The 1980s is often remembered for its bright colors, big hairstyles, and catchy music. However, this fun image hides some darker stories. In London during this decade, a famous crime boss named Joan Hannington was well-known for planning jewel thefts. Diamonds seemed to be her best friend, at least for a while.
The new ITV drama titled Joan, which will also air in the U.S. on The CW, shows the ups and downs of a woman who was smart at stealing but struggled with how to get back her child.
Sophie Turner, known for her role as Queen Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, stars in this six-episode series as the main character, Joan. The show gives a simple overview of what happened to her but does not dig deep into her background or reasons for her actions.
What Is Joan About?
The story begins with Joan in her early twenties. She tries hard to raise her six-year-old daughter Kelly (played by Mia Millichamp-Long). Joan wants to create a loving home for her child, unlike the one she grew up in.
However, her husband Gary (played by Nick Blood) steals cars and gets into trouble, which puts both Joan and Kelly in danger. To keep her daughter safe, Joan decides to take Kelly to social services so that another family can care for her while Joan searches for a job and a stable home for them.
Joan feels sad and lost after being separated from her daughter. With no clear plans for what to do next, she goes to stay with her sister (Kristy J. Curtis) in London and takes a job at her hair salon. Unfortunately, Joan’s fiery personality and lack of commitment lead her to lose that job quickly.
This is when Joan discovers her talent for stealing. She tricks her way into becoming a sales representative at a jewelry store. Surrounded by beautiful rings and necklaces made of gold, sapphires, and diamonds, she feels tempted to steal them, especially since she does not have enough money and worries about losing her daughter.
In a desperate move, she swallows the jewels to hide them. With help from her partner-in-crime Boisie (Frank Dillane), Joan takes her stealing to new levels. She learns to fake different accents, wear wigs, and dress up in fancy clothes every time she walks into a luxury store.
Sophie Turner Humanizes a Real-Life Jewel Thief in Joan
Joan Hannington was a well-known figure in her time, even earning the nickname “The Godmother.” This series aims to show a different side of the woman behind the headlines. The drama asks, “What was she like when she was not stealing?”
The show succeeds in revealing this side through Sophie Turner’s powerful performance. Turner has had smaller roles in movies like the X-Men series and Netflix’s Do Revenge. In Joan, she shows different sides of her character.
Turner effectively portrays Joan’s vulnerability when she meets with social services, her strong motherly instincts when she visits her daughter, and her cleverness when planning risky thefts. Turner’s commitment to the role shines brightly throughout the story. She proves she can handle any type of character, whether in action-packed films or serious dramas like this one.
If it were not for the emotions Turner brings to her character, the show might not have effectively shown Joan’s deep desire to create a perfect family. Despite her actions leading her away from this dream, viewers can believe that Joan becomes involved in crime for deeper reasons.
Joan’s Style Sets the Tone for the Character’s Journey
Another strong point of the show is its attention to Joan’s clothing. The amazing costume design by Richard Cooke plays an important role in telling Joan’s story.
At the beginning of the series, Joan is young and eager for excitement, which is why she gets involved with Gary. She has a good sense of style, but it is only when she moves to London and cuts her hair into a bob that she starts to care more about her looks.
The costumes, combined with the makeup, highlight Joan’s constant changes as she goes deeper into crime. When she puts on red lipstick, a smoky eye, and a wig, viewers can see that she is dressed to impress.
This also explains why she is seldom caught. Joan is a con artist who knows exactly how to look and what to say to attract people. The people she associates with also live double lives.
Joan Fails to Show Its Characters Past Surface Level
Despite its strengths, the adaptation of Hannington’s life story, based on her memoir titled I Am What I Am: The True Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief, has a significant flaw. While Turner’s performance and Joan’s fabulous wardrobe add depth to the character, the script does not show the supporting characters enough.
Boisie, an antiques dealer who meets Joan just after her first diamond robbery, shows potential as a romantic interest. However, his reasons for continuing to steal oil paintings and fancy teacups are never fully explained.
Similarly, Albie (played by Gershwyn Eustache Jr.) joins Joan and Boisie in their stealing adventures, but his intentions are always unclear and lack detail.
Still from Joan (Credit: CW)
While Joan gives viewers a chance to see another side of this famous burglar, it sometimes feels dull because of its weak development of supporting characters.
Despite these shortcomings, the show demonstrates Turner’s ability to take on complex lead roles. The stunning outfits Joan wears will surely make viewers wish they could wear them too.
Joan premiered on The CW on October 2 at 9 PM ET and will be available on BritBox starting December 5.
Slasher films were very popular in the 1980s. Michael Myers from Halloween and Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series were big hits. Many other similar movies came out during this time, making it seem like a new slasher was released every other week.
Because there were so many of them, these films were filled with familiar patterns that were easy to predict. Some viewers found this fun, while others thought it made the movies boring. The movie Scream did a great job of making fun of these patterns.
What Is ‘Slasher’ About?
Slasher has a story you have heard many times before. A group of young friends decides to go on a road trip. Among them is the usual cast of characters. From the start, we see the sad character Ursula (Fabiola Muñoz), who we know will be the final girl.
She is upset with her jealous boyfriend, Lucas (Mario Gallardo). Their friends are Mario (Rafa Blanes) and party girls Shayla (Cristina Bravo) and Lore (Anna Hastings). The film shows their personalities: Shayla is glued to her phone, and Lore is the typical flirty girl, so annoying that Mario cannot stand her.
As these friends travel, they talk about the Red Demon, saying to hunt near the home they are going to. Many people who have visited the area have disappeared. Some friends take this seriously, while others think it is a joke. As viewers, we know the Red Demon is real because of a gripping opening scene.
In this scene, we see a man wearing a wooden mask. He is dressed in red and dragging a bag with a still-living man inside. When he reaches his basement, the silent killer gives a knife to his young son, Julio, telling him to finish the job. Julio looks at his father in awe, wanting to be just like him. This killer has a family that knows about his dark hobby, and they support him.
Ten years later, the killer’s father is gone, but for shy and awkward teenage Julio (Sergio Alguacil), it is his birthday, and the family tradition has been passed down to him. He receives his own mask and is sent out to kill. He finds his targets in Ursula and her friends at the remote house, but will he be able to follow through?
‘Slasher’ Can’t Decide What Kind of Movie It Wants To Be
Before Julio wears the mask, his mother tells him the rules of being a killer. It is a wink to slasher fans when she says he will become more silent, slower, stronger, and emotionless with each kill, like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees.
This makes us think it will be a clever love letter to horror films, like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon or The Cabin in the Woods. However, this does not happen.
As soon as Julio wears the mask and steps into the night, Slasher changes and becomes a basic slasher movie. The second half is boring, as we watch the characters get high in the house. This is not just a common stereotype in these films but a significant flaw.
The main characters are uninteresting, and being stuck with them makes us want them to die. Even Ursula, the final girl, is not very interesting. We are supposed to feel sorry for her because of her mean boyfriend, but she has little character growth.
At this point, Slasher struggles with its tone. What began as a serious, partly clever film turns into a silly comedy with the characters getting high. Scenes with Mario and Lore being so stoned that they can barely function are meant to be funny, but they do not work. This goes on for so long that Julio disappears, and the movie no longer feels like it is about him.
Julio Falls Short of Being a New Slasher Icon
Even though Slasher has many flaws, some elements grab your attention. Besides the opening scene, Julio is the most complex character. It is probably not a good thing that the villain is more likable than the main characters, but since it is his movie, that is okay.
This means we see an amateur killer learning rather than the usual strong killer in a mask who easily slaughters everyone. While Slasher does not have many creative kills, Julio’s first attempt leads to a unique death scene that fits the victim well.
Slasher needed more inventiveness and exploration of who Julio is. Instead, everything feels shallow. Suddenly, Julio decides he cannot kill anymore, only to quickly go back to doing it. Seeing more of his inner struggle would have added depth and made Slasher more than the common patterns it follows.
Still from Slasher (Credit: Archstone)
The film falls short with Julio’s father, who was the focus of the first scene but then disappears without explanation. A horror film that explains too much is not good, but Slasher does the opposite.
It does not explain enough, leaving viewers uninterested. We want to know: Who is Julio’s father? Where does his power come from? Why does he wear a wooden mask? Without answers, it is hard to care.
Slasher leads to an anticlimactic showdown between Julio and Ursula, but stick around for the after-credits scene. Here, we get a twist and perhaps an unspoken reason for why Slasher struggles.
Is this film a setup for a sequel and a franchise? That could work, but to get viewers excited for future films, the first film must be engaging. Slasher has its moments, but Julio is not going to be the next iconic masked killer.
