NETFLIX has released its brand new mini-series titled What/If – and going off by what critics have said about the exhilarating new show, it’s certainly not to be missed.
NETFLIX has released its brand new mini-series titled What/If – and going off by what critics have said about the exhilarating new show, it’s certainly not to be missed.
Renée Zellweger leads the cast as Anne Montgomery, and if fans were expecting her to play an innocent and sweet role, they’re in for a surprise. So, who else is in the cast and what have the reviews been so far?
Who’s in the cast?
Renée Zellweger
This is Renée’s first starring television role, which is crazy when you consider the number of years she has professionally worked as an actress.
How has she never been approached to star in a television series before? Unless she hasn’t connected with previous pitched characters the way that she did when told to portray the role of Anne Montgomery.
Up until this Netflix project, Renée was strictly known as a film actress, breaking box office numbers with movies such as 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary, Chicago and Cold Mountain.
Jane Levy
Jane Levy stars as Lisa Donovan in the thriller series – and if you think she looks familiar to you, you’re probably right.
Jane has an impressive list of credentials ranging from television work on shows such as Shameless and Suburgatory to starring in blockbuster films such including Don’t Breathe.
It should probably be noted that she was the lead star of that movie, which grossed over £124 MILLION at the box office.
Blake Jenner
Blake Jenner’s stardom just continues to rise, having gained an immense amount of fame through his appearances on Glee.
Soon after, he had a recurring role on Supergirl, and now he’s landed himself the biggest role to date.
Interestingly enough, however, Keith also voiced Howie Carter in the NBA 2K19 videogame, which is probably just as impressive as getting the role as Sean Donovan in What/If, no?
Keith Powers
Keith Powers plays Todd Archer in the Netflix series, and you’re probably already aware that this actor is making serious moves in Hollywood right now.
He got his so-called big break playing Stringer Guy in an episode of Pretty Little Liars before landing the role of Tyree in the motion picture Straight Outta Compton.
Keith most recently starred in several episodes of the former Freeform show titled Famous in Love, alongside Hollywood actress Bella Thorne.
Samantha Marie Ware
Another former Glee star joins this new thriller show – it’s Samantha Marie Ware.
She played Jane Hayward in the teen sitcom and even found herself landing a spot on NCIS: New Orleans.
Her other credentials include roles in Chicago Med and Bull.
Juan Castano as Marcos
Juan Castano seems like a perfect fit for the role of Marcos – mainly because he’s no stranger to starring in shows revolved around crime.
Fans mostly know him for his work on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Shades of Blue – with Jennifer Lopez – and Sharknado: The Second One.
Castano recently worked with Ellen Page and Laura Linney on Tales of the City, letting you know that this actor is definitely making a name for himself.
Dave Annable
Can you believe that Dave Annabelle played in over 100 episodes of Brothers & Sisters before taking on the role of Dr. Adam McAndrew in Red Band Society’s first and only series?
And if you remember the rom-com What’s Your Number, Dave helmed the character of Jake, which is probably another reason you recognised him in What/If.
He recently starred in Heart of Life, a TV movie where he plays Wesley ‘Wes’ Reid.
What are the reviews like?
DigitalSpy gave a rather harsh review, describing the show as “easily one of the worst things that Netflix has ever produced”.
The site’s writer David Opie complains that the show lacks any sort of clear storytelling, with viewers having to sit through “corny dialogue and inexplicable plot turns”.
And the comments weren’t any nicer when it came to Zellweger’s performance, with David writing: “When she's not privately screaming into her stuffed tiger toy(!), the sexually manipulative puppet master loves nothing more than smirking at her butler or shooting actual arrows at her enemies under the guise of training”.
IGN sees things a little differently – well, depending on what type of person you are when it comes to shows with cheesy dialogue.
According to its writer Alicia Lutes, What/If is a soap noir thriller with quite the low budget at hand when it comes to the production aspect of things.
Unlike Digital Spy’s review, IGN insists that the performance from the show’s leading cast isn’t all that bad.
However, it doesn’t seem like the narrative is engaging enough for viewers to continue watching the 10-episode series in its entirety.
“The frustration of What/If lies in its ability to thread the noir-thriller needle in an engaging enough way: it isn’t campy enough to be fun, or as smart as it thinks it is to be interesting. It just sorta lands with a flimsy thwap”.
Alicia continued: “Noir thrillers can work in our modern times, and the questions of morality are certainly a part of what makes them interesting, but What/If frustrates what could be a fun, absurd romp with painful dialogue, painful premises, and some truly one-dimensional twists that don’t live up to the hype of its leading ladies”.
The Daily Dot is in agreeance with Digital Spy on this one, describing What/If as “virtually unwatchable, yet impossible to turn off”.
The site’s writer Kahron Spearman contends that this is the type of show you’d watch for all the wrong reasons – not because you’re particularly inclined to get to know more about the characters and their stories.
Kahron explained: “The first season of What/If (and you know there will be more) is so laughably awful, you’d believe it to be a clandestine comedy.
“Kelley and his many directors pummel the viewer into submission through tidal waves of melodramatics. It’s almost as if Kelley openly challenged his writers to whip up the most ridiculous, yet tasty, marshmallow fluff ever put on television”.
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