REVIEW #103 Brassic (2019-Present)

Brassic is a Sky original comedy series directed by Jon Wright, Daniel O’Hara and Saul Metzstein. Set in the north of England, Vinnie and his band of misfit friends are broke and have a hand in all sorts of petty crime. Friendships begin to be put to the test at the thought of a fresh start elsewhere looks promising to Vinnies best friend Dylan and his girlfriend Erin. 

CAST & THE ACTING 

Joseph Gilgun leads the cast as Vinnie and I have to say he is one of my favourite British comedic actors. He always delivers when it comes to comedy and it’s why projects like Brassic, Misfits, Preacher and This is England we’re so successful. What I also enjoy about his performance in Brassic is that he can touch upon the more serious nature of his character as well as the comedy and being able to do both, to a high standard, makes him so likeable to the audience.. The rest of the cast is made up of Michelle Keegan as Erin, Aaron Heffernan as Ash, Ryan Sampson as Tommo, Damien Molony as Dylan and Tom Hanson as Cardi. Michelle Keegan does well to bring a sensible balance to this odd group, whereas the rest of them help deliver the silly comedy that makes this show so funny. The delivery of dialogue really is one of the major strengths of this cast and that can sometimes go under the radar but it is so important for effective comedy. It is also clear that there is such a strong chemistry between this group of actors and that comes through in the characters they portray, complimenting that bond they have as friends.

PLOT & THE STORYLINE 

The overarching storyline throughout Brassic is this group of petty criminals trying to earn a bit of money in whatever way they can. However the theme of friendship and family is what brings the characters to life and it’s that dynamic between them that helps make this a hilariously funny TV show. There are a few silly episodes that perhaps aren’t the most realistic such as the episode where the gang get down in the sewers and have to battle a massive fat berg to complete a heist, yes that’s right! However those episodes did have me in stitches so I don’t think that matters to much. Although Brassic is no doubt a comedy series, it does have a lot of serious themes and moments where the actors must display authentic emotion. The writers were really clever incorporating those moments because it allows the audience to connect to the characters and in turn get invested in their journeys and relationships. The storylines in season 2 and 3 between Vinnie, Erin and Tyler were really touching and helped provide a balance to the silly comedy. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS 

I do think the cinematography was pretty good throughout the three seasons of Brassic, I have mentioned in previous reviews how I appreciate the aesthetic look of the countryside in films and TV. Set in the north of England, we certainly get a lot of that! There were a lot of sets that I think looked good, such as Vinnie’s trailer, especially when the scene was set at night. I also think having him live there and how they created that set represented his personality and character quite well. There wasn’t any big special effects sequences and I wouldn’t expect that from a series like this. Even the cinematography, although everything looked good, I wouldn’t expect beautiful visuals because it’s a comedy about local petty criminals in the north of England so it really doesn’t need that. Brassic did have a good soundtrack, I think the songs matched the nature of the scenes well.

OVERALL (8.5/10)

I really enjoyed Brassic, it’s hilarious and it’s the type of comedy that I love. The acting is great which is so important because the delivery of dialogue and the physical movement was so important to produce the effective comedy that is required for a show like this. The plot is really simple but that simplicity gives the opportunity for a lot of funny storylines. I appreciated how they also incorporated more serious sub plots and themes such as mental health and family issues. This made the characters very relatable. There are a few silly episodes but they were enjoyable nonetheless. It doesn’t include beautiful visuals or outstanding special effects but it really doesn’t need it. It relies on its actors and writers to produce a really good comedy series that is lighthearted yet emotionally engaging at times too. I would definitely recommend watching it if you can!

Thanks for reading.

Callan