Reckoning – Netflix Mini-Series Review

RECKONING is a new Netflix mini-series about a serial killer. Actually, that’s only part of it but I’m guessing that’s all you need to know. Also, it stars Sam Trammell from True Blood. Read more in our full Reckoning review here and check it out on Netflix!

Reckoning is a Netflix mini-series. The plot features a serial killer but the story is so much more than a classic serial killer storyline. Still, I have no doubt that the serial killer aspect of this Netflix series is exactly why many people will want to check it out.

Well, that and the fact that it stars Sam Trammell from True Blood. Sure, I know he’s done other things both before and after but, to me, True Blood still stands as a truly iconic series. That’s why this is still my point of reference for him – which is a compliment. Even if he wasn’t my favorite character, since I was Team Eric Northman (and Pam, obviously!).

Continue below to read our full Reckoning mini-series review. We’ve watched the first 2 episodes for this review.

The cast of Reckoning

This new Netflix series is primarily about two characters, and while Sam Trammell plays one of them, the other is portrayed by Aden Young. You’ll no doubt be impressed with both of their performances in this production. Aden Young previously starred in the genre movie The Unseen (2016) and also in I, Frankenstein (2014) as Victor Frankenstein.

Also, we were thrilled to see Ed Oxenbould as part of this cast. We’ve seen him be truly brilliant in two horror movies already. These are M. Night Shyamalan‘s The Visit and the Christmas horror movie Better Watch Out. Both are definitely worth watching. If you’ve watched them, Ed Oxenbould will definitely be familiar to you – even if he is clearly older now.

Another familiar face could be that of Paula Arundell since she was in several episodes of the SyFy series Hunters. Overall, this series has a lot of characters that are portrayed by some wonderful actors, so just dig in!

A different take on the serial killer story

While Reckoning might feel somewhat familiar in style, it’s only in lots of great ways. The pacing and tone of this Netflix mini-series work perfectly at engaging its audience. Also, it should keep you guessing. Things clearly are not as simple as they may appear at first.

However, I am very happy to report that this isn’t because the series is full of those damn “red herring” clues. You know, the kind of clues that are clearly put in there to mislead you. No, with Reckoning, you will simply see many clues and things that can be understood and analyzed in more than one direction.

I have my own idea of how all of this is connected, but I don’t want to spoil anything for you – or misguide you in case I’m completely off. Just watch all ten episodes of this serial killer mini-series and come up with your own theories along the way. Just be ready for them to be shot down along the way as well, so you can keep guessing!

Watch the Reckoning mini-series on Netflix now!

The creators of Reckoning are David Eick and David Hubbard. David Eick has worked as a producer and writer on iconic sci-fi series such as Battlestar Galactica and Falling Skies. For David Hubbard, this is his first time working on a TV series, but hopefully not the last.

All episodes of the series were directed by Shawn Seet, Jennifer Leacey, and Peter Andrikidis. Jennifer Leacey has worked on several TV series but she’s also an assistant director on most of Baz Luhrmann‘s movies, which is a huge plus in my book. The writing credits for the various ten episodes go to Katrina Cabrera Ortega, David Hubbard, Ryan Mottesheard, and Thompson Evans.

Especially Katrina Cabrera Ortega is very interesting to me since she has worked as a researcher on 62 episodes of The X Files and most episodes of its spin-off series The Long. Also, she was a writers’ assistant on 43 episodes of The Twilight Zone. Basically, she’s worked on some really awesome genre productions in the past.

This new mini-series on Netflix consists of 10 episodes that each have a 45-minute runtime. The pace is good from the very beginning so you should get through a lot of episodes in one go – if you have the time, of course. This is definitely one of those mini-series that I am really looking forward to finishing as quickly as possible. Just so I can connect all the dots!

Reckoning is out on Netflix with all its 10 episodes from May 1, 2020. 

Details

Creators: David Eick, David Hubbard
Directors: Shawn Seet, Jennifer Leacey, Peter Andrikidis
Writers: Katrina Cabrera Ortega, David Hubbard, Ryan Mottesheard, Thompson Evans
Stars: Sam Trammell, Aden Young, Simone Kessell, Laura Gordon, Milly Alcock, Paula Arundell, Sean Barker, Nic English