Review #4 Ballers (2015-2019)

Hello people! 

So I have just finished Ballers a show following Spencer Strasmore, played by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson a retired American football player trying to make his way in financial management of NFL players. It follows the hectic lifestyle of these football players, the parties, the relationships, the highs and the lows. Even though I am not an American football fan, I really enjoyed this series and you don’t actually have to know a lot about the sport to watch this series.

CAST & THE ACTING 

The main role is played by Dwayne Johnson and it was good to see him play a deeper character, showing a range of different emotions in contrast to many of his muscle head, all action roles we have seen him play in other films. He is supported by Rob Corddry, Omar Benson Miller and John David Washington. 

I think the acting from everyone was really good, they brought out the comedy whilst also showing the struggles some of these characters had. Whether that be drug or alcohol abuse, family trauma or even the struggle of fame and attention. So they done very well in bringing these characters to life and getting you invested into these stories. Other actors you know pop up throughout the 5 season, people like Russel Brand and Arielle Kebbel for example.

STORYLINE AND PLOT 

Like I mentioned earlier I know nothing about American football I only watched my first Super Bowl on Sunday because Ballers got me interested in what it’s like. The series doesn’t actually show any games or anything like that so you don’t have to be interested in the sport to get invested in the storyline. The creators done really well making a show based on sport that anyone can watch. The plot is really good and also brings in real sports stars to make that story believable. So I have given a very good score here because I just couldn’t stop watching and that’s a great sign of a good storyline.

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS

I have only given a pretty average score here, not because there was anything bad but just because there was no special effects used and there was no special camera work that could justify a higher score. Given the genre of the show I don’t think they needed anything fancy so it’s certainly not a bad thing.

OVERALL (8/10)

This is another show I would definitely recommend, I couldn’t stop watching it and it’s very funny as well. I watched it on sky, so give it a go and let me know what you think!

Callan