Django
An English-language reimagining of the 1966 film of the same name, Django takes place in the Old West after the American Civil War and follows the titular Django (Matthias Schoenaerts), who arrives in New Babylon, a city founded by John Ellis (Nicholas Pinnock) that welcomes outcasts, regardless of their background. Here, Django is reunited with his estranged daughter, Sarah (Lisa Vicari), and attempts to reconnect with her; but she is less than pleased to see him, blaming him for the death of their family many years ago. However, John soon finds himself in need of Django’s talents when the merciless Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace) sets her sights on Babylon.
Something that will likely make or break Django for prospective viewers is its pacing. The show is very deliberately slow, gradually ratcheting up the tension and drip-feeding information about its characters. This approach works in the long run, but it also makes it somewhat difficult to remain invested in the opening chapters, which feel particularly sluggish. Thankfully, the series seems to find its feet about three episodes in, with a good balance between dramatic shifts in the status quo and smaller, subtler character moments throughout.
Django’s writing is solid, working in several interconnected narrative threads among its messy and multifaceted cast without overwhelming the story (helped in part by its steadiness). The complex character dynamics at play all feed into the primary themes, including violence, revenge and redemption, which keeps the piece coherent and preserves the vibes of a classic Western over the space of ten episodes.
The strong character work in the writing is bolstered by some excellent performances. In particular, Lisa Vicari steals the show as Sarah, with a strong and compelling emotive range that elevates Django’s emotional beats and brings out some fascinating new sides to her co-stars. Noomi Rapace also brings some strong heel heat as Elizabeth: as the story’s sole villainous presence, her character has to do a lot of heavy-lifting, and Rapace brings the perfect menace to keep things as tense and dramatic as they need to be.
Overall, Django is a great series, carefully crafted and confident in its presentation. Its pace might take some getting used to, particularly for audiences expecting more high-octane cowboy action, but there’s a lot to love here for patient viewers.
Umar Ali
Django is released on Sky on 1st March 2023.
Watch the trailer for Django here:
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