The Witcher Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

A messy but entertaining adaptation of the hit franchise.

By Jack Pooley /

Netflix

Netflix's big-budget adaptation of the hit novel and video game series The Witcher is streaming now, and the results are, somewhat unsurprisingly, a pretty mixed bag.

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Make no mistake, The Witcher is never less than a totally watchable fantasy show, boasting a top-notch cast, mostly solid production values, and a clear desire to replicate the epic, sweeping sprawl of HBO's Game of Thrones.

But it's also a series hobbled by its often impenetrable writing, and an overt reliance on moldy fantasy tropes we've all seen play out countless times before.

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Fans of The Witcher's world will likely find far more to enjoy here than those unacquainted with it, given the surprisingly minimal concessions the show makes to guide new fans through its dense particulars.

There's at least a lot of potential here ahead of the already-confirmed second season, and if creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich takes onboard the justified criticism, this could be yet another hit series which enjoys a massive uptick in its second batch of episodes...

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