Tin Star (2017– ) User Reviews (452)

Shallow nonsense

[paul-743-899114 · 7/10 · 11 December 2020]

I've given it 7 because of the scenery, otherwise it's a 6.

The first series started of like it was going to rival some of the other thriller TV series like Ozark, but quickly proved not. A different concept: yes. Set in Canada - for a pleasant change - amidst fabulous scenery, the implausible, alchoholic, head-banging ex British cop is ridiculous.

I managed to stay with it till the end, and when the 2nd series came out I thought " this has got to be better", but it wasn't. However, I must have had nothing else to watch at the time, therefore I watched the whole over-the-top craziness again.

Now, the 3rd series is being shown on Now TV (from Sky), and I have struggled through the first 3 episodes before giving up entirely. The production values are high, but the storyline could have been written by the Brothers Grimm, it's that unbelievable. The whole thing has grown exponentially madder and preposterous.

The sooner Line of Duty, Better call Saul and Ozark come back the better.

Great start

[adsky-83623 · 7/10 · 12 September 2017]

After watching the first Ep, I thought it was pretty good and am keen to find out how it plays out. If I went off what the other idiots on here wrote I would never have given this a chance. Well acted, even though another reviewer said Tim Roth can't act. What the hell are they thinking.

Brilliant series with a good cast that had me hooked.

[gemugc · 8/10 · 13 September 2017]

This wasn't without some flaws but I really enjoyed the series. Fantastic performance from Roth and some stunning scenery.

I found myself looking forward to finishing work and sitting down to a couple of episodes. Felt like a good page turner book does for me. Might not be everyone's cup of tea but worth having a look.

Not for everyone, but brilliant for the right audience.

[craig231078 · 10/10 · 12 September 2017]

I loved this series.

It has a very weird vibe to it, it is kind of like a mix of No Country For Old Men, Death Wish, American Psycho, and Fargo. The characters are chilling, the show pulls no punches. I can understand why some people wont like it, but if you like dark twisted stories, then this should be right up your alley. Well acted, and well written, although one or two of the supporting characters seemed a little inconsistent.

Give it a go, the first two episodes will give you a good feel of what the show is like. Enjoy.

That old chestnut revenge

[Alanjackd · 7/10 · 12 September 2017]

As is my header " That Old chestnut Revenge" that's what this is about..that old chestnut revenge.

In these days of reality it's nice to see what you might call 50's plots on our screen again.

Yes,,,you can critic plot holes and a few not so good performances...but as revenge thrillers go it's up there with the best of them.

Suspend belief and enjoy the beautiful camera work and the excellent scenery....also enjoy the savage and cartoon like violence.

Tim Roth has a great time being a wide boy in the wilderness and everybody goes with the flow...

Keep your tongue planted firmly in your cheek and just enjoy...after the 1st episode you will know whether you want to ride along or switch off...so why not switch off if you want to and stop negative reviews.

Great bubblegum entertainment that is ready for a series 2 script.

Like Marmite..you will love or hate it...i loved it!!

Very underrated

[jbh-44419 · 10/10 · 30 September 2017]

Thought this was a slow burner, but both my wife and I found this a thoroughly entertaining series. I downloaded the whole series, and watched it over 5 days. We liked the unexpected twists and turns, especially when we thought we would see the expected, the unexpected happened. Loved the black humour, and enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Can't understand why film critics didn't like it! Don't think they understand what the public like.

Look forward to seeing Tim Roth in series 2.

An uneven production

[nancyldraper · 7/10 · 22 December 2018]

This series was uneven. I had a bit of a love hate relationship with it. I was annoyed with how it was written to be Canada but the writers obviously knew nothing about Canada, Canadians or our societal norms, which in turn put the premise, the relationships, the pivotable conflict with "big oil" and pretty much everything at risk. So my first struggle was to suspend disbelief and pretend it to be some foreign country that has all the physical majesty of Canada but is only coincidentally called Canada. The acting is tremendous. The pace is patchy and it's telling of episodes back to front drags things out and we can see the "twists" coming a mile away. The last episode of season 1 is absolutely redemptive. So, there you go, overall the episodes are 7 (good) and 6 (fair) but the last episode of season 1 is a 9 (superb), so I will settle my rating for the whole season being an 7.3 (great moments) out of 10. It has earned the second season a trial, at least. [Cop/Crime Drama]

Dark British drama which deserves to be seen.

[anitagammans · 10/10 · 15 September 2017]

I enjoyed this show immensely. Tim Roth was, as per, absolutely flawless in his performance - the man can do no wrong in my eyes - Oliver Coopersmith's performance also stood out. Other reviewers have said that they felt the show deteriorated as it progressed but I would have to disagree with them. The tone of the show did go from a light, almost comedic feel to a very dark, serious, and dangerous one pretty much straight away but isn't that what all crime dramas should do? It did retain its black-comedy elements though which I enjoyed. It kept me guessing, I didn't necessarily understand exactly why something was happening in the moment but answers were eventually given and I felt satisfied with those answers and I'm looking forward to where they take the show in season 2. It's a brilliant British drama within the setting of a beautiful Canadian town; i definitely recommend it.

Horrible ending! How can people seriously rate and review this series with only watching the beginning?

[micah-ritter91 · 6/10 · 9 October 2017]

This show is gripping and engaging throughout the whole season. There are of course small details that don't make much sense like the police chief using the wimpiest police cruiser. He's supposed to be the boss but the male police officer is always going against him and he never puts him in his place officially, other than punching him or name calling. It's the end of the series that really gets me annoyed and drops the rating 2 stars. Just to make sure there are no spoilers I won't go into detail. A person who should be loyal to another person, 100%, decides to betray in a few ways at the end. In this reality, the ending would never be as the story shows!!! Horribly written ending!

No plot worth thinking about

[alangthompson · 3/10 · 3 December 2020]

All over the place. No likeable characters. Lost interest. Pointless viewing.

Captivating series

[emz-67718 · 10/10 · 18 September 2017]

Just finished watching Tin Star as all ten episodes were available on Sky Boxsets. It had me hooked from the start.

Don't be put off by the reviews from people who have only seen the first episode and made assumptions on where the story is going. There is so much more to the story than meets the eye...

With each episode you're drawn further and further into a world of deception, intrigue, and darkness, and are left hungry for more.

I don't want to give too much away as I wouldn't want to spoil the twists and turns the show takes you on, but take it from someone who has seen the whole series that it's well worth the watch.

Can't wait for season 2!

Season 3 is total disaster

[poinla37 · 6/10 · 26 December 2020]

Season 1 was great. Season 2 was good, a bit more messy. Season 3 was a complete failure: Casting issues, awful acting (or lack of direction?), dumb writing and even dumber directing. The Story had no sense at all, the character's actions had no sense, it was just a mess. I kept watching just because of Tim Roth. I'm always frustrated when they decide to cancel a series, but it's even more frustrating to renew a series for a last season with a change of direction, many different writters and a total lack of artistic and clever sense, especially the finale episode (remember the Name: Alice Troughton! I'll try to avoid your work as much as possible, you're awful! Shame on you to make such a finale episode! So disappointing!) Season 1 is 9/10 Season 2 is 8/10 Season 3 is 2/10

Started well then went downhill

[paul-rose7-246-61823 · 5/10 · 17 December 2020]

Series one started well even if a little zany. Season two got very weird, not sure if the same writers but whoever wrote it got lost. Season three provides some explanations but continues with over the top performances which spoils the end result. I can't decide if this was meant to be drama or black comedy, either way it didn't work.

Nice one

[trinnisia · 8/10 · 29 September 2017]

I watch a lot of different kind of show, movies etc but I don't do review very often. This show I think deserves to write something about it. It's totally different than I expected. I thought it will be another small town cop show. The only reason I started watching was Tim Roth (I've still haven't seen all the episodes). He's one of my favourites actors. I wouldn't say I like his recent movies (except "Chronic"-brilliant one) Anyway, I don't want to write too much about the plot, don't want to spoil it. The show has a very strange pace, atmosphere but there is something about it - I want to keep watching. It starts with the scene where Roth character and his family stopped at the gas station and unmasked man kills his son and shots his wife. We witness what happens next. The police searches the killer, Roth is drinking and his daughter is not happy about it. She meets her brother's killer (not knowing its him). It sounds like really crappy cop show but please give it a chance:) Also the music is annoying and hypnotising at the same time. That's why I think "Tin star" is unusual. It is set in beautiful landscape. "Tin star" is "Northern exposure" meets Tarantino kind of thing

Very hard going.

[carlo3769 · 22 November 2017]

Started of great (Episode 1) then went right downhill (2 -8) then it only came together in the last 2 episodes (9 + 10). I almost gave up on it twice but managed to stick with it although I was restricted to 1 episode a day (I couldn't manage more than that). Apart from Tim Roth everybody else was annoying, especially the actress playing his daughter.

Ridiculous last season

[iamsmithy · 7/10 · 22 February 2021]

Stick to 1 & 2. Time Roth is excellent and the plot is interesting. Season 3 is garbage.

Something Different..........at last

[jcbman-14357 · 10/10 · 12 September 2017]

After a bombardment of publicity on sky i was browbeaten into giving this much hyped show a go. Firstly i didn't think Tim Roth could carry a whole series but thankfully i was proved wrong because his performance is riveting and i found the whole series was perfectly paced and full of tension and intrigue.

Why IMDb choose such a negative review to headline it reviews is a mystery to me especially as the reviewer moaned about the swearing and praised the scenery, get real its like going to a great football game and looking at the stadium (sorry i'm watching a champions league game whilst writing this)

Roth's performance is so compelling because he doesn't look like he's trying just like the character he's playing the only comparison is can think of is the late great James Gandolfino as Tony soprano.

Whilst you digest that and get angry just remember its only television and even the sopranos was panned to begin with, so watch this and if you like good shows and not the conveyor belt of rubbish that's currently being churned out on Netflix like the Mist (uggh).

Promising start, good cast, weak writing. Bleak is the word.

[vandalz · 6/10 · 24 March 2019]

Season one was compelling television, with a strong cast, interesting characters, lots of black humor, and a twisted take on a tired trope: you cannot escape your past.

Tim Roth is a standout, and perfectly suited for the role of the transplanted Police Chief. I was glad to see his return in season two, unfortunately the series must have blown the entire budget on location shooting and actor salary, the writers must have been picked up from the local Home Depot parking lot. I don't mind a few plot holes, I don't mind the blood-stained violence. What is tiring is the non-stop, extended misery that becomes the normal state for Chief Worth's family.

Roth's character is an alcoholic anti-hero, made likable by his devotion to his family. Unfortunately, his good side is far out-shadowed by his bad side, and soon there's not much left of his character to root for.

Season two is a disappointment. I've started it three times, have yet to get past the second episode. I'll stick it out, if only to see the return of Michelle Thrush

Like other before me have said ... Underrated.

[chyrece-69891 · 10/10 · 20 April 2019]

Here's what I like: Tim Roth, a musical score that makes the scenes, a twin peaks/fargo vibe, and a good twisty storyline. Tin Star has it all. I can't believe that there wasn't more fanfare around this series. First episode is misleading, get through that and you are in for a ride.

Season 3 is sadly so awful

[gerardmartin77 · 7/10 · 27 December 2020]

The first 2 seasons of Tin Star were so good. Great story , directing and acting . I loved it. Sadly however this last 3 season set in Liverpool is simply awful . I can't believe how much it's gone downhill. I will watch till the end out of allegiance to the original classiness of the show but what a shame.

Season 2... #yawning

[OCbeachdude · 3/10 · 16 March 2019]

Production values so well done, but so s l o w l y. If you've decided to watch season 2, the 10 sec fast forward is your friend. Be forewarned however, the ending is nowhere near being enough of a payback for the dismal 10 hours spent here. FWIW, if I had it to do over again, I would have passed. No question!

Harshly enjoyable...

[timothy-price-794-581328 · 9/10 · 7 October 2017]

Hooked from the start, and it keeps up the tension. Tim Roth is magnetic, a very flawed but very capable individual with background, being chased by his past, and fighting a creepy Oil company. He is very ably supported by a superb and interesting cast...thoroughly enjoyed despite being VERY dark. Super scenery in remote area of Canada just adds to the spectacle. A lot of very bad people (including the 'hero') populate a very small town - think I'll stay in the UK - safer (that's sarcasm people, as the protagonists largely hail from Blighty). Try it, if you like interesting and dark, think you'll 'enjoy' this....

3rd series disappointing

[keithnwright · 7/10 · 14 February 2021]

Clearly, someone decided to call time but gave enough to only make 6 eps. Bit of a disappointment after Series 1 and 2. Not sure who Joanne Whalley was supposed to be tbh.........

Starts well and gets into a bit of a mess

[vincentwong · 4/10 · 10 September 2017]

Some good dark humour in the first few episodes, but as you get deeper into the series less and less makes sense. It's a series in which characters spend a LOT of time explaining their motivations to each other and then don't act consistently (or believably) afterwards. A host of characters are introduced and then abruptly vanish in the service of an increasingly ludicrous plot. The moment you start thinking "hang on, why did (s)he do that?", it all falls apart. The landscape has some powerful moments.

A nerve-wracking, thrilling ride!!!

[saleonetti · 10/10 · 3 June 2019]

I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this show! Season 1 & 2 delivered fantastically! Story is great, such unexpected twists and turns...LOOOVE IT! If you don't watch it, you're doing yourself a disservice. Really great.