Snowden

Disillusioned with the intelligence community, top contractor Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) leaves his job at the National Security Agency. He now knows that a virtual mountain of data is being assembled to track all forms of digital communication -- not just from foreign governments and terrorist groups, but from ordinary Americans. When Snowden decides to leak this classified information, he becomes a traitor to some, a hero to others and a fugitive from the law.

I came to this movie with an open mind and a little excited to see what they would present about Edward Snowden.  I watched a lot of stories about him from the press, 60 minutes, internet articles and what ever.  But mostly with a negative spin to it.  So I wanted to know who the man was behind this  story of the century.  But first, lets talk about the director Oliver Stone.  If you followed his movies over the years, you know he's had directed plenty of controversial films and some of his films that made you respect his directing style.  Lately he has kept with that controversial theme but his direction has been weaker than his previous work (see Spike Lee's latest movies).  Here are the stand out movies he has directed or produced during his career"

• Platoon
• Wall street (greed is good)
• Talk radio (underrated)
• Born on the 4th of July
• JFK
• Natural Born Killers
• Any Given Sunday (Fan favorite)
• World trade Center

Now we have Snowden.  Stone gives you a total background of Snowden as he begins his career trying to be in the special forces but because of a freak injury that reveals deeper problems with his health.  He switches to the CIA.  We find that this young man is not only a genius but a true patriot to our nation.  Die hard conservative and borderline tea party advocate.   Stone present the human side of Snowden  throughout the movie to let us know this guy isn't a felon or an opportunist but someone who saw government running amuck and waited  for years before he made a decision the reveal these programs the government has created to spy on everyone.  Because of his ability to program, assess problems and just been a tremendous asset, Snowden is used in so many ways to assist the government new surveillance program and take down ordinary citizens that may be potential threats. Or as the movie shows us, leverage people by using their data to get to others.   Stone directs this so each opportunity you get, he makes sure you know this wasn't a premeditated effort to steal anything and Snowden throughout his career, continued to struggle with his conscience, his optimistic and free minded girlfriend while supporting his country.  

We have some intrigue here and there but nothing to get you riled up and enjoy the suspense.  This movie felt as though Stone created this out of respect for Snowden.  And it was all about Snowden.  Not the pressure the reporters went through.  The countries that shielded him as he moved from one to the other.  Nothing focusing on WiKileaks founder Julian Assange assisting him and how he was attacked with allegations that put him in the cross hairs of the government and the media.  This i believe was to sway public opinion about this guy as not being a traitor.  My next effort is to watch citizenFour which is the documentary on Edward Snowden when the reporters came to Hong Kong to interview him.  With this I want to see if this will given me the level of details about how everyone around him sacrificed their lives and careers for this man and this story.  

Big screen movie?  No, TV or short film, I would say yes.  If Stone wanted to make this a movie he should have added in more suspense and intrigue.  If he wanted to tell the story he should have made another documentary type film.  This was average and not a memorable piece that will be remembered long after it goes to video.  But great ode to Snowden who made us realize, Big Brother is watching, listening and collecting everything.

Sully

On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) tries to make an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River after US Airways Flight 1549 strikes a flock of geese. Miraculously, all of the 155 passengers and crew survive the harrowing ordeal, and Sullenberger becomes a national hero in the eyes of the public and the media. Despite the accolades, the famed pilot now faces an investigation that threatens to destroy his career and reputation.

For those who didn't hear or know about this story or perhaps felt this was nothing more than a reenactment of the event back in 2009.  This was a larger story about the tribulations Capt. Sullenberger went through  beyond what was written, celebrated and seen on TV.  The news back in 2009 ran this story on Captain Sullenberger as a hero who saved 155 passengers when birds knocked out both engines on their plane.  Cheers and rejoicing was heard throughout the nation.  Especially when we find out there could have been another plane crash in New York City reminiscent of 2001.  But that is not what this story is about.  This story turns out to be about the struggle a man went through, wondering if he really made the right decision and as he went back over his life (through flash backs and dreams).  He wondered did his experience really help him with that decision.  Also on top of all of his internal struggles,what we see the FAA, the airline owners attempting to blame someone for this incident that occurred and directing all their energy to point it to the captain.  All of this and likelihood that his illustrious career and retirement will disappear with their decision on who to blame. 

Clint Eastwood once again directs an emotional experience you go through with this reserved professional airline pilot.    He shows you the emotional interaction with his wife that seems to anguish over every little thing.  A reoccurring daydream Sully has about the plane crashing because he didn't land in the Hudson.  But most of all how the Government investigators try to shift blame to someone other than the airline.  Very somber but visually exciting by way of realistic memories of what happened.  This is an oscar nominee on many levels (actor, supporting actor, picture and perhaps screenplay).  A little slow for some who don't go to the movies to balance emotional experiences and excitement.  But a very good movie of a strong man sticking to his morals, professionalism and experience to show the world that you must look after your fellow man.  Very good movie.   

The Chronicles of Evil

Highly decorated homicide detective Choi Chang-sik has an enviable record and the respect of his peers. Days before a promotion, he dozes off on his way home after a celebratory drink with his colleagues. He wakes up to find that his taxi driver has taken him to a remote mountain trail and has pulled a knife on him. The two struggle, and Choi manages to kill the taxi driver in self-defense. Afraid that the incident would negatively impact his career, he covers up the crime scene and flees. The next day, the taxi driver's dead body has been strung up on a crane in front of the police station, and Choi is assigned to the case amidst widespread media attention. Choi's ordeal begins as he tries to misdirect the investigation and remove evidence, to the growing suspicion of rookie detective Cha Dong-jae. Then a man claiming to be the killer turns himself in and threatens to reveal the truth unless Choi reopens an old case.

This movie starts off with detective Choi Chang-sik enjoying his possible promotion with his officers.  But an old case comes back to him by way of a killer disguised as a taxi driver,  tries to kill him.  During the ordeal, detective Choi kills the man.  He leaves the body where it is a finds his way home.  But the next day the body is found swinging from a crane.  The station now asks, who is the killer?  Detective Choi is thrown into this dilemma with all the evidence pointing to him.  But as he tries to clear his name by finding as much evidence linked to him to eliminate.  While he is doing this, he finds more and more evidence of his past creeping up on him and having to hide one thing on top of another.

But as all Korean revenge movies come to fruition.  The plot that develops shows you the complicated plan by the criminal executing it. I like a good story with the foreshadowing throughout the movie that you can begin to realize as it shows up in different ways in the movie.  This was a very good directed, and edited movie.  Not very intense as other Korean movies but a good strategic and sad set of circumstances that ends with more sadness for almost everyone that was involved.    

One Punch Man

On an alternate unnamed world in the metropolis of Z-City, strange monsters have been mysteriously appearing and causing disasters, resulting in the world's superheroes rising to combat them. Saitama, the protagonist of the series, is the strongest hero who easily defeats the monsters or other villains with a single punch. However, due to his immeasurable strength, Saitama has become bored with his power and is constantly trying to find stronger opponents who can present a challenge to him.

As Saitama is active as a hero, he meets various other heroes and villains. He gets a disciple in the form of the cyborg Genos and consequently joins the Heroes Association in order to gain official recognition. Despite defeating many strong monsters that even the Heroes Association’s top members are unable to defeat, Saitama struggles to gain respect. Most people look down on him due to his plain physical appearance and some accuse him of being a counterfeit hero. Only a small number of individuals in the series recognize his talent and humility towards others

When I read about this show and saw some short previews.  I didn't think this was worth the time and it had longevity.  But this show was rated high amongst the anime shows.  I have a list of the top ten rated anime shows that I needed to check out so I had to at least see a show or two.  Again, I was wrong and waited too long to start watching this funny, creative series.  The series opens with this guy fighting a monster as he leaves his boring job.  As he uses the only skills he knows to defeat it.  It was all about saving a child with a chin that looks like testicles (yup, testicles).  What makes his journey ridiculous and interesting to become a hero is what he says he does to get this extreme power.  100 Push ups, and sit ups everyday. Thats all.  He works out so hard he loses his hair.  The animators are so cool when they show him as a plain guy that is bored with anyone or thing that challenges him.  His dismissive nonchalant look and attitude is entertaining.  But when he feels he finally gets a challenge from one of these creatures, his appearance changes and you see him more as a hero that a small bald character.  Then its the one punch that destroys his opponent and frustrates him more because he once again has no one to challenge him.  Along the way he picks up a student, and deals with other registered heroes in the city, but he continues to feel he doesn't fits in.  His student tries to challenge him constantly but continues to be frustrated because he never seems to come close to even defeating him.  I am about done with the first season but I am totally enjoying this series.  Very amusing and exciting.        

The Divine Move

Professional baduk player Tae-seok loses a high-stakes game to infamous underground gambler Sal-soo, and ends up framed for the murder of his own brother and locked up in prison. He vows revenge and trains ferociously. After serving his seven-year sentence, he gets in touch with his brother's former associate "Tricks," hermit and blind master player "The Lord," and skillful junkyard owner Mok-su; together, they begin formulating a plan to get back at Sal-soo and his men. Tae-seok slowly penetrates Sal-soo's inner circle and his gambling joint, and eliminates Sal-soo's men one by one. But Sal-soo discovers Tae-seok's true identity and engages him in one final game that will seal the fates of the two men involved

This story was an interesting mixture of cerebral thinking and gangster martial arts.  Go, a gambling game in Asia places brothers at odds when they go up against the local gangsters in town and attempt to out wit them in a game.  The two brothers are doing well until their partner turns on them and one is killed while the other (a Go competitor) is placed in jail for his murder.  Once again another Korean revenge movie develops but with a strategic competition aspect.  The preparation and the infiltration into the society by the brother and his rag tag team is slow and deliberate but turns out to be very interesting.  Old master GO players are recruited to battle wits with the young corrupt gangsters.  Before leaving jail, the brother learns fighting techniques so when he goes up against these men that killed his brother.  He can kill them with his own hands.  But setting them up is a well calculated plan that flows all the way to the end.  Good acting by some veteran Korean actors I've come to enjoy and a pretty good story line.

Great ending fight scene but the story and relationships built up to the finale is worth seeing the whole movie.  

Stranger Things (Netflix)

This thrilling Netflix-original drama stars award-winning actress Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, who lives in a small Indiana town in 1983 -- inspired by a time when tales of science fiction captivated audiences. When Joyce's 12-year-old son, Will, goes missing, she launches a terrifying investigation into his disappearance with local authorities. As they search for answers, they unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries involving secret government experiments, unnerving supernatural forces, and a very unusual little girl.

I watched this whole series in one day (yeah I binge a lot, too many days off).  Here's what it gave me.  A "Stand by me" feel, a Spielberg /J.J Abrams concept series and just a very likable Sci-Fi series without being too much in your face.  Not as technical as Fringe but not to story laden like the first season of "Wayward Pines" (great first season).  The basic story is 4 grade school boys hanging out growing up together and dealing with the day to day things kids go through. Then all of a sudden they lose one of their friends (Will), who disappears under mysterious circumstances.  This then goes to how these kids at their age, copes, adjust and deal with something they shouldn't have to go through.  The children are so likable and natural you enjoy every interaction they have.  From I hate you to you're my best friend in whole wide world.  But as they deal with one of the boys being taken away from them, a young girl is introduced to the group out of the blue.  Feelings change and the they have to deal with a change that the adults in the town have no idea what they are going through.

Now another side of the story is the Secret government institution are testing things on the outskirts of their town that no one paid attention to and never became an issue until the search party of the missing child brings them to their front door.  The assumption has always been they were doing something to stop the Russians (the time period of the late 70's early 80's dictates this mentality).  Also a big focus is on the obsessed mother who won't give up even though she has been presumed crazy prior to her son missing, and does everything to keep looking for him.  The sherif of the town has a good back story that you appreciate later in the episodes but plays a great center role throughout the series.

The standout character of this series is 11 (kids call her L).  The young girl with super powers as the boys describe it.  Barely says a word but you can feel her pain, confusion and growth throughout the series.  As someone who some how escaped from the government facility she is in a world that she seems to not truly understand.  This amazing young actress played the role perfectly.  O by the way, this is all played out in the 70's in a very small town with small town views.  Stranger things is a strange series but pretty family clean and will keep your interest all throughout the series.  Worth a watch.  Remember, this is a Netflix series.    

BrainDead

Laurel knows the U.S. governmental system has its issues, but when she starts her first job on Capitol Hill, she quickly learns things are much further gone than she realized. Washington D.C. has been invaded by aliens that have come to Earth and are dining on the the brains of a growing number of Congressmen and staffers, bringing operations to a standstill, and it's up to her to figure out what exactly is going on and stop it. Among those helping Laurel are Rochelle, a medical resident who lost her father to a mysterious infection, and Gareth, a Republican senator's smart and hard-working Legislative Director.

I was never a "The Good Wife" fan but have always heard good things about it.  But looking and reading about this strange concept show was something I thought would be a little interesting to at least watch the pilot and then move on.  Ok, I did say one episode right?  This is what I got.  Aliens, contemporary political discourse, insane government policy, bugs, humor, cute love story and great acting.  O and the opening  singing intro for every episode you have to listen to.  Thats the recap sung back to you.  Cool concept.  Remember i'm a big writer and director fan so I was still cautious of how it would continue.  Not only is this an intelligent series with some off the wall concepts  It addresses so many issues we deal with today.  Like interrogation and petty partisan pandering.  This deals majority with Congress and who they deal with not the judicial or the executive branch.

This show is not as supremely written like "The West Wing", but very well written.  With the different minorities in this show as supporting actors and main participants.  It reminds you of a Shonda Rimes show.  Can it continue to go on?  Not sure if the interest will remain but definitely a great introduction to the world of TV.  I don't see each episode when it is broadcast live, but thanks to Amazon.  I catch up and binge watch when applicable.  I am current with the series, so I can say I can't wait for the next episode.  Its getting closer and closer to the revelation of the bigger picture.  So it really has to make me feel this has legs to move on. Unlike the series "Wayward Pines" 11.22.63 and Marco Polo.  Had to drop all of them after the last season a 2 episode in of the new season.  Now that it is done and the season is over, you wonder.  Whats next.  This is a very intelligent and witty show.  The characters are excellent and I hope that they keep it on and continue to create and write great episodes,  

Commitment (Korean 2013)

After his father's botched espionage mission, North Korean Myung-hoon and his young sister Hye-in are sent to a labor prison camp. In order to save his sister's life, Myung-hoon "volunteers" to become a spy and infiltrates the South as a teenage defector. While attending high school in the South (his cover), he meets another girl named Hye-in and rescues her when she comes under attack by school bullies. South Korean Intelligence soon discovers Myung-hoon's activities and begins tracking him, all the while as his own government sends a vicious assassin to eliminate him.

This was the type of Korean movie that centers on the conflict between North and South Korean.   Both countries use each other to gain intel as well as influence military and government officials to bolster their patriotism.  The director did a good job showing the naiveté of the youth in their society as well as the manipulation of those in power to balance the relationship of both countries.  Myung-hoon the son of the disgraced spy becomes an assassin for the North in order to save his sister from the labor prisons they were sent to because of their  father killed for being a traitor.  

Myung-hoon travels south and begins working with spies in the south.  The couple that takes him in has their own agenda but gives Myung-noon cover for his missions for the North.  He tries to keep a low profile but becomes interested with a young lady in school with the same name as his sister.  When two Secret government factions become at odds with each other.  Myung-hoon gets caught in the middle of this conflict and the group agrees.  Kyung-goon has to die.  The pain Myung-boon goes through with trying to understand why all of this is happening to him and how he did everything right, shows how the mentality of a young man blinds him of the reality of corruption and the ongoing conflict between the two countries.  The betrayal from his own country and his love for his sister, distorts his life's  meaning.  This movie has you wondering what side is right.  The manipulation is done by both sides even though one side is communists.  The underline story is political and social, but the action and espionage keeps you engaged.  Good movie. 

CONFESSION OF MURDER (KOREAN 2012)

Confession of Murder (Hangul: 내가 살인범이다; hanja: 내가 殺人犯이다; RR: Naega Salinbeomida; lit. "I am the Murderer") is a 2012 South Korean action thriller film directed by Jung Byung-gil, that is  about a police officer who is haunted for failing to capture a serial killer 15 years ago, and is back on the case after a novelist publishes the book "I am the Murderer", claiming responsibility for the crimes.

As most Korean thrillers are based on.  This is another of the Korean revenge movies with its own story and twist.  The story starts off with the killer and a police office running through the town and the killer avoiding being captured.  He gets away but leaves a scar on the police officers face to remember him.  Years later after the statue of limitations has ended, the Killer shows up and shows up at a press conference promoting a book of his crimes.  With his attractive looks and his smooth persona, he becomes a darling to the public and the press follows him while he  goes on an apology tour to promote his book.  Meanwhile The police officer that was scared years ago by the killer is back on the case to find a way to prove he is a fraud or a way to arrest him.  But is he the killer?  Also during this time, the families of the slain women makes plans to kidnap the killer and torture him to death.  It becomes more difficult than they expected and the shenanigans during the capture is boarder line comical but exciting. The killers body guards and the lieutenant gives chase to no avail.   The family eventually captures the killer and keep him in a secluded cabin with the families preparing for the killers death.  The Lieutenant does everything almost desperately to track down the location of the family.  He eventually tracks down the family and saves the killer from his most certain death.  Now you are kind of confused.  Why did the lieutenant save him?  Well, after the killer is saved and states to the public it was some overzealous fans that captured him.  Another twist is presented to the story.  

The lieutenant gets a call from an unknown person asking him about revealing to the public about this fraud.  He reveals information that is known by him and the killer and this sets him in a different direction than before.  The story sort of starts over with this information and the introduction of this new protagonist.  Now you are wondering who is telling the truth and what ulterior motive does any of these characters have in the grand scheme of things. We see more of what went on 15 years ago and we start seeing connections to characters that make more sense than what was presented to us at the beginning of the movie.  Layered with the Korean revenge style and good plotting and investigative work.  The plot reveals its self very well without being too unrealistic.  Very good story and like most Korean films, there is no real happy ending but an ending none the less. 

Eye in the Sky

Eye in the Sky is a 2015 British thriller film starring Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, and Barkhad Abdi. The film, directed by Gavin Hoodand based on a screenplay by Guy Hibbert, is about military personnel facing legal, ethical, and political dilemmas presented by modern drone warfare against those using terrorist tactics, and civilians who are endangered by it.  

Through remote surveillance and on the ground intelligence, General Powell (Helen Mirren) discovers their targets are planning a suicide bombing.  Through this information they have to get approval to move from capture to a kill mission.    

When you sit down to see this movie,  it's not about the action, the war and not even character development.  You become an observer of the levels of authority and the executors of the actions and you begin to wonder.  What is the right or wrong thing to do.  Even deeper, what is ethical, moral and compassionate.  From the beginning, you are introduced to the soldiers that man the drones here in the US.  Slowly looking at their daily routine.  Then you are moved to the group who picks the targets and provide the Intel to the soldiers who are located some where in the UK.  Short and sweet, you see a war on terrorism forming into the story line.  Added to these scenario's, we go to the country and area where the target is located. At this point, the director has invited you into the plot of the story and gets your visual and mental agreement of what these teams are doing is the right thing.  By then, two separate scenarios are introduced.  A known terrorist is found with the criminals that they wanted to capture.  With this intel, it now becomes a kill request.  But, with all the gyrations of getting the kill request approved, an innocent civilian ( and it happens to be a child) has entered into the kill zone.  Now the tone takes on a different perspective when you are introduced to the politicians attempting to roll responsibility to each other, and the soldiers who are about to execute their first kill and they  are conflicted with the request and the official policy of the rules of engagement.  As the conflict is taking place, the General who knows her job is to eliminate terrorist for the greater good is attempting to manipulate the conditions to get approval to execute the mission  before the window closes on their chance to eliminate the terrorist and stop the plan of killing hundreds of people.  This movie poses an amazing moral dilemma that people shouldn't just think of it as a right or wrong issue.  Somethings are the right thing to do but have wrong consequences.  Very cerebral but worth the look.

Hannibal (The series)

Gifted criminal profiler Will Graham has a unique way of thinking that allows him to empathize with anyone, including psychopaths. But while helping the FBI pursue a particularly complicated serial killer, he decides he could use some help and enlists the brilliant psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. The two form a partnership and it seems that there is no villain they can't catch together, but Lecter harbors a dark secret. His own brilliant mind has gone to the dark side and he has more in common with the criminals they hunt than Will could possibly imagine

That summary sounds interesting, doesn't it?  

This Summary pales in comparison to the actual series.   If their is anything that makes this series spectacular is the the writing and the amazing cast that was assembled for this series. Lets talk about the creator/producer Bryan Fuller first.  He created an amazing dark, gothic almost supernatural series that confused you shocked you and made viewers hunger for more.  The darkness and sophisticated language of the series was so intriguing that even the multiple villains appearing on the show, you cheered for. Fuller  created such a different spectacle for Television, that it didn't allow the average viewer to digest it properly (pun intended).  From the visual illusions of the CIA consultant to Hannibals dreams and killings.  This was artistic and frighten.   Fuller had such an unorthodox vision, that network TV could not stomach for long.  This was a HBO/Netflix type of dark suspense that could not be appreciated fully without giving the creator free rein.  I align the concept of this show to the first season of "True Detective" but darker and more graphic.  Fuller has had great writing experiences that were way off from this but creative (Pushing daises, Dead like me).  Fuller should get  all the credit for this amazing series.   

There are so many great performances in this series but the 4 people that ushered everyone into greatness are these amazing actors and their characters.

Hugh Dancy...  Dr. Will Graham 
Mads Mikkelsen... Dr. Hannibal Lecter 
Caroline Dhavernas... Dr. Alana Bloom 
Laurence Fishbone...Jack Crawford

Hands down the best actor/character is Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal.  He is so charismatic as the vicious serial killer that you root for him to change his psychotic ways to a empathetic doctor, or just (in a morbid kind of way) anticipate who he kills and dismember next.  His aristocratic, sophisticated demeanor and education, charm, everyone from the mentally ill, insane serial killers to the FBI.  His brilliance has placed him (in his mind in with his actions) so high over everyone else, he toys with The FBI's best while out thinking the best psychologist thrown at him.  Or at the least he kills them once they find out who he possibly could be.

Hugh Dancy as Dr. Will Graham does an amazing job as a tormented soul with the burden of becoming a serial killer every time he investigates one.  The first time I saw the amazing graphics of him going into  a trance to relive the murder scene.  I was hooked.  The swinging light that mimics a swinging hypnotic watch piece,  transforms you into his hypnotic world.  His dysfunctional mind and brilliance fights with him all the time as he hallucinates constantly, sleep walks throughout the night and pictures animals haunting him and morphing into demons and past killers.  O yeah and he has conversations with the dead.  A very disturbed man that you hope stabilizes his mind enough to figure out who Hannibal Lector really is and if he does.  Or when he does, what will he do?

The leader of the FBI investigative team Jack Crawford and the highly respected psychologist Dr. Alana Bloom tries to work with both Dr Graham and Dr. Lector but not fully recognizing the fragile mind of Dr. Graham that is consulting with Dr Lector is falling apart.  The visuals and dark mood of this movie is amazing.  The camera work, editing and director is in line with major motion pictures.  The first season takes you on a very dark ride and works your brain on whats next.  The guest stars and the characters  created for the show, are crafted with care and intensity.  They show up, they come back.  They become a signature of the show then they are gone.  Almost everyone is disposable.  the writing just brings in the next great character.  Not simple and not predictable.  I felt this series had to end some how because the movie Manhunter then Silence of the lambs had to start some where.  Since the most iconic image for Hannibal Lector is the Silence of the Lambs.  This is where I hoped they would end the series.  But sadly it was some weird ending that had no continuation.  I won't spoil the ending.  

This is well worth the multiple seasons it produced.  It actually has more potential to grow but sadly a premature death to a great series.   

Mr. Robot

Young, anti-social computer programmer Elliot works as a cybersecurity engineer during the day, but at night he is a vigilante hacker. He is recruited by the mysterious leader of an underground group of hackers to join their organization. Elliot's task? Help bring down corporate America, including the company he is paid to protect, which presents him with a moral dilemma. Although he works for a corporation, his personal beliefs make it hard to resist the urge to take down the heads of multinational companies that he believes are running -- and ruining -- the world

This is an amazing original series that came out of no where.  Being a fan of tech, great writing and intense dark suspense.  This has it all and great acting as well.  The premise of the show.  A young psychologically unbalanced programmer is working for one of the evil security corporations in New york.  But is secretly one of the biggest know vigilante hackers.  This series shows the almost reality based struggles brilliant geeks, hackers and programmers go through with the struggle of working for money hungry corporations and the freedom of coding and programming.  Rami Malek (Eliot Alderson) plays the extremely believable realistic hacker that is tormented by ghost from his past as well as the distortion of his current reality as he tries to hold his life and mind together.

The multiple characters Eliot is surrounded by are incredible.  His fellow hackers, his college friends and coworkers all makes the story so relevant and real.  Without revealing too much spoilers.  Eliot's psychosis stems from a lot of his family encounters and the world view of his father.  The show movies slowly through the character development of the cast so you will come to an understanding who they are and where they are in the grand scheme of things.  Character development is key for the director, creator and writer of this series (Sam Esmail).  It shows each time he introduces a new ongoing character to the story line. The story still centers around the main character of Eliot that you just don't know where his head is.  Eliot goes through so much turmoil in his own life that he doesn't realize that his actions are influencing thousands of others.  Be very careful with trying to figure out what is presented to you for the first half of the series because the writing is so sophisticated and his acting is done so well.  You get totally involved with what is on screen.  Their are points in the show that they are telling you exactly what is going on but the intensity of the scenes keeps you distracted from the obvious.  So understand, this may not be for the fast food generation that wants their story delivered to them from the drive through window.  its a long slow burn that ends with a lot of, "What?"  And sometimes the what makes you feel like damn am I dumb.  Well worth the time for people to go through and stimulate and challenge their mind.