Emily Blunt's Gritty Western Miniseries Is Perfect For A Weekend Binge-Watch
Viewers on the hunt for an engrossing Western revenge thriller should look no further than the 2022 Prime Video limited series "The English," starring Emily Blunt.
Set in the late 19th century, the story centers on English aristocrat Lady Cornelia Locke (Blunt) — who embarks on a quest to find the man she blames for the death of her son. Along the way, she meets a Native American former army scout named Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), who has his own grievance regarding land owed to him. The unlikely duo encounters friends, foes, and plenty of peril as they make their way across Middle America.
While not based on a true story, the show's slow-burn narrative examines the racism, violence, and greed of the late 19th century with unflinching brutality. Scoring an 84% among critics and general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, "The English" earned heaps of praise for its gorgeous visuals and superb acting performances. Plus, considering that "The English" is only six episodes long, it's a perfect series to binge over a weekend or holiday break.
To Emily Blunt, The English felt different from other Westerns
"The English" was Emily Blunt's first live-action TV appearance since she starred in the miniseries "Empire" back in 2005. Seventeen years later, Blunt traded the Roman Empire TV show about Julius Caesar for the gritty atmosphere of the American West, additionally serving as an executive producer on "The English". Characters typical of the Western genre can grow stale, though according to Blunt, "The English" writer and director Hugo Blick crafted Cornelia Locke as a unique outsider that the star was thrilled to discover.
"She's the most alive character I've ever read on a page," Blunt told Deadline. "She was so spontaneous and free and really unpredictable. She was so odd in some ways. Hugo's writing doesn't follow the rules and this character doesn't follow any archetype or character you've read before. But then you realize, oh, no, that's real life, that's what people are like."
Most who watched Blunt's rare TV endeavor enjoyed "The English" from beginning to end, so Prime Video subscribers can start binging the captivating revenge thriller to see how it compares to the best TV Westerns of all time.