American Crime Story is absolutely one of the best anthology series that's ever been made. I was not expecting the series to be so gripping and entertaining, every season and every story told has been fantastic so far. Everyone will have their favorite but there's no denying that they're all good. Personally I've liked them in order from season one being the best and so on. Each season has been nominated for numerous awards, everything from the acting to the writing has been nominated and all have been very deserving. Ryan Murphy has created so many successful shows over the years but American Crime Story still remains his best. I'm looking forward to all the future seasons still to come. If they're anywhere close to as good as these first few have been then they'll definitely be worth the time.
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Rob133128 September 2022American Crime Story is such an amazing show. The acting and writing are some of the best that's been on TV in years! The storytelling is so good that it just sucks you in and won't let go till the end! If you really want to know how good this show is all you have to do is read through the reviews! It's one of the best shows based off of true stories that I've ever seen! It's an anthology series where each season tells some of the most incredible true stories that have taken place. Season 1: The People vs. O. J. Simpson, Season 2: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Season 3: Impeachment (the Bill Clinton/Monika Lewinsky scandal) and the upcoming Season 4 which will be based off Studio 54. Obviously some seasons are better than others but they're all really good, the best seasons are pretty much in order 1, 2 and then 3.
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onetruejewell118 April 2018Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan just Amazing!!! The writing excellent!! The whole cast just mesmerizing! This series continues to surprise me!
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maanikroda5 September 2020The People vs O.J Simpson & The Assassination of Gianni Versace are both outstanding mini-series. Both, are completely two true events so it's hard to compare, if not at all.
From watching both of the series you can tell how much thought, research and care that the exec producers, director and cast(s) put into both of the mini-series in order to portray the events and every person correctly. The two series are outstanding and so well thought out and it's incredible to watch, they both feel so natural and realistic when you're watching them!
I started watching American Crime Story by watching The Assassination of Gianni Versace and I was absolutely hooked from the first episode. Then, I started watching The People vs O.J Simpson and the same thing happened. Both of the casts from American Crime Story are outstanding and their portrayals are fantastic, I can see why American Crime Story has been nominated and has won many awards for the two mini-series.
What I love the most about American Crime Story is that they don't just focus on the one side (e.g., People vs O.J Simpson and focusing that he's guilty (again, just an example!)) but they focus on both sides equally and allows you to see it on both sides for a further understanding of the two events which in my opinion a lot of people who have tried to make a series like American Crime Story have really flopped on.
American Crime Story is the only murder/crime/thriller genre-based series that has me absolutely hooked and itching for the next episode/season!
Ryan Murphy, you are an absolute genius! Roll on Season 3! -
When I read the critic's reviews of this fascinating portrayal of the trial of OJ Simpson, the most common complaint was John Travolta's performance. So I was expecting to find it a bad, cheesy performance and everyone else to be great.
Instead, I thought Travolta did an excellent job as a supercilious attorney who finds himself increasingly outside his own case. True, Travolta has had so much plastic surgery that he looks like he was sewn together by a dollmaker, but his performance is, while not as notable as the really terrific performances by Nathan Lane and, more surprisingly, David Schwimmer, it's a solid performance.
The truly awful performance is by Cuba Gooding as O.J.
When I watched the movie, I thought Gooding seemed wrong based on my vague memories of O.J. I'm not a sports fan, I didn't follow the trial, which at the time I thought of as just another lurid celebrity crime, and I'd only seen Simpson in a small part in a movie years ago. I thought Gooding's whiny, unpleasant, crybaby performance seemed untrue to that memory, but I couldn't be sure.
Then I watched the terrific documentary series. O.J., Made in America, and I realized that Gooding was really horrible. He lacked O.J.'s famous charm, and instead came across as ineffectual where the documentary portrays O.J. as a strong force in his own defense.
If you've never seen Simpson at all, perhaps the performance would seem fine, but it's an absolutely wretched performance from the point of view of verisimilitude. It's easily the biggest flaw in an otherwise gripping portrayal.
Why the critics didn't notice that I can't say. -
UniqueParticle1 September 2019I barely knew about the OJ Simpson scenario so everything about that is glorious while being outrageous! I'd like to see the second season for now I am the middle of season 1, it's quite enjoyable and intriguing. Ryan Murphy the creator/writer is a mastermind for many projects, I would definitely recommend this show.
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Telling the story of the murder of Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramírez) at the hands of Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), what's especially interesting about this season of American Crime Story is the narrative structure. The opening scene of the first episode sees the murder, and the show then goes backwards, with each episode set earlier than the previous one, an achronological structure that unifies form and content; this isn't about a murder, it's about how Cunanan became a serial killer.
Within this, the show deals with two interrelated issues; 1) the concept that one must work hard to be successful, and 2) the desire to be remembered. Cunanan is obsessed with the second, but unwilling to acknowledge the first, despite his conviction of his own greatness. His attitude is nicely critiqued by Versace himself ("Life isn't about convincing people you can do great things. It's about doing them"), and the last shot masterfully encapsulates much of Cunanan's deepest existential fears. For all that, however, the season is good, but not great. The last two episodes are far and away the strongest, especially Jon Jon Briones's appearance as Modesto, Cunanan's detestable father, but, overall, it isn't a patch on 'The People v. O.J. Simpson'. -
My only complaint about Season 2 is that there is to much conjecture about Cunanan's relationship with his some of his victims. We see an entire episode about him traveling with David, conversations they have, David's reluctance to escape...no one but Andrew and David knows what really happened in the apartment or the days following, or what conversations took place. Maybe Cunanan had a gun on him the entire time. Same with Miglin and the discussions about his Space Needle, or Miglin willingly allowing Cunanan to tape him up. Things may have in fact been very different.
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david-m-b953 February 2016The case of O.J. Simpson is one that received wide scale media coverage and attention with the events being closely followed by many and is now the topic of season 1 of FX's new biographical crime drama, American Crime Story. However despite this, this show manages to remain just as gripping and haunting as the case was in real life.
The acting is across the board incredibly strong with not a weak performance among the main ensemble; Cuba Gooding Jr. and John Travolta in particular stand out. The writing is sharp, never is it overly formulaic or mundane but understandable and real, tension is built tremendously from the dialogue alone. But above all the direction is excellent, the tone is established straight from the beginning and it is crafted to such a high quality.
There is rarely a dull or wasted moment throughout, the story and pacing remains tight with no parts lacking in comparison to the soaring heights. The show, as said in the title of this review, is both evocative and powerful. The some of it's parts truly do this story justice and will more than likely stir something within you that compels you to keep watching and to examine this story in much more detail. As far as crime dramas go, this feels, to a certain extent, rather fresh and different in comparison to what has come before.
The show looks set to keep reaching new heights and it is off a magnificent start. -
lch1008 February 2016This series is riveting, well directed, fast-paced and informative. The casting is marvelous with one little exception: OJ Simpson!! Cuba Gooding is a fantastic actor, but he completely fails to portray OJ Simpsons incredible charm and charisma that actually enabled him to sliver through years of abusive behavior and the cold-blooded double murder. Gooding is reactive and unsophisticated, while the cocksure Simpson is just missing. This is an incredible failure of casting where the remaining characters are spot on and compelling. Why not Dwayne Johnson or someone with the physical charisma and cool? Travolta deserves great kudos for taking this on, but one has to wonder why he allowed the utter miscasting of the major role. At any rate, this is a worthwhile series to watch and it surely is award-rich.
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lauramarie-0694915 November 2020Finished watching the first season.
-Sarah Paulson was fantastic as always
-David Schwimmer has a lot more range as an actor than I thought
-Selma Blair was extremely convincing as Kris Jenner and also has range
-Same with Connie Britton
Overall this was extremely well played. -
Tinkerbellprincess6926 April 2018I enjoyed the first series revolving around the OJ Simpson murder trial, the second series is all about the assassination of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
The emphasis throughout the series on the serial killer Andrew Cunanan rather than Versace himself, although we do get to see a good amount of backstory on Versace also.
We get a real raw insight into Cunanan's psychotic mind, background and his shocking killing spree. It is a very gripping series and Darren Criss played the role of murderer Cunanan absolutely outstandingly and in my opinion deserves an award for his portrayal of this complex character.
My only criticism is the timeline jumps were confusing at times, when there's a week between episodes and each episode centering on a different year and back and forth rather than chronologically, I did get confused at times of what took place when. It did all come together though in the final episode. -
bif-2164721 November 2021Firstly, on the casting. The actress portraying Monica Lewinsky is just horrible, acting-wise and the physical similarity is just way off! The only positive thing is the great acting of Sarah Paulson. The voices of the actresses portraying Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky is just annoying.
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jennie-want18 January 2020Honestly the best television I have ever watched. A masterpiece told in reverse, superbly acted and directed. The missing pieces of the story are filled in, in a way which gives us empathy and sympathy for all involved, helping us to understand what went wrong and that life is not black and white but grey at the edges. I was gripped.
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phd_travel3 February 2016At first I thought who needs to see all this again but once I started watching it I was hooked. The pilot moves quickly from discovery of the bodies (and they are shown) to fleeing down the highway in the Bronco. There are so many details and people that come flooding back and it's interesting to see things put together in a quick moving episode. Lots of details are included that you won't have pictured in your mind at the time because they didn't come out all at the same time in sequence. With race, money, abuse, celebrity it's still the crime of the 20th century.
The A list cast is hit and miss. Cuba Gooding is an enthusiastic actor but too small in size to play OJ. He looks shorter than the other male actors around him. Should have chosen someone more physically imposing. Sarah Paulson looks enough like Marcia Clark with the wig. Surprisingly David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian looks like him if you check out photos. John Travolta as Shapiro has some strange eyebrows but he is fascinating to watch. Selma Blair as Kris Kardashian is also a good fit. Connie Britton looks a bit too healthy to be Faye Resnick but these are all people you like to see on screen. The link with the Kardashians is quite interesting to watch.
Well done and very voyeuristic and entertaining. -
This is just excellent.
First rate productions are the best way to attract a first rate cast. Excellent writing of course, brilliant dialogue as well as character design. Another reviewer said that it was better than the real thing - it is. I remember absolutely hating Marcia Clarke and here she is very well played and not overly done. She is very watchable - in real life I had to turn her off very often.
The actors Kenneth Choi and Mr. Courteny B Vance have roles of a lifetime and they are running with them. The intricacies of Judge Ito and the boundless energy and passion of Johnnie Cochran are captivating and very well casted.
Particularly informative is interactions between the lawyers on both sides. It is well paced and focused, it flows cleanly from one scene to another. I wish more programming could flow from FX. -
benb-4039411 March 2018The series so far follow the O.J. Simpson trial and the Andrew Cunanan murder spree and both are hooking and must see tv. The acting is top class and storyline keeps you interested and anticipating the next episode throughout both series'. I hope there is a series 3 as both these series made me research both events after I finished. 10/10, 5/5, amazing, must see.
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blanche-27 February 2016The People v. O.J. Simpson is a look at the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, for which O.J. Simpson was found not guilty.
For those of us who lived through every second of it, it brings back a lot of memories -- the Bronco chase, Mark Fuhrman, the verdict, and everything else in between.
If you are too young to remember, the O.J. trial took over the airwaves for months. It also dominated news and talk shows.
This is the story of the case, but also some behind the scenes drama. I'm assuming some of that is at least partially true.
David Schwimmer plays Robert Kardashian. Kardashian was on O.J.'s dream team for support -- thanks to the prominence of his family today, I imagine he'll be front and center. His ex-wife and children are, and I don't remember them being mentioned originally.
Kardashian finally decided O.J. was guilty and stopped speaking to him, even refusing to talk to O.J. when he was on his deathbed.
Courtney Vance sounds just like Johnnie Cochran, a brilliant attorney who was responsible for getting O.J. found "not guilty" by distracting the jury and changing the trial to one about racism. Of course, that opportunity was handed to him by Mark Fuhrman. Before Fuhrman testified, Cochran approached Chris Darden and said, "Chris, don't put that white boy on the stand." They did, and there went their case.
Don't ask me what John Travolta is doing. Normally he's an excellent actor. Sarah Paulson does a terrific job as Marcia Clark. Kenneth Choi is so much like Judge Ito it's scary. The casting is astonishing. You feel as if you are watching the actual people.
Bruce Greenwood is Gil Garcetti. When we were watching all this take place 20 years ago, this was a perfect role for Clint Eastwood.
There is one part where the casting seemed wrong - Cuba Gooding as O.J. He is a good actor, but unlike the rest of the cast, he does not really embody the character. O.J. is handsome and charismatic, not to mention a bigger man in stature.
Billy Magnusson is good as Kato. Kato got 15 minutes of fame out of the trial and milked it.
Some of what takes place in the film isn't quite correct, as I recall it anyway. No one called O.J. and said, "your wife Nicole has been killed." I remember that as being a big part of my belief that he was guilty. He was called and told, "Your ex-wife has been killed." Well, he had two, but somehow, he knew it was Nicole right away. As far as him asking how she was killed, he probably didn't.
In the beginning, the prosecution seemed to have O.J. dead to rights, with his blood on the sidewalk and the gloves showing a mix of his and the victims' DNA. But they were undergunned. And frankly, the charisma of Johnnie Cochran was overpowering. I think a lot of the jury was mesmerized by him. Chris Darden, on the other side, went to his funeral. A powerful adversary you couldn't help but admire.
Barry Schenk's complete ruination of Dennis Fong is considered one of the great all-time cross-examinations - here it was truncated but still powerful.This was the beginning of Schenk's Innocence Project, which has, through DNA evidence, been able to get twenty innocent people released from prison. Unfortunately it couldn't get O.J. in prison. Too new back then, I guess. But the verdict went beyond the DNA, if what went on in the jury room is to be believed. Four hours of deliberation? And why did the people who believed him guilty cave so quickly? It seems like everyone wanted to go home.
In the end, this trial was a big waste. Johnnie Cochran put the LAPD on trial, and as Chris Darden tells him, "They're still going to beat us, arrest us, harass us." History has proved him correct. There were people on the jury who had no intention of voting for O.J.'s guilt.
So other than reality shows for Faye Resnick, Kato, and Kris Jenner, a huge book deal for Marcia Clark, franchised offices for Robert Shapiro, private practice for Chris Darden (once he recovered from a near-nervous breakdown), a brain tumor for Johnnie Cochran, and more golf games for O.J., what was accomplished for Nicole and Ron Goldman?
The last half hour or so of the final episode has some of the most stunning moments on television, particularly the very end. Very emotional and thought-provoking.
I was surprised to read that some younger people had no idea O.J. played football. I don't know why I should be surprised. There are people on this site who think Gandhi was a fictional character.
Whether or not you're familiar with the case, the series will prove fascinating. -
lauramchavez25 March 2018Great series except for Penelope Cruz. Her natural accent is way too heavy to even try to change or do any other accents. You can tell she is struggling. Plus, Dontella is awful looking in real life. I think she was a bad choice for this. Darren Criss is great!
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gillmurphydogg31 December 2022This whole series has been fantastic so far but I'll speak specifically to no. 1. I grew up in the 80s and so remember the OJ trial quite well. This series really captures how much we were all captivated by this story of alleged murder and how there were so many twists and turns. It captures the media farce that went on and how there was so much public denial. The actors do a tremendous job, notably John Travolta as one of the lawyers. His range was really showcased in this drama- I loved it! There's not a single dull moment in this series and this includes the subsequent seasons about Versace and Clinton. Looking forward to what comes next. 9/10.
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jsaus633043 November 2021Having lived through this, I find it a bit biased in the Clinton's favor. It tries to make you sympathetic for Bill Clinton. With Monica Lewinski being a producer, I do not know how she allowed the casting for her character. The look is just wrong, she was not that heavy. Clive Owen does not look much like Clinton did, but he nailed the mannerisms and speech. If you close your eyes, you can see Bill Clinton. Then there is Hillary. No matter how hard I try, I only see Edie Falco. Did she not even try to sound or act like her?
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masonjud-834-70522422 September 2021I tried to take this program seriously, but I kept seeing one extreme stereotype after another -- chubby, silly Monica, trashy Paula, anorexic Ingraham, and greedy, vindictive Tripp etc. The male characters are just as bad. The Isikoff so-called journalist is pathetic. No reflections on the actors as I assume they're doing their best. This display generates no sympathy or understanding for any of these people. If it's meant to be taken seriously --- then Epic Fail.
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Lukasmj6 January 2023American Crime Story is an American anthology series from FX and acts as a sister series to America Horror Story. Accordingly, each season revolves around a completed criminal case that has caused a stir in recent decades. The format was created by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
"American Crime Story" shows really interesting cases in the first two seasons, which are presented really well with excellent actors and good storytelling.
The series has real binge-watching potential for every crime thriller fan.
I didn't see Season 3 because the case didn't sound that interesting to me right now. -
Friends kept trying to convince me to watch this. I told them I didn't want to think about Andrew Cunanan or look at a facsimile. Well, this isn't about him, it Is mostly about his victims, as it should be.
Excellent writing, acting and production. Judith Light and Penelope Cruz are standouts among an excellent cast.
Ricky Martin was AWFUL.