Star Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Rebecca Henderson
Web Series Review: THE ACOLYTE starts on a thrilling note but suffers later due to faulty script and long length
Director: Hanelle M Culpepper, Alex Garcia Lopez, Leslye Headland, Kogonada
Synopsis:
THE ACOLYTE is the story of a woman framed for murder. Set 100 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, there’s peace between the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. In a bar on planet Ueda, a trained killer murders Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss). The description of the killer matches with that of Osha (Amandla Stenberg), a ‘meknek’ on a ship and an ex-Jedi. Osha feigns innocence but is arrested after a witness claims she’s the one who killed Master Indara. While she’s being transported to Coruscant, her fellow prisoners escape, leaving behind her. Her spaceship crash lands on the snowy planet Carlac. At Coruscant, Jedi Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) sends Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Osha’s former teacher, to Carlac with his current Padawan, Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), and Yord (Dean-Charles Chapman) to find Osha. They locate Osha and set a course for Coruscant. At the same time, the killer tries to kill Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman) on planet Olega. This is when it comes to light that the killer is none other than Osha’s twin sister Mae, who was presumed dead sixteen years ago. Moreover, Mae is being trained by a dangerous killer who seems to be an ex-Jedi warrior. What happens next forms the rest of the show.
The Acolyte Story Review:
The story has a lot of potential. The screenplay is engaging to a certain extent but after a point, it gets messy. The dialogues are normal.
Hanelle M Culpepper, Alex Garcia Lopez, Leslye Headland and Kogonada’s direction is average. They build the world well. The STAR WARS connection of course is there and there’s also an interesting angle about the events that took place in this much-loved universe a hundred years before. The series starts with a bang and a few scenes thereafter make a mark. A lot happens in the fifth episode too and it adds to the engagement. The use of what seems like Indian classical music in the scene of the witches will appeal to the audience here. The suspense of the villain is mildly predictable but nevertheless, it’s engrossing.
On the flipside, the pace soon drops and so does the entertainment quotient. The flashback scenes are quite long. After a point, one guesses correctly what must have happened and ideally, the makers should have summed it up quickly. Also, the reason Mae starts a fire, albeit accidentally, seems childish. The finale is expected to be nail-biting, but that kind of effect is not built. A few questions remain unanswered, which might not be liked by the audience.
The Acolyte Performances:
Amandla Stenberg gets to show a wide range as she plays a double role. Moreover, both the characters go through a lot, and she plays them with perfection. Lee Jung-jae rocks the show. He gets the maximum screen time after Amandla. Rebecca Henderson lends able support. Dafne Keen and Dean-Charles Chapman are very entertaining. Dean-Charles Chapman is strictly okay. Manny Jacinto (Qimir) is a big surprise. Jodie Turner-Smith (Mother Aniseya) and Margarita Levieva (Mother Koril) shine. David Harewood (Senator Rayencourt) is fair. Special mention should also go to Lauren Brady and Leah Brady as young Osha and young Mae respectively.
The Acolyte music and other technical aspects:
Michael Abels’ music is in sync with the theme of the show. Chris Teague’s cinematography is satisfactory. Kevin Jenkins’ production design matches global standards. The VFX is stunning while the action is unexciting. Miikka Leskinen’s editing is weak.
The Acolyte Conclusion:
On the whole, THE ACOLYTE starts on a thrilling note, but the later episodes don’t have the same effect due to a faulty script and long length.
Rating – 2.5 stars
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