Series Review: "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" (2014-16).

From director Robert Rodriguez comes From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. This horror television series developed by Rodriguez. It forms part of the franchise. Bank-robbing brothers encounter vengeful lawmen and demons south of the border in this original series based on Rodriguez's cult horror film.

The series is the first scripted original series on Rodriguez's El Rey network. Rodriguez, who also directed the pilot and other episodes, stated the original film is "one of the favorite movies that I did in the past with Quentin Tarantino and one that people still ask us about today." He added, "There was so much I wanted to explore in that movie that I didn't get to. And I delved a little deeper into Mesoamerican mythologies and Aztec and Mayan mythologies and where a vampire culture could have existed back then and found fascinating stuff." The series expands on the chronicles of the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie; The Fuller family; and Santanico Pandemonium. The series adds to the tone of the film, with new characters and backstories, while expanding the snake creatures' Mesoamerican mythology. The series also references the Popol Vuh, drawing on its rich, mythological history and, in particular, on the legend of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué to add greater depth to the backstories and to fully flush out the characters of the show's protagonists, the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie. The series premiered on March 11, 2014, on Rodriguez's newly launched El Rey Network. Outside the United States and Latin America, the series is marketed as a Netflix original. In late October 2015, it was renewed for a third season. While the series is currently unconfirmed as cancelled, Deadline Hollywood reported that the actors were released from their contracts as of October 31, 2016.

The series stars D. J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza González, Madison Davenport, Brandon Soo Hoo, Robert Patrick, Wilmer Valderrama, Jake Busey, Esai Morales, Danny Trejo, Don Johnson, Demi Lovato, Jeff Fahey, Emily Rios, Ana de la Reguera, Tom Savini, Joanna Going, James Remar, William Sadler, Adrianne Palicki, Jesse Borrego, Gary Busey, Natalie Martinez, Robert Knepper, and Geno Segers. Despite a talented cast, the show doesn't it feature any stars as magnetic as George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Selma Hayek, Harvey Keitel, and Tom Savini.

The show's allure is not in the familiar premise, but in the promise of things beyond the edges of Rodriguez's vision - and a reminder that while film reboots may have limited tools to work with, serialized television is another matter entirely. Each season offered plenty of spectacle and a mix of the familiar of what fans love with the new flavour of the transformed situation, and overall it was a successful offering. The show is indeed binge-worthy, delivering horror thrills, surprising plot twists, and hours of epic storytelling that cement the show as the jewel in El Rey's crown. From the word go, the show pulls no punches. However, it lacks the original film's weirdo imagination and textured scruffiness.

Simon says From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series receives:

Also, see my review for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.