Lisey’s Story: What the Must Watch reviewers think

Wednesday 2 June 2021, 12:33

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan share their thoughts on Lisey’s Story on Apple TV +.

The adaptation of Stephen King’s best selling novel follows Lisey Landon (Julianne Moore) two years after the death of her husband, famous novelist Scott Landon (Clive Owen).

A series of unsettling events causes Lisey to face memories of her marriage to Scott that she has deliberately blocked out of her mind.

Apple TV +

Scott says: “It reminds me of Lost”

“I really like this. I find it surprising for Apple TV+ to be doing a show like this too.

A lot of the shows on their fledgling streaming service are very optimistic, very uplifting and motivational (Oprah launched a show with Prince Harry on mental health just last week). Then this really dark and uncomfortable show comes along.

“I was rather taken away by how uncomfortable and at times, grim the tone was, with scenes that last longer than you would expect.

Yet the plot is also ridiculously addictive. It reminds me of Lost in a way: there’s a lot of abstract themes, dream sequences and confusing plot points that might not have any answers.

Then again, one of the executive producers is J.J. Abrams. “I’d say if you’re a fan of Stephen King, then this is right up your street.”

Apple TV +

Hayley says: “King hasn’t pulled back just because he’s doing a TV show”

“I'd say yes it’s a Must Watch but with caveats. I'll get to those in a second.

"I really like it when novels are given a whole series to breathe, and Stephen King has spoken before about ‘suitcase syndrome’ in movie adaptations which is where you try to cram in all the stuff that’s in the book into two hours and now the thing won't close. So Apple has given him all of this time to spread out, and he's taking it slowly and very weirdly, and has been very much involved in the whole thing: he's written the script himself and he was around on set.

"He’s said in the past that Lisey's Story is his favourite out of his own novels. So this is the one he wants to get right, probably because the story comes from a personal place. In 1999 he was hit by a van and nearly died. He was in hospital for a long time and while he was there his wife decided to redesign his studio. When he eventually came back he saw all of his work packed up in boxes with labels on them and he saw a preview of his own death. This came from there.

“As for the caveats: the story is one of those you'll only like if you like the King books where he gets a bit weird and wanders into fantasy and the dreamworld.

It's not like The Shawshank Redemption, or Misery, it's one of those ones that has fantasy elements I think will turn a lot of people off. When King gets into fantasy world, he can get a little bit silly and this is no exception. If you know all of that going in, and know that it's not going to be a straightforward grieving widow story, then I think it's got a chance.

“It's one of the very few King adaptations that manages to capture the weird spooky New England mood his books sometimes have. In this, there is a lot of mist and low light going on. I always thought that he was exaggerating how thick mist can get until I actually went to Maine and realised that if you open the window the mist comes in and bobs around the ceiling like it's a cloud.

The cinematography in this show captures that kind of mist and darkness, and it's so noticeably unique that I looked up who the cinematographer was. It's Darius Khondji: the guy who shot movies like The City Of Lost Children, Se7en, The Ninth Gate, and The Beach. These are all strange, visually interesting films, and I loved that he hasn't pulled back just because he's doing a TV show.”