Steven Soderbergh’s latest ensemble crime miniseries, “Full Circle,” should appeal to the appeal to the “Big Little Lies”/”Sharp Objects” crowd.
It’s a taut, star-studded thriller that appears like it comes from the era before HBO grew its broad streaming arm.
Premiering July 13 on Max — and written by Ed Solomon (“Men in Black”) — “Full Circle” follows several sets of characters and plotlines that originally seem unrelated but find yourself interweaving.
There’s wealthy couple Derek (Timothy Olyphant) and Sam Browne (Claire Danes) and their teen son Jared (Ethan Stoddard), who has a habit of losing his possessions (including his phone).
He also makes a web-based acquaintance, one other boy his age named Nicky (Lucian Zanes), who his parents don’t learn about.
Sam’s father, Chef Jeff (Dennis Quaid – donning a bewildering ponytail hairstyle) is a celeb chef. Sam and Derek spend much of their time managing his international empire and types.
Elsewhere, there’s Guyanese crime boss Ms. Mahabir (CCH Pounder, who oversees a kidnapping plot for reasons regarding karmic justice. She’s also got a hot-headed nephew, Aked (Jharrel Jerome, “When They See Us”).
Then there’s Harmony (Zazie Beetz, “Atlanta”), a rogue US Postal Inspection Service agent with a wide selection of non-public issues. Her boss is Manny Broward (comedian Jim Gaffigan, playing it straight in a dramatic role).
The “Full Circle” story arc sounds chaotic — with too many names and plotlines — and it’s quite a lot of information thrown at you all of sudden. (The crux of the story doesn’t crystalize until the top of the primary hour-long episode.)
But because the series unfolds, all of it comes together before long – full circle, even – with all of those characters connecting through a botched kidnapping attempt on Jared, spearheaded by Aked, as Jared’s parents and grandfather panic.
Events spiral from there.
“Full Circle” creates a richly varied tapestry, deftly weaving through lives of the wealthy and famous, street-level hustlers and criminals, and its vibrant Recent York setting feels authentic (not something shot in Vancouver as a stand-in).
It’s well written and never too self-serious, with a balanced tone that’s not afraid to incorporate levity. The A-list forged delivers performances that you simply’d expect and every character is intriguing — and never merely a stock “type.”
“Full Circle” will not be an ideal thriller, and does get convoluted and meandering at times. It could stand to shave off a few of its copious side characters and subplots and, although smooth and fast-paced, can feel a bit disjointed.
Nevertheless it’s absorbing, with consistent tension and a mature story that trusts its audience. At just six episodes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
The brand new era of “Max” made everyone wonder if we’d now not get the form of HBO series that feels distinctive and curated versus the broader, more middle-of-the-road sort of fare that you simply’d find on a mean network.
“Full Circle,” a minimum of, appears like an actual old-fashioned HBO crime series.
