Here’s my problem
Narrative
A series adaptation of James Patterson’s novels about the complicated and brilliant detective Alex Cross. Hodge is the third actor to play Cross, following in the footsteps of Morgan Freeman, who first played him on screen in 1997’s Kiss the Girls and again in the 2001 sequel Along Came a Spider; and Tyler Perry as the title character in 2012’s Alex Cross, which flopped at the box office and led Lionsgate to scrap the planned sequel Double Cross. I first started following Aldis Hodge’s career when I fell in love with his character in Leverage. His performance as the “hacker” Hardison was superb, and I totally buy his performance as Alex Cross as well. The writing is solid, the performances are excellent overall, and the direction and editing are top-notch.
The lighting stinks
I don’t know anyone who lives every moment of their inner life in such darkness. I’ve only played 40 minutes of the first episode, but I’m already having trouble seeing the details in many scenes. Three scenes in particular stand out. The first was the cocktail bar. I don’t frequent cocktail bars myself, but even the darkest restaurant I’ve ever been to had enough light that I could see the faces of the other people at the table.
The second was the villain’s lair
Would someone who works on detailed plans and designs really do so in such dim lighting? A perfectionist would certainly want to see everything he or she is doing clearly. The third is the house where Alex shows up for dinner. This is not a romantic dinner for two. This is a gathering of family and friends.
Why so dark?
The entire house is dark – the foyer, the living room, and the dining room. Also, every room in the police building is dark. Wouldn’t a forensic scientist have a very well-lit operating room? If they’re trying to create a mood, I’m more focused on the struggle to see than the plot and dialogue. That’s a choice many shows have made in recent years.
My dad certainly couldn’t
You know, anyone with failing eyesight simply couldn’t watch this movie. That said, I could be wrong about the reason for the darkness. I stopped watching How I Met Your Father on another streaming service because it was also so dark that it wasn’t enjoyable. A little internet research revealed that the problem was with the service, not the show. When the show aired on the network, the lighting was perfect.