Zombie flick never goes off the rails
Netflix
Ambitious Netflix show Kaleidoscope is unique as all eight episodes can be watched in any order.
Each episode is named after a colour and there are time jumps, with Black meant as an introduction and White intended to be the series finale.
Overall, though, there are 5040 possible ways in which the episodes of the heist show can be viewed – but does the gimmick work?
I can only judge it from the order I watched it in; I saw Red, the day after the heist, first before sampling Pink, set six months afterwards, and closed my viewing out with the White finale.
I found that to be a perfect colour order and as long as those episodes flowed within that colour scheme, the others can slot in anywhere.
White answered all but a couple of the questions the previous seven episodes painted for the audience.
I felt, though, that the one weak link was Violet, set 24 years before the heist.
It was a boring and slow 48 minutes, although it did end with the big reveal of why all that followed came to be.
So, if you hopefully understand all that, here’s what the show is actually about.
Leo (Giancarlo Esposito) gathers a group with specific skill sets to rob Roger Salas (Rufus Sewell) by breaking into a high-tech safe.
Jai Courtney plays Bob, who is reminiscent of his role of Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad, only he has switched his comic-book outfit to a maroon sweat suit.
The Australian is brilliant as he deals with anger and jealousy over his wife Judy’s (Rosaline Elbay) ex, the kind hearted Stan (Peter Mark Kendall), who you just can’t help but root for.
Leo has a sweet relationship with Ava (Paz Vega) and colleague RJ (Jordan Mendoza), and a more difficult rapport with Hannah (Tati Gabrielle).
As the heist approaches they are dogged by FBI agent Nazan Abassi (Niousha Noor), who has put everything on the line for her career.
It very much looks to me like this is a breakout hit for writer and creator Eric Garcia. I can see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for this talented novelist.
Whate are your thoughts on Kaleidoscope? Are there any new shows streaming on Netflix you have enjoyed?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@ reachplc.com and I will pass on any recommendations you have.
One of the best zombie flicks in recent years, this South Korean horror is a real treat.
Depositing the undead flesheating hordes on a moving train is a masterstroke by writerdirector Sang-ho Yeon as his movie never goes off the rails.
The characters may be a little stereotypical and familiar, but it just makes them more open to having their limbs munched.
Make-up and special effects rival big budget Hollywood productions – and the scares better them. More 28 Days Later swift than Romero slow, these zombies are a constant threat.