Pam & Tommy

It's pretty wild to find an eight-part series about the first internet sex tape on Disney+. What surprised me even more was how well-executed it was. Sure, the premise is a pop-culture goldmine that’s bound to attract a lot of viewers. However, eight episodes for this story feels a bit stretched; a 90-minute film would have sufficed and probably been just as effective. There are two standout elements in this series. First, the performances by Lily James and Sebastian Stan are near genius. Sebastian owns the first half of the series as the eccentric Tommy Lee, while the stunning Lily James takes over in the second half, arguably looking even more striking than Pamela Anderson herself. So, there’s definitely eye candy for everyone. The second highlight is the fantastic 90s vibe. From the early days of the internet to a killer soundtrack and the absurdities of that era, it's all there and wonderfully nostalgic. The talking penis? Classic Seth Rogen humor, adding his signature stoner jokes into the mix. (09/09/2022)

An overlong series about the single affair from Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's brief marriage. By any measure, it's a show that makes a fetish out of the 1990s, VHS porn, the beginnings of the internet (the Lees' first encounter with the internet takes place in a public library), the makeup artists have also gone all out, and finally, the question of guilt and innocence is raised. The world has changed, even porn stars are giving etiquette speeches on today's shows. Well, at least on Hulu. The flashbacks from when Pam started shooting for Playboy at a very young age are beautiful. Her affair is interesting in retrospect, especially on the issue of media, law, and technology. Still, I think a max two-part TV movie would have been more than enough. There has been and will be more than enough thematic material. Soon, a documentary will pop up on Netflix, a new edition of Barb Wire will be released, and the entire internet will once again view Playboy covers from 1989-2016, and then it will all be over again. (19/03/2022)

The world famous sex tape from the very beginnings of the internet had a fairly unsettled destiny. Pam & Tommy successfully oscillates between comedy, drama and often presents unbelievable situations from the lives of the three protagonists with almost documentary precision. Lily James is fantastic as Pamela and Sebastian Stan, in his role of a lifetime, almost steals the entire show. Rogen’s carpenter is simply another loser who you will feel sorry for and hate at the same time. Every detail of the nineties’ atmosphere is enthralling. The closer we get to the end, the more disturbing the media massage that destroyed this relationship between two people became. Ok, these people were pretty weird, but right for each other. (14/03/2022)

I was between three and four stars and ended up leaning towards a lower rating, but the series is still above average, mainly due to the great performances of the actors with and without make-up. The predictable plot isn't such a hit parade and I was downright bothered by the ending, which kind of fizzles out, leaving no feeling, nothing. It think it would be better as a movie. (09/07/2022)

The essence of the nineties, which was most authentic at the times when she was the most insane and her smile the most frozen. Against the backdrop of a sticky scandal, a few unlucky individuals suffer the loss of their ideals and mild mental decay, a fascinating journey via the internet, and all the evils that entails – and above all, a sad story about how one girl had to grow up simply because you can't be a sex symbol and a character actress at the same time. I didn't care much for Pamela in elementary school and saw Tommy as nothing more than a hollow stump, yet I almost cried at every bump or barrier in their later lives. Lily James and Sebastian Stan were bold casting decisions, but ones that paid off a hundredfold. Their look, their expressions, words, smiles, and mutual chemistry. I would gladly go for a second season with all the good and even the rather bad (the latter of which is usually unavoidable with stuff that's been thrown together), just so I could watch them interact a little while longer. (26/12/2022)