102 reviews
Very promising start - I just wish I hadn't researched the real people
I enjoyed the first episode. It sets out two line that we know will connect. Both lines have sympathetic lead characters Pine a down on his luck reporter, who could be a composite of lead character in the best Noir films. Eisley is the poor, lost, innocent soul, adopted as a baby and brought up in the countryside trying to connect with her natural (and rich) family in LA.
It all seems very promising and I will be definitely been watching the next episodes.
I have sort of ruined it for myself by researching the people. Right now after the first episode I really wish I had avoided the temptation to Google the real characters. I have the feeling the director will let the secret out of the bag quite quickly but if you can avoid researching them I believe it will enhance your experience.
It all seems very promising and I will be definitely been watching the next episodes.
I have sort of ruined it for myself by researching the people. Right now after the first episode I really wish I had avoided the temptation to Google the real characters. I have the feeling the director will let the secret out of the bag quite quickly but if you can avoid researching them I believe it will enhance your experience.
- eddieo1969
- Jan 28, 2019
- Permalink
Could Have Been Something Very Special ...
An engaging subject coupled with a strong cast, I Am The Night oozed potential.
Unfortunately the end product has been diluted to the point where even thought there are only six episodes it feels stretched out. And rather than the mature/adult tone the story merits, we're presented with I Am The Lite. It's Alien Covenant when it could have been Alien. I wouldn't recommend against watching, simply to go in with low expectations that way you won't be disappointed.
- ReluctantPuppet
- Mar 9, 2019
- Permalink
Into the Night
What a let down
I watched all seven episodes. And I was getting excited for the ending to reveal some amazing conspiracy. It didn't. It left you sitting there going "huh". So I looked up some things. And guess what? Non of it fit this story at all. Do your self a favor. Don't watch this. I give it a six because for six episodes I was intrigued. It was the final episode that killed the whole thing.
Disappointing
Started watching this after listening to the Root of Evil
podcast on which it's based. The first episodes seemed promising, but it just fell flat and felt rushed in the last couple of episodes. Pretty disappointing
- vickysantamaria
- Mar 16, 2019
- Permalink
Very Well Done
Series successfully uses actual people and events to craft a story that could easily span a dozen series. Not all of the events happen in the order they did in history, but the writer has skillfully put them together to make a six unit masterpiece. Excellent period piece (sets, cars, buildings) and very well acted.
- bryanwoolman
- Feb 16, 2019
- Permalink
Where is the Black Dahlia?
- OperaTarte
- Feb 11, 2019
- Permalink
No roots
This is a fascinating story of revealation: the mystery of an adoption centered on one girl. The TV series is rife with striking elements of romance and detective, chicanery. Acting is enjoyable and the storyline is quite promising. It looks like knowing the roots can be dangerous for truth-seekers, but fascinating for show viewers.
So convoluted!
Changed my rating after watching Episode 2. Basically, I understand that Fauna is trying to find her birth relatives, but am totally confused as to who belongs to who....hopefully further episodes will be easier to follow. All in all, acting is good though I don't think Chris Pine will win any awards; seems he's trying too hard in my opinion.
Had potential
This show just didn't live up to how good it should have been.... Chris Pine. Love him. The lead actress... she started with promise, but I kept wondering when her outer façade would break and we'd begin to see genuine emotion (we never really did). Ultimately, it set up such an eerie, creepy mystery with real world inspiration, old Hollywood setting with awesome costumes and sets... but along the way, it totally lost my interest. I was curious enough to see the ending, so I stuck with the limited series to the end. But it felt like a mediocre show that should have been great.
1960's film noir is so mesmerizing I wish I could binge watch it through to the end
- Ed-Shullivan
- Jan 28, 2019
- Permalink
Okay suspense drama thriller of secrets and hidden skeletons that may be connected to a famous murder!
"TNT's" new drama series "I Am the Night" is one that's done thru flashbacks and past connections of the characters memories as all of this starts to reveal and unravel and connect to a dark past of all involved which may be linked to a famous L.A. murder. Supposedly based on a true story the limited series is a tale of one Fauna Hodel(India Eisley) who's adopted and raised by an African American mother in Nevada close to the California state line, it's only later when some secrets and things are revealed that she ventures over into the golden state to find out about her real mom and connect with her grandfather who's strange, dark, and mysterious maybe a bad man. A sidekick and wild card is the Jay(Chris Pine) character an alcoholic and down in his dumps investigative reporter who may have a connection to this young girl and her grandfather which appears to lead all down a dark path looking into a famous "Hollywood" murder mystery. Overall interesting series that's a tease of suspense and mystery.
Soooo slow...
I can barely keep watching this. The first episodes are mainly the young woman walking around looking at things with wide eyes. I like dramas that are well written. I'm not one of those people that require constant action. This is not one of those good dramas. I feel it is poorly done and over hyped. I'd rather watch an older Black Dahlia movie or documentary. My husband agrees it's slow but wants to see it through, so I guess I shall keep watching. My 5 stars may decrease.
- janmanuel2
- Feb 26, 2019
- Permalink
Mostly true story of Fauna Hodel and her unusual childhood.
My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library. It is about 5 hours + or - and presented in 6 episodes. We typically watched 2 per night. As is the norm with these mini series a good 2 to 3 hours of programming is stretched to have it fill 6 episodes so it often gets a bit slow. Still it is a very captivating story from the 1960s Los Angeles.
India Eisley is Fauna Hodel, raised by a black mother just outside Las Vegas, she always was told she was a mixed race child. But her mom would never tell her much. After digging around in 1965 at age 15 and finding her birth certificate, she learned that Tamar Hodel was her birth mother and she became determined to find her. All that is pretty factual.
A character was created for dramatic effect, Chris Pine as Jay Singletary, Los Angeles reporter and military veteran of the Korean War. This character suspects Fauna's grandfather, Jefferson Mays as physician George Hodel, in the murder of the Black Dahlia and perhaps other crimes. So the paths of Fauna and Jay eventually get intertwined.
Another departure from truth comes from depicting George Hodel as living in Los Angeles during the 1960s when in fact he had left the country around 1950 after his trial.
Still it is all a very interesting presentation, Fauna did find her mother, in Hawaii, and grew up to have an interesting and productive life, dying only in 2017 at the age of 66.
India Eisley is Fauna Hodel, raised by a black mother just outside Las Vegas, she always was told she was a mixed race child. But her mom would never tell her much. After digging around in 1965 at age 15 and finding her birth certificate, she learned that Tamar Hodel was her birth mother and she became determined to find her. All that is pretty factual.
A character was created for dramatic effect, Chris Pine as Jay Singletary, Los Angeles reporter and military veteran of the Korean War. This character suspects Fauna's grandfather, Jefferson Mays as physician George Hodel, in the murder of the Black Dahlia and perhaps other crimes. So the paths of Fauna and Jay eventually get intertwined.
Another departure from truth comes from depicting George Hodel as living in Los Angeles during the 1960s when in fact he had left the country around 1950 after his trial.
Still it is all a very interesting presentation, Fauna did find her mother, in Hawaii, and grew up to have an interesting and productive life, dying only in 2017 at the age of 66.
slow with good noir pulp style
It's 1965. Pat (India Eisley) is considered part negro in East Sparks, Nevada. She finds her birth certificate uncovering her adoption by her negro mother. Her real name is Fauna Hodel and was abandoned by her mother from a rich white family. She heads out to L.A. and is told that her troubled mother is dead. Jay Singletary (Chris Pine) is a rundown stringer reporter on the Examiner. He got into trouble as a reporter for the L.A. Times. He gets an assignment on a dead girl hacked to pieces. As he investigates the series of murders, it leads to the Dr. George Hodel, Fauna's biological grandfather and the old Black Dahlia case.
This is a six-episode limited series based on Fauna Hodel's true crime novel. The first episode has her life in East Sparks and I find the racial existence very interesting. India Eisley is a rather quiet actress. Even her movements are quiet which does impart a slow pacing to the show bordering on sluggishness. Chris Pine's side of the story is a bit confused. It makes more sense for her to be the sole main character. He can join her in the second episode during that killing. There isn't much mystery to this as Geroge's evilness is revealed in a straight forward manner. It does have the dark Hollywood noir style. I love the grim pulpy vibe but it moves a bit too slow. The turns are too leisurely. The final ending is building up to something explosive but ultimately fizzles. Again, Jay is basically unnecessary and the tension gets somewhat diffused by him.
This is a six-episode limited series based on Fauna Hodel's true crime novel. The first episode has her life in East Sparks and I find the racial existence very interesting. India Eisley is a rather quiet actress. Even her movements are quiet which does impart a slow pacing to the show bordering on sluggishness. Chris Pine's side of the story is a bit confused. It makes more sense for her to be the sole main character. He can join her in the second episode during that killing. There isn't much mystery to this as Geroge's evilness is revealed in a straight forward manner. It does have the dark Hollywood noir style. I love the grim pulpy vibe but it moves a bit too slow. The turns are too leisurely. The final ending is building up to something explosive but ultimately fizzles. Again, Jay is basically unnecessary and the tension gets somewhat diffused by him.
- SnoopyStyle
- Mar 4, 2019
- Permalink
Great portrait of American society of 60s
Racism, fight of Afroamericans for their rights, social inequalities... For me it was the best part of this series. Besides it has "something" which keeps you watching.
- maciejjrybicki
- Nov 4, 2021
- Permalink
I am a fan
I love it when a show holds my attention from the first episode..this could be a certified winner
Seems that it's ok
First episode. First hopes. I can not say this is what I really expected from it, nevertheless it seems that all the season will be attractive and the sofa with macbook in hands will be much more preferable than any other sort of activity. In short - must see. Cheers)
- brutus-56596
- Jan 29, 2019
- Permalink
So far so good!
I was impressed. First episode held my attention, good character development, interesting story... looking forward to the coming episodes.
- Sublime217
- Jan 28, 2019
- Permalink
Wrong fashion!
Great series so far but the fashion is way off for 1965! It's more like 1950s era. It's completely put me off watching.. how can they get it so so wrong. It's the swinging 60s for goodness sake with mini skirts not Bobby socks. There was no racism in '65 .. it was all love, peace and soul music. They got it SO wrong.
Lacks
Though the acting is good, the fact that the program moves at a snails pace to try to create a lengthy story line where none exists is just sad. Might have been better as a 90 minute movie.
- bb-d-19690
- Mar 3, 2019
- Permalink
Exquisite Storytelling
This show had me hooked from the beginning and I found the characters to be rich in depth and detail. A suspenseful portrayal of a real life story. Anyone who says the story is slow must not have the aptitude to appreciate the emotionally-driven direction given to weave and engage viewers through different time periods and societal divisions. It isn't meant to be a "flash in the pan" movie-thriller most people lap up these days. It's meant to be an experience, to be savored. A throwback to Film Noir. A+
Good actors; bad costume and art design
- macpet49-1
- Apr 19, 2021
- Permalink
So slow
Could have condensed this into a 2 hour movie and it would have been much better. Most of the scenes were of the girl slowly walking around wide eyed.
- juliehampton2012
- Mar 5, 2019
- Permalink
Solid Show
This is a very good show that is rooted in the Black Dahlia case. I love how they are bringing in the idea that George Hodel may have had ties to the occult. If you research him, you will find his connections to various occultists.
For those saying there was no segregation in NV, you are correct. However, they are not depicting "legal segregation." They show how even in NY/CA, people "segregated" themselves when it came to communities, who they socialized with, etc. So this may not take place in the south, but racism existed in still exists everywhere. Also, they also saw how all different people also came together when they showed the "art scene" in CA. Again, no where did they ever depict legal segregation so those of you who keep saying that are WRONG!
All in all, great show.
For those saying there was no segregation in NV, you are correct. However, they are not depicting "legal segregation." They show how even in NY/CA, people "segregated" themselves when it came to communities, who they socialized with, etc. So this may not take place in the south, but racism existed in still exists everywhere. Also, they also saw how all different people also came together when they showed the "art scene" in CA. Again, no where did they ever depict legal segregation so those of you who keep saying that are WRONG!
All in all, great show.