REVIEW: SWARM

​SWARM - A lesson on "you don't have to like everything. " Now Streaming on Prime.

​I enjoyed the pilot. It's filled with so much social proof, breadcrumbs of backstory, and emotional baggage. I think Dre may be on the spectrum. I haven't read anything to prove it, but she's played like a person who is socially awkward and definitely emotionally stunted. We don't tell enough stories about these kinds of people. 

The acting - Supreme. Dominique. Damson. Chloe (CHLOE!!!) and Nirine all did their thing. 

There are a lot of themes at play that are truly shown in the directing and editing choices. Colors. Angles. Decor.
- Protection
- Self-worth
- Belonging
- Fanaticism

Check out @justlatasha's dissection on Twitter. A great thread for filmmakers. 

SWARM lost me by episode 4. I got really bored really quickly. It also got really weird. But guess what? Black folks are allowed to be weird and make weird sh*t. It's a win for us. And it's still not my cup of tea. Both can be true. 

Critiques (Edited)
- The buzzing bees seemed to have no real storytelling mechanism. 4 episodes in, and I couldn't connect them with a specific feeling or motivation. Her response or lack of response to them was inconsistent making them feel random. Like, yeah, add the bees here for effect. We know the bees symbolize the beehive, but why are we hearing them NOW.
- I loved Dre's moments of confidence but couldn't track them either. They were otherworldly, which was cool. But I wanted to know what caused them? What broke them? 
- 4 episodes in, and there were no stakes.
- 4 episodes in, and I wasn't rooting for her. I did not relate to her or like her enough to care about her murderous spree or want her to get away with it. 

Though I'm not enjoying the series, I will return to finish it one day when I feel like it. What say you? Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?

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author

Shannan E. Johnson is a former creative executive at The Syfy Channel turned CEO + Head Consultant of The Professional Pen, a script consultancy that develops screenwriters from idea to pitch to become more confident storytellers ready for a professional screenwriting career, and consults with scripted development teams at entertainment companies to streamline their notes process to get to pre-production more efficiently.