Great Expectations (2023)

Great Expectations finds a perfect balance in crafting a faithful adaptation while recognizing the necessity of change. ... Whether this is someone’s first introduction to this piece of bildungsroman or the tenth adaptation they have consumed, they will find joy, sorrow, and beauty in what Steven Knight has constructed.

The set design is impeccable and the cast is exceptional. ... True representation is tricky and demands much self-interrogation on the part of screenwriters and viewers. Either way, as a thought experiment Great Expectations is certainly worth the pursuit.

Colman is her predictably excellent self; there is a risk she will reduce everything else to filler while viewers await her next mesmerising appearance.

In expanding the story the way he has, and giving far more room to characters who were perfectly Dickensian in their economy, Mr. Knight has lost much of the subtle psychology—especially regarding Havisham. ... Dickens was pretty adept at providing just as much about a character as was needed to make his point. Mr. Knight gives us more, and the point becomes elusive.

I did not love it. To be honest, I struggled to see the point of it, or much that was even very striking in the opening episode. When there have been so many adaptations of a great novel you need something remarkable to justify another, something beyond a stark opening suicide attempt and throwing in the F-word in at 21 minutes (the swearing doesn’t bother me since I’m fairly confident it happened quite a lot in Dickensian times, but it has got some people in a lather).

Only Miss Havisham pops off the screen, making this an adaptation lacking in a certain balance. ... Miss Havisham’s mansion — cluttered with detritus, almost impassably full of objects — may come to feel like a fitting device on a show on which a couple of breakthrough performances are surrounded by unmetabolized narrative clutter.

Except for some fine work by Olivia Colman as the iconic Miss Havisham, the embittered puppeteer who wreaks vengeful havoc on our hero Pip, I was by turns irritated and bored.

Many people calling it a dull **** in many aspects it's true but can't just ignore Oscar winner Colman's outstanding performance And cinematography & production design.

Not very good at all, though I'm a **** for a period piece, and the production values are off the charts, this is nothing but a downer, full of dread, but i'm going to keep watching it nonetheless

I wrote a term paper on Great Expectations in school and while it has been a while, I’m still fairly familiar with the story and themes. I had doubts when I saw the trailer, but I thought I'd give the show a try in case it was better than I expected. It was worse. We are suffering through the dark ages of entertainment. Not only do modern entertainment writers lack the ability to create anything original, they also lack the competence to copy stories from their betters. Somehow the writing for this show is atrocious, the acting is weak, the setting looks fake, and the plot is boring. This show is worthless.

****' characters can be depressed and even deplorable, but not as depraved as portrayed in this reenvisioning. The embellishments ruin the series. I'm out at episode 2.