agmtw logo
search
Archie: The Man Who Became Cary Grant

Archie: The Man Who Became Cary Grant

A transformative performance makes this Cary Grant docuseries a compelling watch

7.3

TV Show

United Kingdom
English
Drama
2023
Harriet Walter, Jason Isaacs, Laura Aikman
47 min

TLDR

Grant’s eventful life (even before Hollywood!) already makes this show a compelling watch, but Jason Isaacs’ transformative performance elevates it to great heights.

What it's about

Chronicles the life of Hollywood legend Cary Grant (Jason Isaacs), from his troubled beginnings in Bristol to his turbulent rise to fame in America.

The take

Who would’ve thought that the supremely suave Cary Grant came from humble beginnings? Grant, played marvelously by Jason Isaacs, is given the docuseries treatment in Archie, which tracks his journey from his downtrodden childhood in Bristol and his vaudeville days in New York up to his busy, blinding career in LA as a Hollywood star and his twilight years as a stand-up comedian. Grant’s eventful and surprisingly traumatic life already makes Archie a compelling watch, but Isaacs's performance elevates the show into something unmissable. Isaacs disappears into Grant; his version isn’t a mere impression (though he gets the voice and tics to a tee) but a sympathetic understanding of a highly misunderstood man. The other actors playing Grant aren’t as good, so the show can feel uneven at times. The graphics and backdrops are also hit-or-miss, alternating between comically bad to believably okay. But Isaacs saves the show, capably carrying it on his Grant-broad shoulders.

What stands out

Isaacs, 100%.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

More like this in

Say Nothing

A powerful take on the Northern Ireland conflict that smartly shows all sides

8.5

Interior Chinatown

A novel and daring action comedy that plays on Asian American stereotypes

7.5

Dune: Prophecy

Two sisters shift the balance of power in this Dune prequel series

7.0

Ethos

A level of attention to aesthetics usually reserved for the most elaborate films, mixed with a complex and relevant story, make this series from Turkey unmatched in its quality

9.9

Caliphate

A psychological thriller that provides insight on what drove so many young people to ISIS.

8.9

Occupied

Norway's most expensive show ever is a timely thrill ride with a grim geopolitical premise.

8.7

Escape at Dannemora

Based on a true prison escape story, this slow-burn suspense thriller features once-in-a-lifetime performances by a star-studded cast

9.3

Unorthodox

A well-acted fact-based thriller about untangling the grip of a close-knit community

8.5

The Looming Tower

A well-written thriller miniseries about the rivalry between the CIA and the FBI and how they failed to prevent 9/11.

8.1

Voice

A serial killer is taken down by the sound of their voice in this intriguing crime drama

7.6

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.