disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

SAINT X -- Insufferable Teen Drama Plays Like a Soap Opera Version of THE WHITE LOTUS

4/24/2023

1 Comment

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
If you ever wondered what The White Lotus would look like if it were produced by a network such as Freeform, look no further than the new Hulu series Saint X. Although the show is streaming on Hulu, it was produced by ABC Signature — the production company behind several Freeform shows — so it’s not wholly surprising that this show is trite, soapy, and all-around poorly made.
​
The story follows a young woman who sets out on a quest to discover the truth about her sister’s death that happened while they were on vacation years ago when she was a child. The series cuts between two timelines: one in the present day following Emily (Alycia Debnam-Carey) as an adult, and the other in the past, exploring the time leading up to her sister Allison’s (West Duchovny) death.

The portion of the show set in the past is absolutely plagued with problems. First of all, it’s an extraordinarily trashy teen soap opera that simply isn’t very compelling. However, the fact that we know Allison dies makes it anticlimactic. Sure, there’s a limited amount of “how did it happen?” intrigue, but whereas something like The White Lotus has an actual mystery element, this feels more interested in the melodrama.

On the other hand, the present-day storyline is simply boring. There’s not as many overt problems to pick out of that story other than the fact that it just isn’t interesting. The show attempts to give Emily characterization by showing how her personal life is affected by this obsession to find the truth out about her sister, but why do we care?
Picture
A good deal of this show’s issues could have been fixed with a better cast. Neither Debnam-Carey nor Duchovny have a compelling enough screen presence to carry the show. However, even worse are their male co-stars, Sule Thelwell and Jayden Elijah, who feel completely lost in their roles.

One of the more off-putting things about the show is that it sends questionable messages. There is a pretty substantial subplot that’s problematic, and it feels somewhat reductive in the context of what is essentially a bigger-scale soap opera. And to make things worse, there are many points at which the show seems to imply the characters are being punished for their “indiscretions.”

What is perhaps most shocking about the show, though, is that it is so terrible despite having some legitimate talent involved. Acclaimed filmmaker Dee Rees (Pariah) executive produced the show and had some director duties, so how is it this bad? It’s really frustrating just how little personality this series has, and — worse yet — that it manages to look ugly despite having a gorgeous setting.

Having not read the best-selling book on which it is based, it’s hard to tell whether something was lost in translation with Saint X or if it was just never going to be particularly good. It’s disappointing that this couldn’t even manage to be trashy fun — it’s just nearly insufferable.

Saint X streams on Hulu beginning April 26. All eight episodes reviewed.

​Rating: 1/5
               
1 Comment
Anastasia
5/1/2023 07:51:29 pm

Sorry, but I think you need to double check the names. Josh Bonzie plays Gogo and Sule Thelwell plays Desmond. You got Edwin right- Jayden Elijah is the actor. Congratulations. 1/3.
I hope it’s an honest mistake, and not just ignorance.
Have a lovely day!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About