Summary
While it doesn’t give a jaw-dropping answer to how Ferry came to be, it does act as a healthy prequel.
This review of the Netflix film Ferry contains no spoilers — the crime drama was released on the streaming service on May 14, 2021.
Where do I start? The last thing I expected when I got through two thrilling seasons of Netflix’s Undercover (a thrilling crime drama) was a spin-off prequel that explained the main villain.
I’m all for origin stories, but I’ve always found the criminal Ferry amusing. He’s the kind of man you’d expect to see in the pub, grunting in the corner and chuckling a little at the sign of slight banter. He’s a villain that barely acts like an evil man, and that’s what makes him fascinating. Ferry is a crime lord that somehow keeps it casual, making it difficult for the audience to gauge the character. He sits with his beer and burps freely like a disgusting pig. He’s a man with no shame. Ferry probably does not deserve an origin story.
Netflix’s Ferry explains how the man came to be. Once you have finished the film, Netflix wisely sends the viewer to the first season. If you are thinking about watching Undercover, I’d heavily suggest that this film is watched first. While it doesn’t give a jaw-dropping answer to how Ferry came to be, it does act as a healthy prequel.
There are a few quirks; for instance, in the film, Ferry meets John, and because the time of the story is a little before the series, he asks him if he’s dyed his hair. It’s a cheeky dig at the fact that the production team couldn’t make John look younger, but it’s good to see his right-hand man back on the screen.
The story focuses on the lead character and how he got settled at that intimate caravan park. While it doesn’t show his “actual” rise, it does show Ferry working for his boss (named Brink); he finds himself dealing with gang warfare after one of their own ended up being shot at “House X.” Brink asks Ferry “to deal with it,” essentially makes making him cocaine sniffing assassin who lurks at a campsite to find the gang responsible for hurting their own.
The Netflix film barely inspires. We welcome an extension of this universe, but we learn very little in this prequel. It’s not like Better Call Saul, where the information you receive adds context to the whole ordeal. However, Ferry does show how the criminal met Danielle and answers the vital question — were they really in love, or was it a transactional relationship? But apart from that, this is a generic crime film that benefits from the context afterward rather than from within.
However, an extension of the Undercover Universe is hardly something to be sniffed at. I enjoyed it. Would I watch other prequels or sequel films involving Danielle? Absolutely. Ferry may be opportunistic, but it will certainly appeal to the fans.
