It’s the current hit series on Netflix. Eric, this suspenseful show created by Abi Morgan (Shame, River) features Benedict Cumberbatch, famous for his role as Doctor Strange in the MCU or a contemporary twist on Sherlock Holmes.
This six-part series hits the mark and tops the charts in many nations. It’s a chance to examine this new sensation driving the streaming platform’s popularity.
What is Eric’s story?
We’re in 1980s New York. Edgar, a 9-year-old boy and son of Vincent, one of the city’s renowned puppeteers, has gone missing. Vincent struggles to cope with this tragedy, eventually succumbing to mental anguish.
Desperate for answers, Vincent considers enlisting his puppet named Eric to aid in the search for his son and hopefully uncover the truth. The story unfolds delicately, addressing significant social issues along the way. Enjoy the emotional journey that follows.
What do the critics say?
Eric scores a solid 61 out of 100 on Metacritic, 71% on Rotten Tomatoes
Here, the atmosphere of the 1980s is well transcribed thanks to a worked image and a soundtrack in tune. Much more than a simple thriller about the disappearance of a child, “Eric” plunges into a New York undermined by a housing crisis, where insecurity reigns, where a cop hiding his homosexuality is obsessed with an old investigation into a child prostitution ring.
The same applies to the American magazine Empire, which notes:
Real and imaginary monsters are confronted in an ambitious enterprise that succeeds in balancing the realism of a true crime with the wonder of a child. We want even more, please, Netflix.
Empire Magazine
Finally, Collider enjoyed it far less:
While there are a lot of individual aspects that are easy to admire, the show is a bit of a mess as a whole, a collection of ideas crammed into six hour-long episodes that Eric tries to wrap up too cleanly in his final scene.
Collider
If you’ve already had the chance to watch this series, what are your thoughts? Feel free to share your perspective in the comments.
