Summary
A well-made and well-intentioned adaptation that tries far too hard to misdirect its audience. By stringing out these misjudged and (some may say) predictable plot twists, the series ends up being purposely ambiguous and frustrating to watch.
Here is our review of the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room Season 1, which does not contain spoilers.
Apple’s latest original drama series, The Crowded Room, stars Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried, two Hollywood actors who are currently riding high at the top of their game.
Tom Holland has just completed his Spider-Man trilogy with the hugely successful Spider-Man: No Way Home, while Amanda Seyfried won countless awards for her portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout. Unfortunately, both A-listers are wasted here in this miscalculated miniseries.
The Crowded Room Season 1 Review and Plot Summary
The Crowded Room focuses on Danny Sullivan (Holland), a promising artist who is caught up in a shooting at Rockefeller Center. He’s arrested for the crime and questioned by Rya Goodwin (Seyfried).
Yet as the series unravels, it becomes clear that Danny isn’t telling the whole truth. There are holes in his story and many forgotten memories.
The series is framed around this interrogation, with Danny recounting crucial moments from his childhood and the months leading up to the shooting. These scenes are told through your standard flashback sequences. Warning: those growing tired of this incessant TV trope may want to miss this series.
In flashbacks, we are introduced to Danny’s generic home life and school routine, where he is constantly threatened by his awful stepfather Marlin (Will Chase), and the stereotypical school bully.
Fearing retribution from both enemies, he seeks refuge in a spooky boarding house down the street, where he befriends the mysterious Yitzak (Lior Raz) and Ariana (Sasha Lane).
After the shooting, Yitzak and Ariana go missing. Rya investigates the circumstances surrounding these mysterious disappearances, unsure if Danny has killed them both himself.
As the interviews dig deeper into Danny’s past, more of the many mysteries from the series are slowly revealed.
Is The Crowded Room Season 1 good or bad?
The Crowded Room is a surprising misfire from Apple, especially considering the talent involved. The series struggles in a couple of key areas, but its main issue is the framing of its plot twists. The writers contort and mangle the script to keep these mysteries a secret for far too long. This leaves many ambiguities in the storyline, which are frustrating and jarring on the whole.
Tom Holland tries to appear naive and likable enough with his puppy dog expressions, but he feels completely miscast as the lead here. It’s hard to care about Danny or his actions, although a subplot romance involving Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown) does provide some genuine tenderness, which helps to humanize Danny somewhat.
Is The Crowded Room season 1 worth watching?
Patient viewers may stick around to uncover the many secrets from this miniseries, although they may be disappointed by what they are left with in the end. This is yet another Apple TV+ show that offers a fancy title sequence, impressive Hollywood stars, and influential source material but wastes all that potential on a poorly construed script.
What did you think of the Apple TV+ The Crowded Room Season 1? Comment below.
