Renegade Nell Review: Pure Entertainment, Enriched by Fairy-Tale Elements
Cast: Louisa Harland, Joely Richardson, Frank Dillane, Pip Torrens, Nick Mohammed, Alice Kremelberg
Created By: Sally Wainwright
Streaming Platform: Disney+
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3.5/5 (three and a half stars)
Available for streaming on Disney+ starting March 29, Renegade Nell is a new British series with a historical setting; an adventure into the past that also incorporates fantastical elements. The show was created by Sally Wainwright, an English screenwriter who followed the path of many professionals from the land of Albion: she started her career writing for some BBC radio dramas, before moving on to television with the historic ITV soap operas Emmerdale Farmand Coronation Street. After a couple of flops in the mid-2000s, Wainwright made his mark on the small screen by creating the crime drama Happy Valley and the historical drama Gentleman Jack, the latter co-produced by the BBC and HBO. Among the directors who support the showrunner in this new serial adventure is Ben Taylor, behind the camera in many episodes of Netflix’s famous Sex Education.
If you saw Fear The Walking Dead from the beginning, you can’t have forgotten it: Frank Dillane played Nick Clark and was the protagonist of one of the most talked about and ridiculous zombie escape scenes ever seen. 9 years later, we find him in the role of a gentleman brigand in the woods of 1700s England, intent on shouting “Either your purse or your life!”. The name Nell will probably bring to mind the film of the same name from the 90s directed by Michael Apted, where an Oscar-hunting Jodie Foster played a girl who grew up in total isolation in the woods, kept at a distance from modern society by her mother hermit. The protagonist Nell of our story, like that of Apted’s film, is certainly an outsider, but certainly not such a passive character (a defenseless damsel with the need to be saved by the goodwill and tenacity of Dr. Liam Neeson). The character around which Nell revolves fits into that new wave of indomitable fairy-tale heroines ranging from Elsa in Frozen to Elodie in the recent Damsel. A figure in which traits of the “supers” – to quote Billy Butcher from The Boys – from DC and Marvel, Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel above all, also Echo.
Renegade Nell Review: The Story Plot
We are in the Tottenham area in the 18th century, Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland, the eccentric Orla from Derry Girls) is the courageous rebellious daughter of the innkeeper Sam (Craig Parkinson), who has just returned home after leaving with an army captain. Sam’s murder at the hands of Thomas Blancheford (Jake Dunn), the unpunished scion of the local magistrate, leads her to enter the palace in search of justice. But Thomas takes advantage of the commotion to kill his father – there are hereditary issues behind it – and frame Nell for the murder. On the run with her two younger sisters, the girl is now a wanted man forced to live by plunder and expedients, often with the complicity of the gentleman bandit Charles Devereux (Frank Dillane). Hunted by the police for a crime she didn’t commit, our renegade will be able to count on the prodigious abilities given to her by the spirit Billy Blind (Nick Mohammed): superhuman strength and resistance ready to spring into action when the young girl is in serious trouble.
The picaresque spirit of the adventures of the Sherwood bandits, led by the intrepid Robin Hood, meets the eighteenth-century setting of The Favorite (Queen Anne will make a small appearance, obviously limping due to gout). The intentions are naturally different from those of Yorgos Lanthimos’ purely historical film; we are faced with a story of a fantastic nature, where we also opt for a Bridgerton-style color-blind casting. What Nell – Renegade is interested in is staging a world where wigged dandies posing as bullies dominate, all ready to be put in their place by the rude and strong protagonist, new Xena: Warrior Princess, shouting “Don’t Call Me Nelly”. But the dangers that our heroine will have to face will not be limited to corrupt nobles, with their various henchmen in tow, but also to much more insidious threats of a supernatural nature, often evoked by the evil Earl of Poynton (Adrian Lester), the antagonist addicted to black magic.
Renegade Nell Review and Analysis
As we mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the character of Nell Jackson also has characteristics very similar to those of comic book superheroes, who are so popular today both in the cinema and on the small screen. The nature of the young heroine’s powers does not differ much from the many special abilities shown off by Marvel or DC characters (superhuman strength, accompanied by remarkable fighting abilities). How they manifest themselves – only when the girl is provoked and in grave danger – closely resembles that of the terrible strength of the “green Goliath” Hulk, unleashed when his opponents make him angry. Furthermore, like Bruce Banner and his alter ego – naturally in the classic comics or his two solo films, not as the character later evolved in the MCU, Nell is constantly on the run and hunted by the authorities, seen by most as a dangerous threat. Where the similarities end, of course, is in the magical and fairy-tale origin of her powers, with roots in the Anglo-Saxon folklore of sprites and goblins.
Nell – Renegade offers eight episodes of daring adventure and action, with a pinch of irony, made with the professionalism you would expect from the team involved in the production, made up of workers with long experience in British television. Where the Disney+ series is lacking, unfortunately, is in terms of originality. Its proposal struggles to stand out significantly from the sea of superhero products and similar products that invade the current catalogs of streaming platforms (Amazon Prime Video with The Boys and Gen V, Disney itself with the many productions linked to the Marvel brand). The TV series doesn’t even manage to make the most of its particular historical context, which remains little more than a mere decorative backdrop, without really affecting the dynamics brought into play by its narrative plot.
Renegade Nell is a classic fantasy adventure designed and created for kids. The heroine, aided by the friendly Billy Blind (played by Ted Lasso’s ex Nathan Shelley), becomes the bearer of the values of justice and freedom after being framed by the villain of the moment, the arrogant and greedy Thomas Blancheford, who has everything the nobility on his side by birthright. Nell’s adventures are fun, Pirates of the Caribbean style, but appropriate to the time and space of the narrative. Of course, Nell’s world is a world of fantasy, but the costumes and sets that hark back to 18th-century England are very thoughtful. Nell’s words represent one of many reflections on a society in which social status is the only thing that makes a difference in people’s lives. An impressively timely reflection, but also perfect for the era of narration.
The character of Charles Devereux (Frank Dillane), who alternates between life as a rich nobleman and that of a brigand in the woods, is the perfect example of the message that the series wants to send: a rich man can put himself in the shoes of a brigand, in a sort of echo to the story of Robin Hood, but a poor man can only be a brigand Or starve. The opportunities are not the same, especially if you are from Africa and arrive in England after being bought as a slave as a child. The multitude of characters, which works perfectly with a set of different characters, combines with an unusual reflection, at least in British series like this, on the effects of colonialism. Continuous references to reality, in this series in which spirits and magic make the difference for the protagonist, make Nell a perfect event for kids but also aimed, as usual, at a more mature audience capable of understanding the references.
There are also many visual references, from Peter Pan to The Matrix, in a celebration of the characters of the brigands as friendly outlaws forced by circumstances to defend themselves from an unjust system. The most successful and entertaining character is undoubtedly that of Devereux, who never misses an opportunity to try to get Nell and her extraordinary strength on his side right from their very first meeting, at the beginning of the pilot episode. Dillane has fun bringing him to life, and it shows an excellent result both in the character and in his connection with the audience. The greenery of the English countryside and woods blends with castles and ancient homes. The unsuspected magical arts that hide among the nobility, supported by excellent special effects, make Nell-Renegade an excellent source of entertainment for the whole family.
Easy-going, full of surprises, and with the classic division between good and bad magic, Nell never misses an opportunity to reflect both on the society of the time and on the history of England, with the plots against the queen and a court full of influential characters who evil but hilarious Lady Eularia Moggerhangar played by Joely Richardson. Nell’s story is told to us like a fairy tale, sometimes even through the voice of the protagonists such as the funny Polly Honeycomb (Ashna Rebheru). Between unlikely hostage exchanges and overly elaborate plans, Louisa Harland moves with ease in the role of Nell, giving us a noteworthy protagonist together with breathtaking landscapes, photography that celebrates sunrises and sunsets, and reflections on the need to change the world, erasing the moves of those who take advantage of the pain and misery of others to build a better position for themselves.
Like the Earl of Poynton (Adrian Lester, already a great actor in Hustle), while some of the brigands are justified by necessity another part – like some of the wandering actors – embodies the classic brigand who acts out of greed and ambition. On a mission to save the Queen from those who want to take power, Nell – who everyone calls Nelly even though she doesn’t want to – guides us in an increasingly complicated and dangerous undertaking, enriched by characters inspired by classic fairy tales and great stories such as Pinocchio, Excalibur, and the aforementioned Robin Hood. Renegade Nell is pure entertainment, capable of leading the viewer into a world that appears like a modern – but very relaxed – rereading of eighteenth-century English, enriched by magical elements and all those essential archetypes of fairy tales, from the astute heroine to the petulant elf, from the deranged villain to the courageous brigade.
To enrich the fantastic aspect of the show are the daring action scenes – halfway between The Matrix and any film by Bud Spencer and Terence Hill – and the extravagant encounters that our protagonist has along the way: every character, from her companions of Nell to those who reveal themselves along the way, has a peculiar and well-defined role, capable of bringing value to the plot and contributing to the creation of a vibrant and nuanced environment. Finally, the splendid costumes and the evocative sets, aided by a fluid and dynamic direction, make Renegade Nell an engaging visual and narrative experience. Renegade Nell is pure entertainment, enriched by fairy-tale elements, daring fight scenes, and suggestive sets, which make the one conceived by Wainwright an engaging visual and narrative experience. The icing on the cake is her leading actress, who shines in the role of a chameleon-like character with a thousand nuances.
In addition to wholesome entertainment, Renegade Nell also offers its audience an intelligent look at the classism, social immobility, and injustice that characterized English society of the time, but also explores decidedly current themes such as class struggle and politics of gender. Through her actions, she highlights how “tradition” can often be a burden, demonstrating that female emancipation represents a goal that requires great commitment to achieve. Although corrupt nobles like the Earl of Poynton (Adrian Lester) mock our protagonist for being a woman, so insignificant in a world of powerful men, through her rebellious spirit Nell proves them wrong; in one of the most emotional sequences of the season, the girl liberates an entire prison after realizing how many inmates have been unjustly condemned to live in darkness and poverty for minor crimes such as theft of “bread, blankets and other goods of first necessity. Rebelling against injustice is therefore what the series encourages, a message conveyed not through rhetoric or political correctness but through the strength of her characters.
Renegade Nell Review: The Last Words
Renegade Nell features a historical adventure with some fantasy elements. At the center of this eighteenth-century story, populated by the wigged bullies of The Favourite, we find a heroine with supernatural powers, not dissimilar to some superhero characters. Despite competent writing and staging by a team of British television professionals, the series struggles to stand out from the many productions starring superheroes that now invade almost all the catalogs of the various streaming platforms. It doesn’t help that the historical context remains only in the background, without having a truly significant impact on the plot.
Renegade Nell Review: Pure Entertainment, Enriched by Fairy-Tale Elements - Filmyhype
Director: Sally Wainwright
Date Created: 2024-03-30 14:12
3.5
Pros
- Louisa Harland's performance.
- Directed by Ben Taylor, capable of transforming action scenes into dance and choreography.
- The chemistry boasted by Joely Richardson and Frank Dillane in their irresistible sub-plot.
- The courage to overturn genre conventions, building a subtext full of social caliber.
- The duration of the episodes.
Cons
- The story intended for antagonists, where magic weakens its scope of threatening entertainment.
- The little space allocated to Joely Richardson in the role of Lady Eularia.
