The streaming service Apple TV+ does not receive the attention of its major competitors Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. That is why some of its content, some of which is excellent, is not nearly as well known as it actually deserves for its quality. In other words, unfortunately, they simply fly under the radar of many TV and movie fans.
One of these very good titles is the horror and mystery series “Servant” by M. Night Shyamalan. The director of ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Unbreakable’ serves as executive producer and showrunner, having directed several episodes himself and also made a cameo appearance in the premiere episode. ‘Servant’ should appeal to anyone who doesn’t necessarily want to see gallons of blood and tons of jump scares, but rather smartly written, top-notch directed and darkly atmospheric psychological horror thrillers.
“Servant” was one of the first original series to include the Apple TV+ service, which launched in November 2019. Four seasons have now been released, each with ten episodes.
“Servant” is available for a streaming subscription starting at AppleTV+ contain.
With a lot of sportsmanship this can be achieved within a week. You can currently test the streaming service for free for that long. Besides, it’s not worth it just because of “Servant.” Other series titles on Apple TV+ that I think are recommended include “Ted Lasso,” “See,” “Dickinson,” “For All Mankind,” “Slow Horses,” and “Severance.” For space reasons, I’d rather not even start here with the exclusive game films.
Here’s what “Servant” on AppleTV+ is about:
Sean (Toby Kebbell) and Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose), a married couple living in the city of Philadelphia, are struck by an unfathomable tragedy. Dorothy then falls into a severe depression, from which she seems to emerge only slowly thanks to the unusual methods used during psychotherapy.
So that Sean can return to work and his wife does not have to miss out on support, the two hire the nanny Leanne (Nell Tiger Free). She has to take care of Jericho, the Turners’ newborn son. But along with the young woman, an inexplicable force also seems to have found its way into the parental home.
Soon the already unusual situation in the city villa becomes increasingly strange. While his wife takes refuge in an illusory world, the whole thing slowly starts to grow on Sean. Then Dorothy’s brother Julian (Rupert Grint) offers him help – but not entirely selflessly. Because Julian is not only very impressed by the new nanny, who is both attractive and quirky. He also has other intentions, which he leaves unsaid for the time being…
This is what makes ‘Servant’ so interesting:
The fact that ‘Servant’ gives me first-class entertainment is not only due to the original, emotionally moving story, which was initially developed in slow-burn style, including an enormously tragic backstory. Because audiovisually it doesn’t look like an average series. The stylish camera work, equipment and atmosphere created by, among other things, an excellent sound design and the subtle score by Trevor Gureckis (“The Goldfinch”) are top class across the board. In all these aspects, ‘Servant’ can easily keep pace with lavishly budgeted films.
In terms of cast, the series is likely to be particularly exciting for ‘Harry Potter’ fans. Because the one known as Ron Weasley from the hugely successful fantasy series Rupert Grint plays a very unusual role for him in a great way. Grint’s complex acting makes his character probably the most fascinating in “Servant.” Julian, embodied by the Brit, not only provides some amusing light in the otherwise quite gloomy scenario – sometimes with absent-mindedness, sometimes with dry comments. His subsequent behavior is also wonderfully unpredictable and ambivalent. So much so that the rest of the characters can no more be sure of his true motives or loyalties than we as the audience can.
Grint’s cast mates are also worth checking out. In addition to the always convincing Toby Kebell (“Planet of the Apes 2: Revolution”) and the one known from the popular HBO series “Six Feet Under”. Lauren Ambrose is special Nell Tiger free to call. To date, the Londoner has only attracted more attention for her recurring role as Myrcella Baratheon in the fifth and sixth seasons of ‘Game Of Thrones’.
Here she impresses with her effortless movement between touchingly innocent and then mysteriously cunning acting. Like Grint, Free keeps the audience guessing about her character’s motives and intentions in a surprisingly efficient way. So it’s good for some surprises and the intensity of his performance regularly gives you goosebumps.
Speaking of surprise: Anyone familiar with the work of twist king Shyamalan should not be surprised that there are of course some story twists in ‘Servant’, some of which are quite shocking. However, these are installed consistently and credibly. This is ensured by the carefully crafted scripts of series creator Tony Basgallop (“24”, “Berlin Station”) and the constant tightening of the turnbuckle.
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