is pulled, her emotional frame of mind is visibly fragmented as well, and it translates well in her uncertainties. When we are dealing with groups of unnamed characters then the acting is decidedly less impressive. Characters just meandering in silence around a kitchen, or lurking in the background, it feels as if nobody but the main characters was given any direction from director Maurice Sweeney.

The plot feels outlandish and does require the audience to just let things slide initially, but there are so many arcs that there is little other way to fit all of the content into a three-part series. O'Riordan would have had to either cut content out or have the budget for a five-part mini-series. Drug trafficking, deaths in Thailand, dealing with grief, Gang infiltration, youth alcoholism, adultery in many forms, and manipulation are all fighting for their own piece of the spotlight. This does mean there are many plot points that will feel out of place and undeveloped. By no means is this a well-grounded story. Each of the aforementioned elements could form its own three-part series, but combined together it creates a fast-paced highlight reel that doesn't stop.

The fast pace does work in its favour as the limited amount of time the show has on each arc does mean all of the arcs are very predictable, but the audience is never given any time to dwell on it.

Penance comes across more than a little contrived. It gets so lost in the thriller element that there is no real space for drama, and a lot of the emotional heft and impact is non-existent due to the lack of downtime given. There are no subtleties. In book form, a lack of subtlety can help build an image of your characters when you can't physically see their actions, however, on-screen, subtlety is needed to keep that air of mystery alive. In a medium where a sideways glance can give away ill intentions, focusing too heavily on certain aspects has a tendency to give away your big reveal beforehand, again, reducing the impact of it.

Penance can certainly be an enjoyable watch, but it will take more than a leap of faith, it requires a plunge into the grand canyon of accepting poor decision-making to be a trait in every character. Fun though.

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