Love & Death (2023) HBOMax & David E. Kelley Productions. All Rights Reserved.

Lust and secrecy lead to murder in the upcoming HBOMax mini-series Love & Death starring Elizabeth Olsen, and Jesse Plemons. Set in late 70’s Texas the first episode was effectively able to lay the mysterious groundwork for what should be an intriguing series. Showing the most uncommon story can take place in the most common of American towns, Love & Death thrives on awkward humor, and foreshadowing. Allan (Jesse Plemons) is a loving husband. Candy (Elizabeth Olsen) is a loving wife. Yet their paths cross and the result in episode one is a string of delightfully cringe moments that will equally amuse and intrigue.

This first episode introduces the cast, and everyone delivers charming performances with their own eccentricities. There are also seeds planted for a few of them that show potential to evolve in many dark and subtly twisted ways. Flashes of the future horror are teased to foreshadow what’s to come, and this is able to weave more than enough mysterious curiosity as we get to know Allan and Candy and watch their secret ‘relationship’ grow more and more complicated.

There is much more to these two than meets the eye and as a fan of quirky murderous mysteries I can’t wait to see where this series will evolve. I know it’s based on a true story, and I know Jessica Biel played this same character in last year’s Candy on Hulu. But this version is certainly going to thrive on Olsen and Plemons diving into these real-life characters, and how the writing breaks up the past and the future. And after this first taste, Love & Death should be a blast!

Copyright: Anthony Digioia - SilverScreen Analysis © 2023. All Rights Reserved.