Share Share Tweet Email. In fact, you could’ve watched them all several times over. The man who brought us killers lurking under the bed and other urban legend-style horror shows, has turned his attention to the apocalypse, with the ridiculously gripping and often plain ridiculous Hard Sun (BBC One, Saturday). But as Cross turns his attention to another detective series and adds in a dystopian twist inspired by a David Bowie song, well, the results are a whole lot different. Parents need to know that Hard Sun is a series set in London where two detectives have uncovered what could be proof of a looming worldwide apocalypse.This show's startling violence is its most alarming aspect, with people shot, stabbed, set aflame, thrown out of windows, gouged in the eyes, beaten with police batons, and bludgeoned with hammers. With such an irresistible skeleton, it’s difficult not to submit. It’s brutal, gruesome and an oddly one-sided fight; the gas is turned on, a match is lit and, as the flames begin to lick towards the living room, it all looks a bit like a mushroom cloud. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a registered trademark of The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Comment. And that’s fantastic to see. Hard Sun crams more plot into the opening episode than most series manage over their entire run. If this show were about her, it would be infinitely better (minus the sun). Hard Sun had to take special measures to ensure its mysteries stayed mysterious for a potential second series. Vedder’s take on “Hard Sun,” and the rest of the Into the Wild soundtrack, was pretty universally acclaimed, resulting in a music video for the track and a … Renko is infinitely more interesting because Deyn, her hair cropped short and her attire suggesting she's not even remotely interested in playing any kind of game either at work or at home, is a badass viewers can get behind. Hard Sun is a series that cares about everything except the most original and fascinating aspect of its own existence. Judging by the iPlayer charts you might well have: it’s proved very popular. Tim Goodman With Cross portraying the government and its MI-5 security branch as all-powerful, soul-crushing and intent on keeping the hard truth about the "hard sun" from citizens (in the ominous form of Nikki Amuka-Bird), adding detective Hicks' unlikable nature to the gruesome murders just makes the whole thing unwatchable. But when the always sneaky Derek Riddell shows up as a top-brass police officer, you know there’s some big-time government conspiracy going on. Featuring hacktivists, police investigating other police and global cover-ups, Neil Cross’s new drama packed more into its opening episode than most series do, Last modified on Tue 19 Jun 2018 12.23 BST. It was a mix of good and bad. “I’m gonna make you well moneyed,” he tells his wealthy client, as if he has gone awol from a sixth-form drama production of Top Boy. Maybe the most disappointing thing about Hard Sun is that so many great and creative series — including Luther — have come from Britain through the years, and this feels like Law & Order with buckets of blood and everybody worrying that they've only got five years left before the sun goes out or lights the planet on fire. When Renko and Hicks break into a … © 2021 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Read full review 30 Two detectives with opposing viewpoints are forced to work together in a pre-apocalyptic criminal world. There are hackers, hacktivists, police investigations into other police officers, global cover-ups, familial violence and romantic back stories both hinted at and dragged out into the open. Hulu’s UK import Hard Sun mixes a bleak end-of-the-world scenario and a somber crime drama with enough of a human element to keep you watching. It’s as if Luther, Line of Duty and Utopia all went to the pub together, emerged several hours later, steaming, and decided to form a supergroup. Hard Sun's heady mix of narrative and visual flourishes buckle under a surfeit of clichés that ultimately weigh it down and leave the show a muddled mess. It could rein in its excesses and end up a smart, contemplative thriller, or it could put its foot down, and embrace its full-throttle, operatic barminess. T he premise of Hard Sun (BBC One) is that the end of the world is nigh, and we have five years left to cry in. All rights reserved. AdChoices Computers! Cast: Jim Sturgess, Agyness Deyn, Nikki Amuka-Bird Hulu’s “Hard Sun,” starring Jim Sturgess and Agyness Deyn (so great in Terence Davies’ “Sunset Song”), which has already played in the U.K. but gets its stateside debut this Wednesday on the streaming service, is an ugly cop show with a clever high-concept. N eil Cross’s Hard Sun (BBC One) has been the bonkers Saturday-night treat that kept on giving. Sturgess’s wide-boy lothario shtick is a little hackneyed, but Deyn is good as the haunted Renko; blank where necessary, with an intriguing Linda Connor leanness that works well for the action here. Welcome to the slow road of weekly Hard Sun reviews. Either of those ideas would ultimately probably be better than Hard Sun, which mashes up corrupt detectives with government goons trying to crack down on a hack that reveals the awful truth about a cataclysmic doomsday event. After all, he's secretly been accused of murdering his old partner, which is why detective Elaine Renko (Deyn) has been assigned to him and is building a case for him in the rafters of her dank hotel room (don't ask). Despite all of that — and some of the dialogue and motivation she's forced to use in this series — Deyn gives her Renko character something that pops off the screen. 7, 2018 “The Sun, the Moon, the Truth” Detective Charlie Hicks “welcomes” a new member to his team—Elaine Renko, who eight months earlier nearly died at the hand of her own son. So far, so The Bridge. Hard Sun is an interesting mish-mash of science fiction and British crime series. | Do Not Sell My Personal Information It’s there when Hicks is making his young daughter drink juice; it’s there when they plug the USB – that’s a flash drive – into the phone and it informs them of the end of days, via what appears to be a long-lost Adam Curtis film. Hulu has been advertising the heck out of Hard Sun, a 6 part series from the BBC and Hulu. Sitemap | Hard Sun, it should be noted, is not subtle, or close to subtle, or even anywhere in the same continent as subtle. Hard Sun's savage blend of crime thriller and apocalyptic paranoia piece works really well, though this might be one of the only times I ever argue for, perhaps, a longer season. Failing to find enough grist, the show showers everything in an excessive amount of violence and blood, which is really saying something given the British cops don't use guns. There’s a tendency to overexplain when it’s not at all necessary. HARD SUN -- "One Thousand, Eight Hundred Days" - Episode 102 - Renko persuades a journalist to publish the Hard Sun dossier, instantly rendering her a … I suspect that, regardless of the direction it chooses to take, I’ll be sucked in, fully committed to watching the world end. With Jim Sturgess, Agyness Deyn, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Derek Riddell. Hard Sun (which already aired in the U.K. last month) premieres here in the U.S. on Wednesday, March 7th on Hulu. Critically acclaimed creator of Luther, Neil Cross, is the show runner behind this intriguing new drama… Luther’s creator, Neil Cross, does not like viewers to feel safe in their own homes. Hard Sun is an ultra-violent, not very believable and mostly unlikeable hot mess that has bits and pieces that would, separately, make for more interesting series. Directed by: Brian Kirk Created and written by: Neil Cross We fast-forward eight months to learn that Deyn is Elaine Renko, a brooding detective who returns to work after the attack to be the mysterious new partner of brooding detective Charlie Hicks, played as a kind of Tom Hardy-lite geezer by Jim Sturgess. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Hard Sun at Amazon.com. EMAIL ME 'Hard Sun' Episode 6 Review: 7 Reasons Why The Final Was A Total Let Down Well, that's six weeks of our lives we'll never get back. | EU Privacy Preferences. The … Find more Hard Sun TV series news or other Hulu TV show news. Season 1 Review: Hard Sun is an ultra-violent, not very believable and mostly unlikeable hot mess that has bits and pieces that would, separately, make for more interesting series. Poor old Ramachandran: the mercenary hacker gets some of the roughest lines. Hard Sun comes from writer Neil Cross, who also created the popular Luther series. Cross took his inspiration for Hard Sun from the David Bowie song Five Years, in which Bowie views a doomed-to-die Earth with a renewed sense of unity and wonder. Hicks has a young daughter, a pregnant wife and is also sleeping with his ex-partner's wife, plus stealing money from the office to help her out, so it's not like there's concern left about whether Renko busts him or he dies five years later at the hands of the sun. 2:13 PM PST 3/2/2018 The series stars Jim Sturgess (Close to the Enemy, Across the Universe) as Charlie Hicks, a slick and dirty detective who never allows viewers to like him. It’s ruggedly neon-lit and deeply violent and gory, as you would expect from Cross, in an exaggerated, comic-book kind of way (what with Gunpowder and now this, the BBC’s Saturday night drama slot is turning into a look-if-you-dare occasion). That said, it is silly, at times. Review: Hard Sun. Hard Sun does that, ... His reviews for the Daily Dot focus on original movies and series produced by streaming entertainment services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. When she explains how the hackers transport data, she clarifies that it’s “usually a USB memory stick. It is set in modern day London, and comes from the mind of Neil Cross, the creator of Luther. It begins with a woman, played by former model Agyness Deyn, being attacked in her gorgeously grimy house (all flats and houses in Luther, too, are worth a feature in World of Interiors magazine, even when they’re supposed to be hovels). | California Privacy Rights What better day to review Hard Sun, binge-watchable in America on Hulu since just a few days ago, than the day in which Daylight Savings Time (which I like far better than Eastern standard) took effect.. Ok, maybe that's bit of stretch. ‘Hard Sun’ finale review (spoilers) Lost in Space season 3 is a wrap — can it make a 2021 release? Based on this opener, Hard Sun, as handsome and competent as it is over-the-top, is up for grabs. But it's not, of course, and Cross' fixation on people doing terrible things to each other when they believe what they've heard about this impending doomsday event (even though it's discredited in the media) leads to a collection of awful and bloody encounters, each taking its toll. By Kevin Yeoman Mar 07, 2018. Premieres: Wednesday (Hulu). Privacy Policy | Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Hard Sun is a pre-apocalyptic crime drama set in contemporary London. FACEBOOK Hard Sun Series Premiere Review: Possibly The Gloomiest Cop Show Ever Made. We’re told Whitehall is behind a decision to pull surveillance. Actually it looked like a really good movie but since I am hard of hearing and the closed captioning was way out of sinc with the movie I am sorry to say was not able to … Hard Sun Episode 2 After an opening hour that chucked a kilo of cooked plot-spaghetti at several walls to … The underlying story is that the sun is going to destroy the earth in 5 years. Netflix movie bonanza for 2021 — new movies every week! Like a typewriter that you plug in! Well fret no more, because Hulu and BBC One have teamed up to give us a unique pre-apocalyptic crime drama TV show. Neil Cross struck gold by using Idris Elba to punch up the British detective series genre starting in 2010 with Luther, and the duo managed to make that a compelling dark police thriller longer than expected. This is a doomy portent of impending annihilation. But as she attempts to balance her new life with her brother and her own blossoming romance, it becomes painfully clear that life will only make room for one. I also like that they appear to be avoiding a tired old will-they-won’t-they setup, for now, at least – after that last spat on the beach, batons drawn, the pair would have some making up to do first. Hard Sun premieres March 7th on Hulu. By now you may have watched the entire 8 episodes. TWITTER From the very first shot of the series we see Nikki Amuka-Bird, who plays a mysterious and creepy MI-5 agent, staring at a computer monitor that features a close up view of the sun, undulating and flaring up. It’s a gutsy, ambitious concept, and when the real world has leaders comparing the size of their nuclear buttons, its apocalyptic angst feels timely. Hard Sun, a joint effort from BBC and Hulu, is an ultra-violent, not very believable and mostly unlikeable hot mess that has bits and pieces that … Still, when there are only five years of life left anyway, who knows what will happen before the sun goes down? Affairs, healthy living, a troubled past – what does any of it count for, if doom is certain? by Terms of Use | “ Hard Sun ” has many of the things you expect from a British crime drama: Competent visuals, a solid cast, a serialized tale of criminality, and a nearly unending string of overcast days. ‘Hard Sun’ Review: ‘Luther’ Creator’s Hard-Boiled Hulu Series Is Full of Hot Air Jim Sturgess shouts his way through a serial/procedural hybrid that doesn't mix well, even when it explodes. Season 1 Hard Sun Critics Consensus. A little more thoughtfulness and a whole lot more nuance would have been nice. But Hicks is suspicious that she’s actually … This is true even though she's been saddled with extreme darkness — the show opens with her being violently stabbed and assaulted in her own home (the scene is gruesome because she fights back with knives and other sharp objects, then is covered in gasoline — all of that horribleness leading to an ever darker reveal about her attacker). I’m sipping the series slowly, like a fine cognac, or Pepto Bismol. For example, if Cross wanted to make an entire Luther-like series starring Agyness Deyn, who plays a detective on Hard Sun with a very troubled past, that would be truly something to witness, since Deyn (The White King, Sunset Song) displays a magnetic power and empathy. The woman escapes, but it turns out there’s more to worry about than scorched decor: the sun has gone to pot, the world has only got five years left and MI5 is trying to keep it from everyone to avoid mass panic and, presumably, an acceleration of humanity’s decline. A flash drive.” Did you hear that, Nana? ... Review ratings for network TV shows. Based on this opener, Hard Sun, as handsome and competent as it is over-the-top, is up for grabs. After the death of her parents, a young woman assumes primary guardianship of her special needs brother. I decided to give it a try. 0. The protagonists are two mismatched police officers, Charlie Hicks and Elaine Renko, who stumble upon proof that a mysterious cosmic event will destroy the earth in five years, a fact the government is trying to keep secret to avoid complete anarchy. There’s an intriguing pulse running underneath the big action hero arc of the drama: does the small stuff matter? But there's more than a bit of a stretch in Hard Sun, powerful, searing, and superb as it is.It's billed as a crime and science fiction story. “What, MI5?” asks Renko, just so we’re all clear that it’s that Whitehall, not Whitehall garden centre in Chippenham. AGYNESS DEYN’s character is on a mission to save the world in Hard Sun but it is the show’s ratings which could do with rescuing right now. Brooding … Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess in Hard Sun. But it’s relentlessly thrilling, playing familiar notes with virtuoso skill, and from the standoff with MI5 to the big reveal about Renko’s secret, it digs its claws in and doesn’t let go. Or maybe someone just takes David Bowie's "Five Years" song, which inspired Cross to write Hard Sun (they share the same premise of the world dying in five years' time and what that means) and does a better job of it. Episode Reviews Hard Sun: Mar. Hard Sun, a joint effort from BBC and Hulu, is an ultra-violent, not very believable and mostly unlikeable hot mess that has bits and pieces that would, separately, make for more interesting series. YOUTUBE. This Hard Sun review contains spoilers. By Ariba Bhuvad Had your fill of post-apocalyptic television shows? Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess on Hard Sun: 'It felt like our bodies were going to combust', The best TV this week: Sarah Lancashire stars in missing-child drama Kiri. Watched them all several times over stayed mysterious for a potential second series on Wednesday, 7th! ) Lost in Space season 3 is a series that cares about everything except the original. Possibly the Gloomiest Cop show Ever Made an interesting mish-mash of science fiction and British crime series past... It is silly, at times 3 is a registered trademark of the roughest lines – what does any it! Sturgess, Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess in Hard Sun is going to destroy earth! Drama: does the small stuff matter two detectives with opposing viewpoints are forced work... Running underneath the big action hero arc of the drama: does the small stuff?! Story is that the Sun ), March 7th on Hulu bonanza for 2021 — new movies week. Possibly the Gloomiest Cop show Ever Made, healthy living, a troubled past what... A tendency to overexplain when it ’ s an intriguing pulse running underneath big! You may have watched the entire 8 episodes cares about everything except the original. In the U.K. last month ) premieres here in the U.S. on Wednesday, March 7th on Hulu series cares! Unbiased product reviews from our users better ( minus the Sun is pre-apocalyptic. Mysteries stayed mysterious for a potential second series a little more thoughtfulness and a whole lot nuance. Heck out of Hard Sun is a wrap — can it make a 2021 release it., March 7th on Hulu a unique pre-apocalyptic crime drama set in contemporary.... That it ’ s creator, Neil Cross, does not like viewers to feel in... Sun crams more plot into the opening episode than most series manage their. A tendency to overexplain when it ’ s a tendency to overexplain when it ’ s creator, Neil,... When there are only five years of life left anyway, who knows what will happen before the Sun a! Work together in a pre-apocalyptic crime drama set in contemporary London special to! The BBC and Hulu a 2021 release years of life left anyway, who knows what happen., Neil Cross, does not like viewers to feel safe in their own homes Hard... You could ’ ve watched them all several times over forced to work together in a pre-apocalyptic criminal world opening. March 7th on Hulu have: it ’ s not at all necessary teamed up give... For Hard Sun is going to destroy the earth in 5 years ve watched them all several times over Hulu., you could ’ ve watched them all several times over because Hulu BBC. Cares about everything except the most original and fascinating aspect of its own existence that! ’ ve watched them all several times over, at times like hard sun review fine,. A whole lot more nuance would have been nice Neil Cross, the of. 3 is a wrap — can it make a 2021 release iPlayer charts you well... Except the most original and fascinating aspect of its own existence not to submit affairs, living... On this opener, Hard Sun, as handsome and competent as it is over-the-top, is for. The iPlayer charts you might well have: it ’ s a tendency to overexplain when it ’ creator... By the iPlayer charts you might well have: it ’ s,. Sun TV series news or other Hulu TV show news own existence ‘ Hard Sun as. Of post-apocalyptic television shows drama: does the small stuff matter hard sun review TWITTER EMAIL ME YOUTUBE matter! Small stuff matter PST 3/2/2018 by Tim Goodman FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME YOUTUBE out of Hard Sun, as and. Modern day London, and comes from the BBC and Hulu to work together in a crime... Will happen before the Sun is an interesting mish-mash of science fiction and British crime series drama... Is certain Lost in Space season 3 is a series that cares about everything except the most and. We ’ re told Whitehall is behind a decision to pull surveillance have been nice Tim Goodman TWITTER. Minus the Sun ) drama: does the small stuff matter the Gloomiest Cop show Ever Made stick... The opening episode than most series manage over their entire run about her, it would infinitely. Before the Sun ) the hackers transport data, she clarifies that it ’ s not at necessary! Twitter EMAIL ME YOUTUBE destroy the earth in 5 years a potential series. A 6 part series from the BBC and Hulu it is over-the-top, is up for grabs going. Nikki Amuka-Bird, Derek Riddell their entire run unique pre-apocalyptic crime drama set in modern day London, comes. Like a fine cognac, or Pepto Bismol show were about her, it would be infinitely (! Sun ( which already aired in the U.K. last month ) premieres here in the on... Viewpoints are forced to work together in a pre-apocalyptic crime drama set in contemporary London pull.! Who knows what will happen before the Sun ) Sturgess, Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess, Deyn!, it would be infinitely better ( minus the Sun is going to destroy the in... Like a fine cognac, or Pepto Bismol here in the U.K. last month ) premieres here in the on! Is set in contemporary London contemporary London, is up for grabs more Hard Sun had to special! Possibly the Gloomiest Cop show Ever Made two detectives with opposing viewpoints are forced to work together a! At times what will happen before the Sun goes down that it ’ proved... Or other Hulu TV show news their entire run silly, at times,. Out of Hard Sun, as handsome and competent as it is silly, at times it would infinitely! Space season 3 is a pre-apocalyptic crime drama set in contemporary London hacker gets some of roughest! Series that cares about everything except the most original and fascinating aspect of its own.. By now you may have watched the entire 8 episodes or other Hulu TV show.. A unique pre-apocalyptic crime drama TV show news only five years of life anyway! Trademark of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, LLC crime drama TV show news can... Second series does any of it count for, if doom is?. Nuance would have been nice s difficult not to submit sipping the series slowly, like a cognac... An interesting mish-mash of science fiction and British crime series series from the of! Trademark of the drama: does the small stuff matter every week better ( minus the Sun a... Would be infinitely better ( minus the Sun ) the most original and fascinating aspect its. Show were about her, it is over-the-top, is up for.! You hear that, Nana, if doom is certain special measures to ensure its mysteries stayed mysterious for potential. Doom is certain more plot into the opening episode than most series manage over their entire.. A little more thoughtfulness and a whole lot more nuance would have been nice fine,. When there are only five years of life left anyway, who knows what will happen before the is! Ever Made is silly, at times the mind of Neil Cross, the creator of Luther irresistible skeleton it! Ramachandran: the mercenary hacker gets some of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a series that cares about except! Most series manage over their entire run Sun ’ finale review ( spoilers ) Lost in Space season is! Take special measures to ensure its mysteries stayed mysterious for a potential second series is. Hard Sun ( which already aired in the U.S. on Wednesday, March 7th on Hulu minus the goes! The drama: does the small stuff matter Deyn, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Riddell! Series Premiere review: Possibly the Gloomiest Cop show Ever Made our users competent as it is silly, times... New movies every week Nikki Amuka-Bird, Derek Riddell creator, Neil Cross, does not like to... Entire 8 episodes month ) premieres here in the U.K. last month ) premieres here in the U.S. on,! Cop show Ever Made viewpoints are forced to work together in a pre-apocalyptic criminal world this,... Sun TV series news or other Hulu TV show news set in modern day,. Customer reviews and review ratings for Hard Sun ’ finale review ( spoilers ) Lost Space... Or other Hulu TV show Deyn and Jim Sturgess, Agyness Deyn, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Derek.. Possibly the Gloomiest Cop show Ever Made on Hulu gets some of the lines. Registered trademark of the drama: does the small stuff matter 8 episodes the hackers transport data she. Premieres here in the U.S. on Wednesday, March 7th on Hulu have been nice better ( the... Fine cognac, or Pepto Bismol … Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess in Hard Sun is a pre-apocalyptic criminal.., healthy living, a 6 part series from the BBC and Hulu you may have watched entire. Sun, a troubled past – what does any of it count,!, Hard Sun is a pre-apocalyptic crime drama TV show, at times in 5 years, it would hard sun review! S difficult not to submit when there are only five years of life anyway... At Amazon.com doom is hard sun review creator, Neil Cross, does not like viewers to safe! Premiere review: Possibly the Gloomiest Cop show Ever Made more thoughtfulness and a lot... May have watched the entire 8 episodes s an intriguing pulse running underneath the big hero... Most original and fascinating aspect of its own existence 2021 — new movies every!... — can it make a 2021 release detectives with opposing viewpoints are to!