Tired of people writing reviews that analyze and pick apart every damn aspect of a movie, pretending to be artistic scholars. If you are like me and just enjoy a distraction every now and then, binge on this series when you have an xtra 6 hours. It was enjoyable...not a work of art...enjoyable.
All the wanna-be critics out there...RELAX!
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livinglifing25 March 2018
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Huntress14084 May 2018I don't understand all of the negativity in the reviews. I couldn't stop watching until I finished all 6 episodes. If you are looking for a nightmare inducing show this isn't it. It's more of a mystery/thriller. The ending was a little unsatisfying especially if it doesn't get picked up for a second season. The music that most reviews are complaining about is a requiem. (The title of the show should have given that away.) If there is a second season someone please give Matilda a decent haircut. The one she has now looks like a 5 year old cut it with a pair of safety scissors.
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SPOILER: Really enjoyed the first couple of episodes but I probably ruined the last few by randomly shouting at the TV 'Just do a DNA test'! It really did spoil it for me and it was so obvious and the writer should have seen that! The mother was clearly grieving for her missing child. This is Wales not 1855. SOMEBODY could have put her (and Matilda/Carys) out of their misery by doing a quick test. Bonkers! This show had so much promise but really was spoiled by that one flaw.
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TerribleKatherine26 November 2018'Requiem' is alright. It's nothing spectacular nor is it particularly scary. When the ominous music played non-stop and every single thing was supposed to be so dramatic, I grew tired of it. The series took sooo much time showing endless wondering while these ridiculous whispers were heard in the backround, but the ending was so quick there was no sensible pacing. I didn't appreciate the main actress, she was stiff as a board. In the end I felt like there were so many things left unsaid, like what was with the sheep and Hal, wtf? So.. I'm being generous and give this 7/10. I hope someone does a better version of this, because this one just didn't impress. Comes to think of it, I'm giving this a 6/10 instead.
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frujessen6 February 2018The beginning was intriguing. Could not wait till the next episode. Kept being intriguing, but got overlong to end up boring. I don't mind an "open" finish, but I would have liked to know if she was good or bad. Why did they do what they did? What was the relevance of the sheep? What happened to Hal, and so on, and so on. Far too many loose ends. Had I known how it ended, I would not have bothered. Do hope they don't make a series two. I won't be watching, that's for sure.
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Darkskynet15 May 2019I had high hopes for this mini-series, the eeriness and uncertainty from the first episode and the many unanswered questions opening for a story. Sadly, that strength gradually dribbled out. The characters were written to be shallow and unlikable and the acting from Lydia Wilson (who plays Matilda) was stiff which made for a difficult watch. The main storyline was what kept me interested, but I felt almost bored in some of the episodes from the way it was executed. Finally, when the plot was revealed I almost felt cheated, as if the writers couldn't think of anything better to solve the riddle. This was only heightened in the last episode and how it played out. Not one of BBC's best.
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stoob0t5 February 2018I was really looking forward to this show, so well done BBC for managing to create a trailer that somehow managed to garner interest in this cliched toss.
A superb show if you fancy six hours of watching a Topshop mannequin get wheeled around scenic Wales and a big old country house, making every appalling self-centred decision imaginable - set to one of the three 20-second loops of backing music used throughout the show.
Perhaps if the writers had put the same effort into devising an original plot, as wardrobe put into keeping the lead's fringe immaculately maintained, this could have been enjoyable.
As it stands the plot is derivative of (and not a nod to) many of the Hammer horrors I used to sit up and watch on BBC2 and C4 at 1am on a Friday night, back when there were only four TV channels. The plot is tried and tested; person returns to a big old house in a slightly isolated village with strange locals, because "something inside them" draws them to it. They then make every bad decision imaginable until they end up on an altar surrounded by aforementioned locals who transpire to be Satanists or similar - essentially every Hammer film made between 1960-1970. The only difference is a remarkable twist where the possession of the lead by some otherworldly entity, isn't actually halted at the last minute.
While the cast is excellent, so few of the characters are likeable that it's a struggle to make it through all six episodes. If you're already part way through and unsure whether it's worth watching the rest; it isn't. -
Sleepin_Dragon15 February 2018I am very impressed by so much of the drama content coming from the BBC, this and Hard Sun show the Organisation's willingness to try something different, I love the constant psychological dramas and cop shows, but a change in tone is very welcome. Very creepy, very suspenseful, it felt like a drama that was penned for the BBC in the 1970's and given up to date acting, music and production values, the seventies was littered with awesome ghost stories, a genre that seems to have been sadly abandoned in recent times, who doesn't love a Ghost Story? So often ghost stories disappoint, but Requiem manages not only to look great, but it actually has some excellent content too, it gets better as it goes along. Very well acted, Lydia Wilson, Joel Fry and Brendan Coyle all stood out for me, as did Claire Rushbrook's very good Welsh accent.
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christiehansen-715571 July 2021All she had to do was take a DNA test and BAM! Just like that, she knows if Rose is her real mom or not.
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CazzaBoom11 February 2019This started with such promise and by the end of the first episode you know who Matilda is but want to know the hows and whys. The story starts to drag in the middle and I had to fast forward through parts of the final two. Unfortunately Matilda is single minded in pursuit of her history and causes pain to everyone she's meets including her only friend, a child and a woman with mental health issues. I really wanted to kick her up the backside. As for that ending? Seriously? It was so obvious what would happen and they even went for the cliched "reveal". Ugh But why four graves? Is it a mystery or a continuity error?
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OldCodger738 March 2018Highly Recommended.. Gothic Horror. Occult. Folk Horror.
A lot of the reviews on IMDB were negative. I guess they didn't get it, and have no appreciation for Gothic Horror or Folk Horror. It takes place in Wales, and the series captures the magic of the mountains, and the weirdness of the "folk." References to John Dee, and occult rituals. Cast from "Home Fires" and "Downton Abbey." I was engrossed in it this week. Definitely creepy and interesting. Great performance (again) by Lydia Wilson - she's one to look out for. It's a great addition to the Gothic cannon.
(P.S. I wonder if the negative reviews are from Illuminati operatives. jk. Not really) -
choonmixer957 February 2018I couldn't disagree more with those reviews that are giving this 1s and 2s. I know it employed a large number of cliches that are typical of the genre but that is hardly a reason to rate it so poorly. Almost every slasher horror is laden with cliches and actually I didn't think this drama was at all obvious. It wasn't easy to spot who the real protagonists were until at least episode 4 and even then - right up to the end - it kept you guessing about the truthfullness of some of the main characters. I don't think there were many stupid 'don't go down in the cellar' moments so favoured of many horror films. Matilda was a strong lead and acted well. I rarely doubted her motivation and seldom thought she took unnecessary chances - although i wouldn't have felt inclined to sleep in the house myself. As for the enigmatic ending I found it challenging. The fact that we were left being somewhat unsure of what Matilda would do in the future we were left in no doubt about what she had done - were we? I think it was well worth a 7 and a good binge watch.
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lopezpatricia-061397 July 2021I spent the first 5 hours trying to figure out what this series was really about. Was it a kiddy pinching network was it supernatural was it this that the other. Just ethereal sounds and things out the corner of your eye, wind blowing and faint screams. Epp 6 the last 20mins it got good but by the end I still didn't know and had to research what it exactly was. Angeles, devil worship, possession, a cult. Still unclear. I thoroughly regret investing 6 hours in this vague crap.
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KittieC31 March 2018The production values here are pretty good, and a lot of great cinematic choices have been borrowed from the great thriller/horror movies of the 70s. There is a really strong musical motif, lots of long shots and allowing of the camera to linger in places where the action isn't happening. The borrowing is well done and does the job of building a nice sense of suspense. Beyond the style there's probably only just enough substance to push it up to a seven for me. Other reviewers are right - there's nothing new in the plot. It's your bog standard summoning-of-spirits-through-the-innocence-of-children trope set in a creepy as heck house with lots of windy sounds, unexplained banging and a subterranean extension that looks suspiciously free of rising damp for a manor house in Wales. However the characters warm things up a bit with a script that doesn't try too hard and some sound acting, although Australian James Frecheville struggled a bit I thought with a role that required him to be dumber than a bag of hammers, and was, I think, intended to provide a small note of comic relief. Six hours is a lot of screen time and a 'thriller' is hardly going to be thrilling for each of the 360-odd minutes. For my money though each of the episodes did just enough to warrant moving onto the next. The ending isn't going to make everyone happy, although it attempts a lot harder than many other productions these days to provide some kind of resolution, although there are bunch of ends still loose when the credits role. Ultimately, like a like of thriller/horror, the ending is a lot less satisfying than the unravelling of the mystery to get there. I thought it was a brave attempt to do some good old fashioned film making within the 'new' context of television, and no-one embarrassed themselves. And I, for one, thought her fringe was awesome.
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steveneagleson16 February 2019It's a decent enough drama with a moderately engaging, if drawn-out, story. The majority of the characters however are quite unlikeable with the main character, Tilly, being just excruciatingly unpleasant.
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daveeastwood6 February 2018Wow, some bad reviews on here. 1-star?? It doesn't deserve that, irresponsible rating that skews the overall review score.
I don't agree with them. It's not bad, decent cast, worth a few hours of your time.
That fringe though, kept annoying me! you will see what I mean. -
gladysmutie22 February 2022Okay so I thought this was gonna be another interesting British mystery from Netflix but I was disappointed. The show is so dull. You keep watching hoping for it to get better but it doesn't.
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s327616920 February 2018Requiem is a UK based supernatural mystery thriller. Its "by the numbers" stuff with more than a few well worn tropes on offer. The result is a series that works but it remains predictable fair that's on the cusp of being cliched.
What saves Requiem to a good degree is its a little "off beat". Putting aside the "Children of the Corn" all grown up look of the main character Matilda, there's some real depth and quirks to her character and the rest of the cast. This tends of successfully sideline the more obvious plot twists and turns, engaging the viewer with the characters on an emotional and personal level.
I will add that this is a "slow burn" thriller so it wont satisfy the impatient. That said, as it stands, Requiem has enough human interest elements including strong characterisations and narrative, plus well structured storytelling, to qualify as a decent, if not exceptional, short series. Eight out of ten from me. -
I enjoyed this series for the most part. It was spooky and atmospheric, well directed and acted. It's just the ending was disappointing and predictable. They really could've taken it in any number of directions instead of the lackluster one they took. Basically, the ending ruined the whole experience for me.
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pullgees13 March 2018Don't watch this in the hope they may some resolution in the final episode, there isn't.
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Bertaut5 May 2018Matilda Gray (Lydia Wilson) is a talented cellist whose life is turned upside down when her mother, Janice (Joanna Scanlan), suddenly commits suicide. Whilst going through Janice's possessions, Matilda finds newspaper clippings reporting on the disappearance of a young girl from a small Welsh village 23 years earlier. With her best friend Hal Fine (Joel Fry) by her side, Matilda travels to Wales to try to find out why her mother was so interested in the case, and what she finds will cause her to call into question everything she thought she knew.
Requiem is not a very good show. The plot is utterly derivative, with writer Kris Mrksa stealing bountifully from everything ranging from The Turn of the Screw (1898) to Race with the Devil (1975) to The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015). Matilda fails to engender even a modicum of empathy. She's deeply unlikable, and shows little self-awareness as she harasses a child and a clearly mentally-unstable woman. And then there's the tonal raison d'être - the "horror" of it all. Director Mahalia Belo is very much of the modern school of horror filmmaking; mix equal parts shallow-focus camerawork, high contrast shadows, and unnatural noises, and finish with a garnish of implausible jump scares. Also Tara Fitzgerald, as antiques dealer and all-round weirdo Sylvia Walsh, appears to have forgotten how to act. The last twenty minutes of the last episode are pretty decent, and properly creepy, but by then it's far too late. -
Tweekums7 February 2018This six-part chiller opens with two suicides; a man jumps off the roof of a large house in Wales and a woman cuts her throat in front of Matilda, her adult daughter, in London. There is no obvious connection between the two people but Matilda's mother leavers her a box of photographs that include some of the man's house. They also include pictures of a woman whose daughter Carys has disappeared in 1994. Determined to discover why her mother left her the pictures she heads to Wales with her friend Hal. Here they meet the dead man's Australian nephew and are invited to stay at the large house; Matilda has a feeling that she has been there before. Haunted by strange dreams she soon starts to believe that she is in fact Carys! As the story progresses we learn more about what happened in the town and more about Matilda's forgotten past; there is also the possibility of a supernatural presence as Matilda knows things she couldn't know and others try to summon a supernatural being.
I found this to be a gripping series; the opening set-up got me intrigued and I liked how we gradually learn more about Matilda and what has happened and is happening to her. The setting is suitably creepy and it isn't too obvious which characters will turn out to be bad. It does feature plenty of horror clichés, which some viewers may find annoying, but many of these things have become clichés because they are effective. By the end most questions are answered although there are enough left open for a possible second series although I'm not certain more is really necessary... some ambiguity is good as it gives the viewer something to think about. The cast do a solid job; notably Lydia Wilson who dominates proceedings as the troubled Matilda. I liked the fact that the possibility of supernatural activity wasn't too obvious; even when it is raised it isn't immediately obvious if it is real, within the context of the series, or in the minds of certain characters. Overall I'd recommend this to anybody wanting an effective chiller; of course what gives one person the chills will be different to another... it certainly gave me goose bumps though. -
This was a show that, as it unfolded, I found myself more and more interested to find out what happens next. At first, I had suspicions this was going to be a run of mill kidnapping/child abuse, bad people who are trying to cover it up, yada yada plot. And it sort of was but then it kept getting bigger and more complicated and I enjoyed attempting to piece things together. But sadly, it doesn't amount to much in the end.
They built everything into this big closing sequence that really felt visceral and otherworldly only to give a pretty lackluster explanation of a conclusion. I ended up feeling almost cheated. It reminded me of those horror movies that have the stupid twist endings where the villain is somehow still alive after being thrown off a cliff (or whatever: insert horrific death). Matilda is told she will "have all the answers" if she follows through with what they want. The viewer is excited! We get answers. Well... there were pretty much no answers. And I for one, am disappointed. It developed really well until then, but the ending dropped the ball. -
namstonk17 July 2018Very slow to develop, by the time it does you've worked out the ending almost 90%, when it does finally end you'll be miffed for the waste of time but pleased it's all over because you were'nt 90% close but 100% right. Flimsy, lame, arthouse twaddle.
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payasoingenioso2 May 2021The lead character is selfish, inconsiderate, and reckless.
Good decisions are an incomprehensible language to her toy best friend.
And the rest of the characters play like decently developed background to this antagonist in protagonist's clothing.
The story itself is the slowest of burns. Unnecessarily so.
The only character I like is Trudy.
I only watched this until the end because I hoped to resolve the mystery.