Apart from the movies I am also a fervent fan of television series, especially when they come from alternative streaming services and are marking a very good path in their productions.
That's why today I want to share with you a little review of one of the best series I've seen in the last few weeks.
The Boys
Another production of superheroes as if we didn't have films insured for the next two years thanks to the studios that function as a machine that fulfills its only purpose. It's no exaggeration to say that things are already a little saturated, but it's good to know that there's still room for more original stories that allow us to look towards a horizon that seemed to be dominated by the Avengers. The brand new proposal of Amazon Prime Video is none other than one starring beings with surprising abilities that save the day while wearing layers or tight suits and the inhabitants of the city praise them, because it has enough of that, but in the background is much more than it appears.
The Boys is an American superhero web television series based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Developed by Eric Kripke for Amazon, it follows the titular team of vigilantes as they fight back against superpowered people who abuse their abilities.
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If Marvel's superheroes actually existed, we assume that they would somehow be managed by a large corporation that would be in charge of their image, merchandise, and presentations at events, as well as being treated like celebrities because their popularity would be in heaven. This is the world in which The Boys takes place, where the Vought corporation is in charge of managing The Seven, a group of superheroes formed by Homelander, Queen Maeve, A-train, Translucid, Black Noir, and The Deep. They are joined by novice Starlight after going through a casting process as the corporation sought a new addition to the team.
For me the whole series is a total and effective satire that lets us see what would become of the world if fiction becomes reality: heroes lose interest in saving the world (or take advantage of its status), are forced to do things that are not right, to follow the company's own interests and do not go out to end the crime if they are not followed by a camera that captures each of their movements, even though they are always transmitting that image of exemplary citizen when in fact they are greedy and treat their fans badly.
It's also chilling to know that people in power act as judges and executioners to decide what crimes are profitable and what millions of dollars they rent their superheroes to other cities so they can be safe. The precision in the denunciation of The Boys is one of its strongest points, since satire towards these characters is not new, but combining it with the theme of corporate America and wild capitalism gives it a clear differential touch.
On the other side of the story is Hughie, a young man who loses his girlfriend in an accident caused by an irresponsible superhero. The thirst for revenge leads him to meet a certain Billy Butcher, who is determined to dismantle the immorality of Vought and sink the giant, as he is haunted day and night by an event that happened in his past and has to do with Homelander, everyone's favorite superhero, who curiously is the most time spent under a false cloak of kindness.
So we could say that these are "the boys" referred to in the title of the series a group of misfits who for their own reasons conspired to end up in one way or another with the superheroes.
It's obvious that satire goes side by side when it's done by Amazon, one of today's biggest corporations that has nothing to envy of Vought. In this way, it follows a very punk philosophy that began in the mind of its creator and his aversion to superheroes to end up in this anti-everything satire that looks more like a superproduction that doesn't skimp on effects and production design, so as to achieve a bloody and often dark environment, but also hits the nail on the head and invites reflection on the present in which we live and the future we want.
For me the series is a total hit and is perfectly developed, to the point of making it impossible to miss because chapter by chapter the anguish increases. So if you have free time, I strongly recommend you to watch this satirical series.
My Review: 8.9/10
- Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/76479-the-boys
- Critic: AAA