After years of being stuck in development hell, Neil Gaiman’s DC Comics character, The Sandman, finally gets a headlining series from Allam Heinberg. The series runs throughout ten episodes, and the first season is sure to fall into the hate it or love it category.
There is another world that waits for all of us when we close our eyes and sleep in a place called the “Dreaming,” where The Sandman, Master of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), gives shape to all of our deepest fears and fantasies. But when Dream is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for a century, his absence sets off a series of events that will change both the dreaming and waking worlds forever. To restore order, Dream must journey across different worlds and timelines to mend the mistakes he’s made during his vast existence, revisiting old friends and foes and meeting new entities, both cosmic and human, along the way.
When I hit play on The Sandman, I had no idea what to expect from the show as I wasn’t familiar with the source material. In that regard, I reached out to a comic book head and filmmaking friend, who mentioned that while he was excited about the show, he had reservations that the source material would be challenging to bring to the screen.
Upon completion of the first episode, I can say that the series is a slow-burning build. The initial vibe I took from the show was the sins of humans catching up with him, where eternal sleep is the punishment. However, the show is much more layered, and I’m sure it will bring up many thought-provoking YouTube videos and think pieces.
Regarding the casting, Tom Sturridge does a commendable job in the lead role. I wasn’t familiar with any of his previous work, so I was able to judge the character on its own merits. I also liked Kirby Howell-Baptiste and the rest of the supporting cast, including funny man Patton Oswalt and go to villain actors Boyd Holbrook, Gwendoline Christie, and Charles Dance.
With a strict embargo from Netflix, as well as the anticipation of the fans, I wanted to keep my review brief and spoiler free. While I wasn’t too aware of the lore of The Sandman, I hope Netflix does give the series a chance to flourish.
Final Grade: B
The Sandman is available to stream now at www.netflix.com/TheSandman
