Thoughts on Netflix's Unchosen?

I actually like it a lot. The pacing is good for a build up but it also kind of puts a cult like buildup on it (if that makes sense). I do feel like it is somewhat cheesy at times (like escape from polygamy back in the day) but the actors truly help. Also, Asa Butterfield slays any role he is in.

Otiiisss what are you doing here? But for real, I hoped more cult-like aspects. I hoped more background story. What happed to slow burn suspension?  Falling in love happened overnight I felt like The scene with Otis going down on Sam went nowhere What did the nephew add to the story?  I needed more to root for. I needed more to dispice 

Pretty good at first, but I predicted every plot twist before it happened. Started getting bored as a result by episode 4.

Lot of early reviews are saying it’s not really well done and it’s really slow. I haven’t gotten the chance to check it out yet. It’s the type of content that’s up my alley usually, but too much good stuff out now to slog if I don’t have to.

Its really hard to take Sam seriously after the 2nd episode, I find this so unconvincing when he tries to explain anything. Past ep2, the plot feels so contrived, its just not believable on any level on how shit went down. The last 3 episodes are straight up unbearable, just with glaring plot holes. I regret even hate watching.

I'm trying guys but the little girl just explained what makes her different by saying that she can't be friends with unchosen, she can't play music, and she can't cut her hair. My sweet angel baby girl, you have bangs!

I’m on episode 4 and I’m hating the pacing so much. It’s so slow.

I actually think its brilliant... the actors and actresses are fitted perfectly. And the tension between Rosie and Sam, wow. Good job. I loved him hiding in the chicken shed. I love them getting closer. I havent watched all of them yet. But so far its brilliant.

How old is Rosie? She looks like she’s 18, yet she has like a 6 year old kid

watched half of it, not good. I like cult fuckery, molly windsor and alexa davies too, but like many other shows, this could've been a 90-minute movie on lifetime, and not even the more entertaining ones.

I’ve never been so pissed off by a show before. So many annoying and unbelievable decisions + very unclear endings. Great acting and set design tho. Just wasted potential.

I felt like after spending her whole life in this cult, Rosie transitioned out of it really fast and was very careless so it was kind of hard for me to find it believable… I couldn’t suspend my disbelief…I expected to see more fear/caution I guess/inner struggles instead of action…it’s the little things… like talking about how she’s so busy that she never gets to think about what she wants to do… it was a surprisingly casual complaint

Trash, terrible acting. No real plot, no actual significance of it being a cult.

shit was lame as hell

It wasn’t good and it started to be nonsensical towards the end… what do you mean Sam killed multiple people that are easily traced back to him and HE STILL IS NEVER CAUGHT

I started last night, I’m on episode 2 then fell asleep… I’ll continue later, but so far I liked it.

Molly Windsor's performance is marvelous. Alas, beyond that, I found the all-too-familiar problem of too little story stretched over way too much scaffolding. This would have been much more effective as a taut 90-120-minute film.

I thought the acting was great, and it looked so pretty: the color palate, coloring (those greens were so green and the yellows and blues really popped). I honestly felt it was just such a missed opportunity for this to turn into a ménage à trois. Sam ends up loving both Rosie and Adam- an exploration of guilt, sexuality in the church, cult psychology. I enjoyed watching it, but I think it had so much potential and ended up being just a little mediocre with the story.

I’ve watched the six episodes, and while the core idea is sharp, the execution leaves much to be desired. Yes, it offers some traditional takes on cults, like the patriarchy, the struggles of being queer, and the notion that people are disavowed if they don't follow the rules, meaning they lose their families. But at the same time, it presents a fresh perspective on how the devil is human—literally among us—and isn’t rooted in technology or modernity, as cults often claim. There’s also an interesting exploration of forgiveness and whether people can truly repent and change. However, all of this is hampered by a weak script and pacing that’s slow and oddly frustrating to watch. The acting is brilliant, though.

Just wasn't believable, illogical plots (specially with the final episode) and lazy writing. Felt like one of those formula shows with nonsensical scenarios. It had potential specially with the cast but such a shame to see talent go to waste. Bad writing.

Sort of bleh

I love that when you look a little deeper all the chaos/sin/hypocrisy Sam causes is actually already there, he just shines light on it. He fits in perfect. At first glance, it appears like he is very much an outsider and different but in the end, he’s the same as the rest of them and the rest of them are the same as him. I quite enjoyed it.

Looks like a disappointment

As of this moment I still have 1.5 episodes to go, but it's a much more engaging story line than I expected. I agree that the casting is excellent. I'm savoring the last couple of episodes. I sort of wish it were longer (more episodes).

liked it at first but really devolved toward the end

Seeking clarity that will probably come soon if I only had an attention span... When Adam and Grace's mum have their, um... "union" the evening after the accident, Adam prays asking the "union" to bless them with more children... Why then does he flip Grace's mum over... last time I checked... children don't get made via that orifice.

brilliant and thought-provoking

It really was very multilatered posing deep questions about morality, religion, and the good and evil in all of us as represented by Sam in some ways - the fact that he was portrayed as Jesus with the hole in his hand and light shining over him... I won't say what happens later. But for me it represented the fact that we all have good and bad in us - but also the fact that we worship people blindly. And the themes of manipulation and brainwashing... And hypocrisy... it's brilliant.

Would not suggest. It's superficial at best, cliché in the middle, then so predictable you can literally visualize the end scene. It's about a cult (have your pick or recent products), it's about domestic violence (Maid), it's about serial killing (have your pick), it's about patriarchy and leadership and being closeted, it's about shunning... then we have a bit of costume drama, a bit of suspense, a bit of chasing and fights, a bitbof survivalism. etc etc etc. It's a to do list of what people probably mostly watched on Netflix, condensed in a very slow miniseries. It starts strong and then you can see there is no original though behind any word. A world in which a woman is not allowed to swim, but can berate her husband behind closed doors. The longest confessions narrating all that we have already (slowly) seen over and over again. Watch if you must, be rest assured once you know where it's going, you can skip to the last episode, it will be explained again and the middle adds nothing.

i thought it was predictable and often boring. the writing was mid at best but some of the actors were quite good. the characters were very inconsistent and especially Sam and Rosie were doing things/saying things that were obviously not in line with their characterizations or their best interests in the high stress situations they were navigating. i enjoyed how extreme it became (especially episode 5), and the commentary that was making, but it was an unsatisfying ending that I predicted early on and left a lot of loose ends. i don't know if that was because they're hoping for a second series, but I was not compelled enough by these episodes to probably watch further episodes should they exist. it was somehow simultaneously rushed and very slow. i liked the development of strength and independence in the female characters, but I wish we got a bit more context about their history/role in the cult setting to make it more powerful.

As someone who was born in one of the "cults" that this show was based on....it's kinda funny lol. They got the clothing down pretty good, but other than that they kind of whiffed

I loved it until the end 😭 no spoilers! I was just expecting something way more intense with the build up. Other than that I really enjoyed it.

Meh, it was “okay” I have more questions than answers in the last episode

I’m amazed Netflix hasn’t been sued by a bunch of authors 😂 I can think of at least 3 books off the top of my head that has pretty much the exact same plot, so much so I thought this was an adaptation of one of them 😂 but apparently not. I suppose it is a basic premise that probably goes back hundreds of years, so I was hoping they’d do something new and exciting with it but then they didn’t. Also the ending was rather abrupt.

I loved it. Twists you don’t see coming, karma brought to bad people. Clarity to those that blamed themselves. Deserved happy endings. Great piece of work.

Why doesn’t anyone act wasted when they’re wasted? All these people pounding whiskey still act like sober pilgrims.

The ending was so Meh! The storytelling fell flat in so many instances. Just an average watch.

This show is terrible. Legitimately, so bad. The cult is so trite and boring. Oh boy, another super religious cult that doesn't allow outsiders ***yawn***. And then the whole relationship between Sam and Rosie. So all of a sudden, this cult that's suuuuuuuper strict on women just allows her to do whatever the f*** she wants. I understand Mr. Philips accosted her and found her striking his wife, but that's all it took to give her free reign to f*** some criminal who "happened upon her cult?" This shit had to be written by AI. Oh, and Rosie's wife is GAY? WHAT A F****** TWIST! Don't waste your time on this dogshit trite romance story that uses a cult as an "interesting" setting. Edit: Also, any comments criticizing the show are automatically hidden while the ones praising it aren't. Huh.

I really like it… until the ending that made no sense. So no one thought to call the cops on him?

I am so confused by the 1 year later. Why didn't Rosie or Mrs Phillips tell the police the truth? They had nothing to risk and they knew Sam killed Isaac and framed Mr Phillips. It makes no sense.

I agree with what others are saying about it being stretched out. I enjoyed the sinister themes but I saw the end coming a mile away like during episode 2/6. I enjoyed the acting but didn't really enjoy the pacing 

Only someone who has been part of a cult knows just how realistic this series is. The things said, the actions that are completely at odds with the love of Christ. The high level of control. I nearly vomited watching some parts due to the triggers. To be cast out of your family through ostracism.

I watched episode 1 and gave up. I just couldn't get emotionally invested in it. From what I've read in reviews here and elsewhere, I'm glad I bailed. A big thanks to all the critics who gave up their time to watch it.

So did they just keep “mr Phillips” locked up forever?

Reminds me of Jehovah's WItnesses.

I found it really unbelievable. I am also surprised about he comments saying it was good acting because I didn’t buy the portrayal of pretty much any character. The cult seemed like a surface level cosplay of fundamentalist cults and didn’t seem like much research really went into displaying cult mentality. The women were able to leave the cult with far too much ease to be believable.

It could have been a really good movie or 3 episode series. The pacing was bad, and a lot was predictable.  By the time it came to the end I just wanted it to be over and ending was luke warm.

Well aside for its intriguing premise, there are still people making stupid choices and doing stupid things

I think it had a lot of promise, but it kind of degraded into cliche thriller/deeply unstable character that started to feel predictable. I think of more interesting story would have been a woman waking up through her own sexuality and new attraction to this man to thinking about and slowly coming to terms with leaving the cult, whether with him or on her own - or her maybe recognizing All the reasons she truly needs to leave the cult, by Sam becoming more integrated in it and watching him take on all of the patriarchal bullshit that she is starting to wake up to. and then decides to leave on her own instead! that could have been a cool empowering story. I like the side story idea of her husband also waking up to his own sentiments about being gay, and he could have also been attracted to the stranger, and that could have been but maybe he chooses to stay because the power and allure of the patriarchal power is too much to give up, now that could have been an interesting story! I do think with the ending where Sam becomes the leader, it is kind of talking about how the cult was already corrupted, and basically allow awful people to be in power, and that of course the perfect home for a psychopath is a cult leader. but...idk if that is really all that surprising or deep of a conclusion. I mean I guess they were going something around the idea that the corruption of the individual is reflected back or acts as a mirror for the community at large. I also can't believe that we never find out how Adam fared, or get an update one year later on how Rosie and Grace are doing. like the only update we really get is Sam! overall v meh from me.

Love it. Especially the agenda pushing if you catch my drift

I was so bored watching. Im just scrolling through my phone

Funny how it's always based on Christian faiths and not other ones, eh? Can't help but wonder why

Feels very constructed, like someone who never went to a small freechurch tried to make a movie about one. It has all the c**** movie cliches but the obvious is obvious. It's made by someone with little experience on the subject. Just the fact that they do communion shows this. Communion is a state church thing, not something you would see in a small religious cult. So.. big thumbs down from me. Didn't get past the first episode.