The Staircase (HBO Max) - Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Parker Posey
- Thread starter 4Roses
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HBO Max punching Netflix when it‘s already down. First Tokyo Vice, now this.
I don‘t know if it‘s going to be any good (knowing the story from the docuseries at the very least it will be an entertaining trainwreck) but this just feels so much more of an event than the trash Netflix churns out week by week.
I don‘t know if it‘s going to be any good (knowing the story from the docuseries at the very least it will be an entertaining trainwreck) but this just feels so much more of an event than the trash Netflix churns out week by week.
I'm so confused as to why someone felt the need to make a series about a true-crime docuseries like....
The Dropout, The Girl From Plainville, Joe Vs Carole… everyone is doing it now, for whatever reason.
“Awards” fodder, I assume and that people are on a true crime fad. I say this as someone who enjoys Dateline/48 Hours/20/20. Some are better than others though.
The Staircase is one of the most depressing, soul-crushing documentaries ever. It is pure, existensial dread in video form. Whether he's guilty or not becomes shockingly irrelevant when you see how the US legal system can destroy the lives and worlds of many.
I don't know any other word to describe a dramatic adaptation of it other than...tacky? It will have to be pretty stellar for me to feel it is justified.
I don't know any other word to describe a dramatic adaptation of it other than...tacky? It will have to be pretty stellar for me to feel it is justified.
You have no idea how much that shit haunted me. As @johnny_tsunami said, the documentary was such a soul crushing experience, I have zero desire to revisit it.
he/him
Only watched the first episode so far. I fully admit I haven’t seen the doc yet but will watch later. The cast is phenomenal and Parker Posey is INSPIRED casting.
Just finished the second episode and I won’t spoil anything for those who aren’t super familiar with the case, but they do show Kathleen falling down the stairs (whether you believe that’s what happened or not) and fuck. It takes a lot to shock me and leave me speechless but that did it. I watched the documentary a few years ago and I’ve seen every photo there is to see of the “crime scene” (some of them I accidentally stumbled on and I’ll never forget them) and they still managed to shock me with this particular moment. The way it was shot, Toni’s performance, was…a lot. So if you’re planning on watching, just be cautioned, I guess. I did appreciate that they didn’t hold back, it immediately gave the whole thing a really…sobering? feel.
Other than that, the way they’re setting up these shots is stunning. The way they intercut the “expert walkthrough” of the staircase itself and the fundraiser was really cool and such a creative way to do it. I do like the way they’re painting the picture of their lives together before and after Kathleen’s tragic death. It’s especially interesting if you’re familiar with the details of the case. They really did their research.
I went into this not seeing a point for it at all, but it’s mostly won me over pretty quickly. The acting is stellar and the cast is just stacked. As @johnny_tsunami said, the documentary is just incredibly heavy as all hell so the tone of this automatically feels lighter to me by default, but I think they’re handling it well.
As much as I love true crime, this is a case that’s been hard for me to return to over the years. I do recommend the documentary if you have like 12 hours to dedicate to it and have the mental capacity to deal with it. So far I’m pleasantly surprised with this HBO series and I’m really curious to see how they handle the rest of it. The way Colin Firth has nailed Michael’s mannerisms and speech patterns is also kind of insane. There was a moment during the first episode where he’s watching an interview of himself and for a second I thought it was actually Michael. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about his casting because he doesn’t resemble Michael to me, but he just disappears into it.
Other than that, the way they’re setting up these shots is stunning. The way they intercut the “expert walkthrough” of the staircase itself and the fundraiser was really cool and such a creative way to do it. I do like the way they’re painting the picture of their lives together before and after Kathleen’s tragic death. It’s especially interesting if you’re familiar with the details of the case. They really did their research.
I went into this not seeing a point for it at all, but it’s mostly won me over pretty quickly. The acting is stellar and the cast is just stacked. As @johnny_tsunami said, the documentary is just incredibly heavy as all hell so the tone of this automatically feels lighter to me by default, but I think they’re handling it well.
As much as I love true crime, this is a case that’s been hard for me to return to over the years. I do recommend the documentary if you have like 12 hours to dedicate to it and have the mental capacity to deal with it. So far I’m pleasantly surprised with this HBO series and I’m really curious to see how they handle the rest of it. The way Colin Firth has nailed Michael’s mannerisms and speech patterns is also kind of insane. There was a moment during the first episode where he’s watching an interview of himself and for a second I thought it was actually Michael. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about his casting because he doesn’t resemble Michael to me, but he just disappears into it.
Oh dear lord. I was trying to find this thread to see when I had to prepare myself and it literally happened as I read "Episode 2". It is... horrifying/awful. I had to walk away.
That is what was going on, but it was still a lot to take in.