“The English” (2022) starring Emily Blunt & Chaske Spencer / Z-View

The English (2022)

Directors:  Hugo Blick

Teleplay: Hugo Blick

Stars: Emily Blunt, Chaske Spencer, Stephen Rea, Steve Wall, Malcolm Storry, Nicholas Aaron, Tadhg Murphy, Rafe Spall and Julian Bleach

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Years after the Civil War, an English noble woman, Cornelia Locke (Blunt) has come to the western frontier.  She is hunting the man responsible for her son’s death.  Eli Whipp (Spencer), a Pawnee by birth and a former US Calvary Scout, is riding to Nebraska to claim a plot of land.  Their paths cross.  After overcoming a shared “obstacle” Locke and Whipp decide to travel together.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The English easily made my best of 2022 list.  It is well written, well directed and well cast.  I had never seen anything by Hugo Blick, the creator, writer and director of The English.  I’ll definitely search out more of his work.  Emily Blunt picks out interesting projects and is always good in them.  She served as an Executive Producer on The English.  I’d seen Chaske Spencer before, but never in a starring role.  Spencer is perfect as Eli Whipp.  I look forward to seeing him as a lead in future productions.  Kudos to The English‘s cinematographer, Arnau Valls Colomer.  There are so many shots that would make beautiful paintings.

The English at it’s core is a love story/tale of revenge.   But it doesn’t take the expected path.  Having an English noble woman on the western frontier coupled with a Pawnee who isn’t accepted by Native Americans or Whites makes for interesting interactions. There are twists in every episode as we learn more about Locke and Whipp’s past.  When The English ended, I found myself wanting to revisit the characters.  Not because the series had an unsatisfying conclusion (far from that!), but because I enjoyed it so much.

The English earns 5 of 5 stars.