logo
Netflix's The Sandman still comes off like unimaginative cosplay

Netflix's The Sandman still comes off like unimaginative cosplay

Yahoo21-07-2025
DC Comics' The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, was a groundbreaking and surreal series. However, the Netflix adaptation remains content to paint by the numbers. Superhero movies often take inspiration from their source material, but the better ones usually avoid directly translating stories to the screen word-for-word or panel-for-panel. As a TV show, The Sandman struggles to exceed or even match the original's stunning visual landscape, and its characters often feel like unimaginative cosplayers reciting Gaiman's dialogue.
The Sandman's first season offered some compelling reasons for viewers to sympathize with its lead, Morpheus of the Dreaming (Tom Sturridge). He was kidnapped and held prisoner for a century; and once he escaped, he set out to reclaim what he had lost, both physically and spiritually. Sadly, the first half of The Sandman's second and final season doesn't deliver many satisfying reasons for us to care about what we're watching.
These six new episodes are based on Season Of Mists and Brief Lives—and unfortunately, those very different tales are loosely connected through a specific plot point that just wanders off midway through its run, as if left unattended. Ultimately, this batch of installments serves as a character study for Morpheus, also known as Dream, who mostly sleepwalks through the proceedings.
As drawn by artists Kelley Jones and Jill Thompson, the original Dream boasts a thrilling, unconventional weirdness that is absent on the screen. Instead, Sturridge performs the part as if he's a supernatural Mr. Darcy—or worse, Prince Charles from The Crown. There's far too much of the preening aristocrat and not nearly enough of the unknowable eternal being, with Sturridge delivering somber lines that feel stiff and joyless. A relentlessly dour Dream roams around rooms that resemble vampire-themed nightclubs and speaks in ponderous, whispered tones. It all comes off at times like a Key & Peele parody. Yes, he's the lord of dreams, but his very presence shouldn't put viewers to sleep.
Critics have argued that the Netflix series is too faithful to Gaiman's work, but that's only true on the most superficial level. Overall, the TV series misses the mark on what made The Sandman so engaging and unique. Season Of Mists and Brief Lives were published in the early 1990s, and the Netflix adaptation exists in a seeming vacuum as if the past 30 years of TV fantasy and horror never happened. It's a curious choice. The Sandman is a clear spiritual ancestor to later genre entries such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Supernatural, and Gaiman's work shares (and perhaps even inspired) their quirky, tongue-in-cheek approach.
Dream holding a 'dinner party' where he meets and greets the treacherous contenders for ultimate power could have played out like a timely spin on reality shows like The Traitors. Later, Dream and his (very odd) sister Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles) embark on what is effectively a wacky road trip to find their estranged brother Destruction (Barry Sloane). The sight of the two on a commercial airline fight in the comic is a laugh-out-loud moment. But the Netflix series drains these situations of any trace of humor or sly wit. Simply put, the show is serious at a time when works of fantasy are confident enough to not take themselves so seriously.
The first-season finale set up a potential epic war between Hell and the Dreaming that is never fully realized, so Gwendoline Christie's return as Lucifer is disappointingly anticlimactic. The series obviously struggles with Lucifer, the fallen angel who was the basis for the titular series on Fox (and later Netflix). Tom Ellis' crime-solving devil was a significant departure from the text, and apparently Netflix's The Sandman chose to distinguish between the two versions by eliminating most of Lucifer's puckish charm and Machiavellian edge. Christie's Lucifer is as mopey and sullen as Dream, so their scenes together lack the source material's tension. Gaiman's Lucifer, on the other hand, was openly based on David Bowie. It's a shame, as it feels like a waste of Christie's talent and a commanding presence.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death is a necessary departure from the comic's now-dated 'pale goth girl,' yet the incongruity of a hip, perky, teenage embodiment of Death helped make her a fan-favorite character. Howell-Baptiste plays her as almost timeless, not really of this particular moment. She's more mature and somber than her on-the-page counterpart, so just what you might imagine from the personification of Death. And that brings up a big conundrum with the series: There are rarely any surprises. The comic was famously adventurous, frequently pushing the boundaries of its format, while the Netflix series is predictably straightforward, without the madcap nature of an actual dream.
But on the plus side, the show does make a change to a character from Brief Lives that is particularly relevant for today, with the story directly challenging the cruel prejudice some people can't escape even in death. This tweak also affords a rare moment of genuine compassion from Dream (something the show could have used more of). And in other good news, Mason Alexander Park remains something of a revelation as Desire, imbuing Dream's younger sibling with layers of complexity. They are simultaneously seductive and sinister—and luckily (given that this is such a predictable adaptation), Desire should play a larger role in the final half of season two, which adapts The Kindly Ones and Overture.
In the end, the experience of watching Netflix's The Sandman is like listening to a cover band perform one of your favorite songs: It's a passable version of something you've long enjoyed, with familiar beats that are comforting—even if nothing new or original has been added. And for newbies, there is still enough left of the original's imaginative world to entertain.
The Sandman season two, volume one premieres July 3 on Netflix
More from A.V. Club
Duster's LaToya Morgan and Rachel Hilson on rooting a very '70s story in the here and now
Spoiler Space: Jurassic World Rebirth once again makes dinosaurs everyone's problem
Sinners got a bunch of its costumes from Marvel's abandoned Blade period movie
Solve the daily Crossword
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Happy Gilmore 2' And ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Set Simultaneous Netflix Records
‘Happy Gilmore 2' And ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Set Simultaneous Netflix Records

Forbes

time18 minutes ago

  • Forbes

‘Happy Gilmore 2' And ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Set Simultaneous Netflix Records

Kpop Demon Hunters/Happy Gilmore 2 Netflix executives must be popping champagne right now as they are currently putting out multiple original films breaking multiple records for the service, all the way back since its arrival in 2010. What just happened? Happy Gilmore 2, the long-awaited sequel to the Adam Sandler comedy classic, has just broken the record for the most opening weekend views for a Netflix original in history. That is 46.7 million views in its first three days. And even the original Happy Gilmore racked up 11.4 million views this week as a precursor to that release (it's about to leave Netflix due to licensing). The historical math here is a touch fuzzy. It seems the previous record-holder was Red Notice with 148 million hours viewed, but that's not views total. In terms of actual views that might be…another Adam Sandler movie, Murder Mystery, which had 30.8 million views in three days. Happy Gilmore 2 would be 50% more than that. Second record time! That's KPop Demon Hunters which has set many records already, but it's just hit a new one. KPop Demon Hunters is now the most-watched Netflix animated movie in history. The announcement did not come with specific numbers, and I'm not sure we have enough past data to track its competitors, but Netflix says it snagged the record. Previously, Netflix made the best-reviewed comedy of the decade, The Mitchells Versus the Machines. KPop Demon Hunters has spent six weeks in the top 10, and still did half of Happy Gilmore 2's opening weekend in this sixth week. The previous record that KPop Demon Hunters just set a week ago was a movie that hit its peak viewership five weeks after launch, which has never happened before. Now, it's Netflix's most-watched animated movie ever. As of now, KPop Demon Hunters has not broken into the Top 10 of all-time Netflix original movies in terms of viewership, but it likely will soon. The most recent entry on that list was Carry-On, which went all the way to #2 with 172 million views. Number one is the aforementioned Red Notice with a hard-to-beat 230 million views. It seems likely, if not almost a guarantee, that Happy Gilmore 2 will make its way into that Top 10 list, and may end up near the top by the end of its three month run (which is what's taken into account for the list). It would be the only film there that is a sequel, and a sequel to something that wasn't a Netflix original, no less. I think this is a when, not if situation in terms of its top 10 arrival. It's already close to a third of the way to landing in seventh place or so after just three days, which is deeply impressive. That said, fast-starter Murder Mystery isn't on the list, so we'll see. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.

How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the surprise hit of the summer

timean hour ago

How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the surprise hit of the summer

NEW YORK -- In the colorful, animated, musical world of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' everyone is a fan. The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favorite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, that the Sony Pictures/ Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer's global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they fight demons. And it's not just the film that's a summer hit. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Here's how 'KPop Demon Hunters' became the year's surprising success story. The 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack utilizes some of the best and brightest in the genre. That included a partnership with K-pop company The Black Label, co-founded by super producer Teddy Park, known for his work with YG, Blackpink and 2NE1 — empowered girl groups used as references for the film's protagonists, the trio HUNTR/X. It's one of the many reasons the musical film's soundtrack stands on its own. Filmmakers 'really did their homework,' says Jeff Benjamin, a music journalist who specializes in K-pop. Indeed, they did a lot of research. One of the film's directors, Maggie Kang, said that her team prioritized 'representing the fandom and the idols in a very specific way,' as to not disappoint K-pop fans. They pulled from a treasure trove of influences heard at every corner: The fictional, rival boy band Saja Boys' hit song 'Soda Pop,' for example, references the '90s K-pop group H.O.T. And it has worked. 'KPop Demon Hunters' is the highest charting soundtrack of 2025, with eight of its songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200. To put that in perspective: Lorde's 'Virgin' and Justin Bieber's 'Swag' did the same. In some ways, it recalls Disney's 'Encanto,' which topped the Billboard 200 and produced a No. 1 hit, 'We Don't Talk About Bruno ' in 2022. Similarly, 'KPop Demon Hunters' embraces 'the original soundtrack, which is a lost art form,' adds Benjamin. Tamar Herman, a music journalist and author of the 'Notes on K-pop' newsletter, says the movie succeeds because it embraces animated musical tradition and authentic K-pop music production styles in equal measure. She considers 'Kpop Demon Hunters' to be 'a musical with songs inspired by K-pop,' not unlike a Jukebox musical, where the songs of ABBA are reimagined for 'Mamma Mia.' The novelty of the film, too, seems to be resonating. Where many animated films rely on adapting existing intellectual property, 'KPop Demon Hunters' is original. And it comes from an original perspective. 'It's not completely Korean, it's not completely Western and it's kind of right in that middle,' says Kang. 'It's like not pulled from one side; it's kind of flavors of both. So, I think that's what makes the movie feels a little different.' And 'the core story is what's drawing everybody in,' says Kang. San Francisco-based cosplayer and content creator Nanci Alcántar, who goes by Naanny Lee online agrees. 'It's not only a K-pop group, but it also tells a story of their journey, of how they transform into powerful warriors,' said Alcántar in Spanish. For her, it goes beyond K-pop — it's about the narrative. Kang's approach to cultural authenticity, too, may have contributed to the film's crossover appeal. Rather than explaining Korean elements like HUNTR/X's visit to a traditional medicine clinic or translating K-pop light stick culture for Western audiences, she opted for full immersion. 'We just wanted everybody to just accept that they were in Korea,' Kang said. The director said this method of 'throwing people into the deep end of a culture' breaks down barriers better than heavy-handed explanation. 'We just wanted to keep everything feeling normal,' she explained. 'If you don't shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted.' Zabrinah Santiago, a San Diego-based longtime K-pop fan and freelance illustrator who goes by ItmeZ online, was so inspired by the animation style of the movie that she raced to make fan art. She sold illustrated fan cards of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys at her booth at the Los Angeles Anime Expo, held in July, two weeks after the movie was released on Netflix. And she wasn't the only one. A search of #kpopdemonhunters on Instagram yields thousands of fan illustrations of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys. Japan-based Youtuber Emily Sim, also known as Emirichu online, says the character designs and original plot drew her to the movie. Sim, with more than 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a 35-minute video about the movie. In a week-and-a-half, it garnered nearly 450,000 views. 'I love seeing all the fan art and just the ways that this movie has creatively inspired people,' Sim said. Kang says for 'KPop Demon Hunters,' her team wanted to bring together demons and Jeoseung Saja — the grim reaper in Korean mythology — for a film that could look both very traditional and modernized — what she says is common in K-dramas but not in animation. Herman compares the movie to another Sony animation: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' which also attracted a broad audience with its creative animation. 'And it's a fun, animated musical, which we haven't had in a while,' she says. 'It's campy, it's engaging, it's universal.' Santiago was initially skeptical of the title 'KPop Demon Hunters.' 'I feel like with big companies they kind of like to use K-pop as a bait. They kind of like to take advantage of K-pop fans' sincerity,' said Santiago. 'But I felt like with this one, it was such like kind of a love letter to K-pop fans.' Indeed — if the film wasn't authentic to K-pop fans' experience, or mocked them, it is unlikely to have become so popular, says Benjamin. Instead, there are Easter eggs for the dedicated K-pop listener. Herman agrees, and says that the film has in-jokes for K-pop fans, not unlike a children's movie that features some humor meant to appeal specifically to parents. 'Figuring out what makes K-pop tick in a way that resonates with musical fans was really important to this movie,' said Herman. For Kang, that was always at the heart of the project. 'Fandom plays a huge part in the world being saved at the end of the movie,' she said. 'So, we were really confident that we were doing that justice.'

Our verdict on the new Love Is Blind UK 2025 cast, from a singer to an estate agent
Our verdict on the new Love Is Blind UK 2025 cast, from a singer to an estate agent

Cosmopolitan

timean hour ago

  • Cosmopolitan

Our verdict on the new Love Is Blind UK 2025 cast, from a singer to an estate agent

Love Is Blind UK is back! While our lives have been taken over by Married At First Sight Australia and Love Island, Netflix are officially back in the room with a second season of the show, which follows a series of single people hoping to find love, without ever seeing the person they're dating. Hosted by Matt and Emma Willis, the format takes places in 'blind pods', where participants head on speed dates with each other, before whittling down their best matches. Eventually, they must either leave engaged to someone, or still single. Those who say 'yes!' then head on honeymoon, before moving into luxury apartments together, and eventually, down the aisle. So, who'll be taking on this crazy journey, which kicks off on the streaming platform on 13th August 2025? The Love Is Blind UK season 2 cast has finally been announced; and from a singer from Essex, to a cabin crew member from Surrey and a health coach from Kent; here's what you need to know.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store