Critic Reviews

As historical fiction, as sleepy Gothic romance, as an understated showcase for its cast and crew's talents, it's impossible to escape The Essex Serpent's unexpected charms.

Fortunately, The Essex Serpent delivers in just about every facet. From performances by Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes that are infused with a delicious note of inward yearning that slowly displays itself on the outside to the fog-blanketed marshes of the Essex village in which the bulk of the story is set, the resulting product is an atmospheric, Gothic romance that doesn't retreat from indulging in its overall foreboding while it ultimately looks toward the possibility of an optimistic ending.

For a series that wants to have its eel pie and eat it, too, The Essex Serpent balances folk horror and romantic threads reasonably well, and that’s down to fine scripts by Anna Symon, assured, cinematic direction by Clio Barnard, and a strong ensemble of players.

Gorgeously shot, cleverly crafted, and brimming with intrigue, Clio Barnard’s latest reaffirms her status as one of Britain’s most important directors.

An engrossing adaptation that does justice to an already fantastically sumptuous book.

Apple TV+’s The Essex Serpent is that rare, mythical beast: an adaptation that feels just as compelling as its celebrated source material.

It works beautifully as a drama about complicated characters tangled in relationships unable to be contained by the conventional boundaries of romance or friendship, and about the ways humans will try to impose order or sense where none can be found.

Overripe at times, it leaves room for enough mystery and respect for the unknown to keep mind and soul working in tandem toward a heady exploration of faith and doubt. Claire Danes is radiant as Cora Seaborne.

While “The Essex Serpent” isn’t perfect, it manages to adequately capture the brooding tone of its source material and showcases a talented ensemble that makes it fully worth watching.

With pacing that’s best described as assured—in the allure of its writing, cinematography, performances, etc.—“The Essex Serpent” takes a bolder chance in letting its characters stew. “The Essex Serpent” successfully creates a full world beyond its marsh, oftentimes treating the monster as a revealing conversation topic.