REVIEW #37 Shadow and Bone (2021)

Shadow and Bone is a fantasy series set in fictional Ravka, it follows a young soldier as she finds out she has an extremely rare power than could unite her world and destroy the shadow fold that haunts their lands. 

CAST & THE ACTING (8/10)

The cast is relatively unknown with Ben Barnes who plays General Kirigan being the most notable actor in the series, having appeared in The Punisher series, Narnia and Seventh Son. The lead actress is Jessie Mei Li who plays Alina Starkov, a young women whose newfound powers change her life forever. Other cast members include Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Archie Renaux as Maylen and Kit Young as Jesper. The acting is actually pretty good in this series and it looks to be one of the next big Netflix shows. The actors are all very convincing which is crucial for a fantasy show and they create some really interesting characters. 

PLOT & THE STORYLINE (8/10)

I do enjoy this genre, as I have mentioned many times in previous reviews and this storyline is certainly imaginative. The people with magical powers are known as Grisha and there are many different types, mainly all living within the little palace. The country is divided by something called the shadow fold, created by an evil Grisha which is haunted by murderous creatures called the Volcra, who prevent anyone from crossing safely. Although imaginative, they do manage to make the plot clear for the audience and create a believable world for us to get invested in. The story arcs for these characters are well thought out and we are given plenty of background information about the main character through flashbacks, which helps make the story even clearer. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS (8/10)

Considering this is almost a pilot first series for the Netflix show, it’s clear that a nice budget was allocated to the make the special effects authentic. Being a fantasy series revolving around magical beings it’s fair to say a lot of special effects were needed but it is done nicely. The cinematography is good enough and there are some really enjoyable scenes that are created through nice camera work. I think if a season 2 is given the go ahead then we can expect even better special effects, there is room for improvement but it’s certainly a great start so I think an 8 is a fair score.

OVERALL (8/10)

I really enjoyed Shadow and Bone, I think it was a great first series with some areas for improvement which is expected for a pilot first season. It had good special effects and a really nice and imaginative plot which grabs your attention and is exciting from the first episode. The cast doesn’t include big household names but the acting is still good and convincing which is important for a fantasy series such as this one. It is left on a cliffhanger so I am hoping we are not waiting to long before season 2 is confirmed and released! Give it a go if you’re a fan of the genre, I’m sure you will enjoy it and let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

Callan