Latest news with #TonyBasgallop
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Bonkers and twisted' thriller that 'defies all expectations' is finally free to stream on ITVX
A 'bonkers and twisted' thriller that 'defies all expectations while sucking you in' is finally free to stream as all eight episodes hit ITVX. The Consultant, first released in 2023, depicts the shady titular figure (Christoph Waltz) taking over a mobile gaming company after its CEO is murdered. The cast of the American thriller also includes Nat Wolff, known for his turn in 2015 romantic drama Paper Towns, and The White Lotus 's Brittany O'Grady. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80 per cent, critics and fans alike have showered it with praise. The series was first released on subscription-based Amazon Prime Video - but after hitting ITV 's on-demand platform at the weekend, it is now entirely free to watch. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. When Sang Woo (Brian Yoon), the wunderkind founder of the LA-based tech company, is shot by a crazed middle schooler, the bad press threatens to see the already struggling company go out of business. His replacement Regus Patoff rules with an iron fist, with things soon turning strange and sinister in the office. And as IT guy Craig and Woo's assistant Elaine (played by Nat and Brittany) do some digging about who their new boss really is, they discover he is even more dangerous than he seems. Tony Basgallop (Inside Men and What Remains) adapted American horror author Bentley Little's novel of the same name to create the thrilling show. He told ScreenRant: 'I think I was led, really, by the novel by Bentley Little.' 'That had a very cruel sense of humour to it, a darkness that I always like to bring into my own work. 'I wanted to kind of match that style that he'd created and it felt like we were a good fit. 'He's a very dark and twisted individual, and I enjoy kind of adding my dark, twisted nature on top of his dark, twisted nature. So, we were building on each other there.' A review by USA Today wrote: 'The series defies all expectations while sucking you into the strange story.' Entertainment Weekly was just as impressed: 'The bonkers comedy-thriller burnishes the familiar deal-with-the-devil conceit with chipper, unapologetic cynicism and appealing performances from its trio of leads.' Culture news site Leisure Byte similarly felt: 'The Consultant is a bonkers show that is a psychologically twisted minefield.' And for anyone immersed in corporate culture, it offers up more than just a bad dream, arts and entertainment site Digital Mafia Talkies said. 'Although the official website profiles for The Consultant present it as a dark comedy, it's actually quite horrifying and triggering, especially for people who've traversed the corporate minefield, thereby putting it squarely in the horror genre', its review read. In this aspect, it has been compared to hit Apple TV+ series Severance, a sci-fi thriller which sees employees undergo a medical procedure called 'severance' to give them entirely separate work and home personalities. The show, executive produced and directed by Ben Stiller, has received a whopping 14 Emmy nominations - and has been renewed for a third series. The Guardian said The Consultant was high quality - but could not quite match up to the $20million-per-episode Severance - which 'did everything The Consultant tries to do but far, far better'. It continued: 'Thriller-level fear of the workplace; a sinister, expanding something-is-going-on feeling; two employees who really need to just kiss each other, now, come on; and never quite knowing if the cause of all the weirdness is supernatural, sci-fi, or Other. 'You always felt you knew that it was going somewhere. 'The Consultant, despite Waltz's immaculate lapel-straightening, never quite fills you with that confidence.' It comes after another high-quality show was made available to stream for free in the UK in a huge win for fans. Long-standing cult drama Lost first aired on ABC in America back in 2004 until 2010, becoming immensely popular. It follows the survivors of a plane crash who find themselves stranded on a deserted island in the South Pacific Ocean. Starring Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, and Dominic Monaghan, Lost sees the passengers battle to survive as they deal with a range of questionable creatures. The six-season series has an impressive 86 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the second instalment receiving a whopping 100 per cent rating. And now, fans in the UK can stream Lost for free after it launched on ITVX this spring. The Consultant is available to stream on ITVX.
Metro
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
ITV releases 'riveting' Amazon Prime thriller that's been compared to Severance
A 'whirlwind' thriller series that's drawn comparisons to Severance is now available to binge in full for free on ITVX. Released in 2023 on Amazon Prime Video, The Consultant was based on the book by Bentley Little and adapted for screen by Tony Basgallop (Inside Men, What Remains, Servant). The eight-part series starred Christoph Waltz as Regus Patoff, a mysterious consultant who comes to the rescue of CompWare, a mobile game studio based in downton Los Angeles, after the death of its CEO. After 'blowing into town' he takes charge of the company and leads with an unconventional management style. The series, which holds an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and this week dropped on ITVX, was largely well received by critics and fans, who praised its 'slick presentation and diverting twists'. 'The series defies all expectations while sucking you into the strange story,' USA Today wrote in its review. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'This bonkers comedy-thriller burnishes the familiar deal-with-the-devil conceit with chipper, unapologetic cynicism, and appealing performances from its trio of leads,' Entertainment Weekly said. 'Although the official website profiles for The Consultant present it as a dark comedy, it's actually quite horrifying and triggering, especially for people who've traversed the corporate minefield, thereby putting it squarely in the horror genre,' Digital Mafia Talkies shared. 'The Consultant is a bonkers show that is a psychologically twisted minefield,' added. Meanwhile viewers said it was 'bizarre', 'thrilling and dark' and an 'absolute whirlwind'. Although many compared it to Ben Stiller's hit Apple TV Plus series Severance, some said it didn't quite live up to it. 'Severance did everything The Consultant tries to do but far, far better: thriller-level fear of the workplace; a sinister, expanding something-is-going-on feeling; two employees who really need to just kiss each other, now, come on; and never quite knowing if the cause of all the weirdness is supernatural, sci-fi, or Other,' it explained. 'The Consultant, despite Waltz's immaculate lapel-straightening, never quite fills you with that confidence.' In an interview with ScreenRant, Tony spoke mixing the tone of the series, which blended horror and comedy. More Trending 'I think I was led, really, by the novel by Bentley Little,' he said. 'That had a very cruel sense of humour to it, a darkness that I always like to bring into my own work. So that was it really, I wanted to kind of match that style that he'd created, and it felt like we were a good fit. 'He's a very dark and twisted individual, and I enjoy kind of adding my dark, twisted nature on top of his dark, twisted nature. So, we were building on each other there.' The Consultant also stars The Stand's Natt Wolff and The White Lotus' Brittany O'Grady. View More » The Consultant is streaming on ITVX and Amazon Prime Video. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Portugal vs Spain TV channel and live stream: How to watch Nations League final in the UK tonight MORE: The teenage Orkney killer who got away with murder for 14 years MORE: R-Truth 'signs new WWE contract' and returns under real name after fierce backlash
