The only movie I watched this week was my screening of Non-Stop, however that wasn’t all I watched. I finally finished the second half of “Breaking Bad” so I guess I’m not part of the club. As far as my thoughts on the show are concerned, I liked it, but I couldn’t help but get over how increasingly dark it gets. This isn’t a knock against the show, because it’s actually a tribute to the writers that they would allow the narrative to go down likely paths rather than tone it down and betray the characters, narrative and world the show had built.
That said, when a young lady is executed, a major character killed with only a couple episodes to go and a man hellbent on revenge slaughters several over the course of the show’s final hours I really couldn’t help but think of the love this show has amassed and how absolutely dark it is.
Granted, I think this is a reaction to not only this show, but so many television shows as of late and virtually all of last year’s major movies, particularly the award contenders. My mother recently watched Prisoners and The Place Beyond the Pines and during Pines she texted me asking, “Area all the 2013 movies so down and dark?” She has a point, while many of this year’s Best Picture nominees may have moments that are uplifting, just look at 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska and Captain Phillips. Hell, even Her and Philomena tumble down some dark paths to the point many interpreted the end of Her as ending only moments before the two characters decide to commit suicide.
What does this say about the audience? What does this say about society? Not only are these films and television shows being made, but we’re reveling in their darkness. “True Detective” is dark and the Red Wedding is used to promote the third season of “Game of Thrones” on Blu-ray.
Again, I’m not saying I don’t like these shows and movies, but my god, we have ventured into some strange territory where the most acclaimed and talked about shows are the ones that are so dark, disturbing and filled with rage and vengeful violence and debauchery.
That said, I still haven’t watched the first episode of the second season of “Hannibal” and I hardly expect it to be filled with rainbows and unicorns.
