If you’re one of those people who love true crime, watch all the series, and listen to all the podcasts on the subject, then you need to watch “The Crowded Room” on Apple TV.
The series, starring Tom Holland, alongside Amanda Seyfried and other big names in the cast, tells the true story of a criminal who managed to escape serious crime charges by claiming – and proving – to have multiple personalities.
I don’t know what made me like the series so much – which had a negative boom from the critics in the media -, whether it was the story, the actors, or the fact that it’s very similar to a game that I’m a big fan of (I’ll talk about that soon).
Set in New York in 1979, “The Crowded Room” brings to the screen a story that can fascinate you for being quite bizarre; after all, how many cases of multiple personalities like this do you see out there?
Much like the game “Her Story“, the miniseries reveals the facts little by little, skillfully balancing the viewer’s curiosity with the subtleties of the true story.
The way the series tells Danny’s story and how he went from a seemingly calm and innocent boy to a dangerous criminal is slow, but it should please fans of the genre.
Of course, being a production by Akiva Goldsman, an Oscar winner with “A Beautiful Mind“, the series brings a little of the director’s touch at some moments, and that’s not a negative thing. The more striking and slower tone in which the story is told arouses the viewer’s curiosity, who should be warned that patience is needed for the story to really engage.
Tom Holland delivers an excellent performance as Danny, especially in scenes where it’s necessary to put the viewer’s trust in check – after all, should we exonerate him or incriminate him?
It can’t be easy to portray different personalities, and I feel that Holland managed to perform in the best way possible, showing all the complexity that the character demands. He has indeed shown that he goes far beyond Spider-Man.
Amanda Seyfried is spectacular as Rya Goodwin, a psychologist who wants to prove her worth as a professional but needs to balance work with single motherhood. The entire story is told from Danny’s point of view (or from his different personalities) in the format of the interrogation that Rya conducts with the main character.
There are some inconsistencies in the plot, of course, especially considering that it is based on a true story. Still, the adaptation for the screen was well-developed and featured incredible actors, in addition to Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried, to bring the characters to life in the most intriguing way possible.
