2024 Show
United States of America · English, French
Despite impressive turns in the past, Michael Douglas is a letdown in this period drama about the great Benjamin Franklin
With the successful release of Manhunt and Masters of the Air in the last couple of months, it looks like Franklin is set to be Apple TV+’s first miss in the historical drama department. Though the lead is based on a Founding Father and played by a revered actor, the series lacks the spark that elevates mere history lessons into riveting stories. Douglas seems bored, the script feels lackluster, and the pace is way too slow to compete with other more compelling period dramas. It’s a baffling miss, considering Douglas has in the past dazzled as Liberace, and director Tim Van Patten has similarly won acclaim for a string of HBO shows. But maybe it’s a sign of a burgeoning glut. Given Franklin’s rushed feel, perhaps Apple TV+ should take it slow and go back to its quality over quantity philosophy.
In December 1776, Benjamin Franklin is world-famous for his electrical experiments. But his passion and power are put to the test when he embarks on a secret mission to France—with the fate of American independence hanging in the balance.
"Where “John Adams” illuminated one of American history’s more self-serious advocates for liberty and equality, “Franklin” has a bit of fractured fun with its more libertine protagonist."
— Clint Worthington
Follows Benjamin Franklin (Michael Douglas) and his grandson William (Noah Jupe) as they travel to Europe to secretly win over the French monarchy on the American side of the Revolutionary War against Imperial Britain.
Douglas’ interpretation of Franklin is just confusing. You know he can do and has done better, but here he seems low effort if not wholly out of place.
You’re better off watching other period dramas about the era, like HBO’s John Adams, instead.
Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.
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