‘Amazing Stories’ Episode 1 Review: ‘The Cellar’ blends romance and time travel but ends with a big yawn
Spoiler Alert for 'Amazing Stories' Episode 1 — 'The Cellar'
Just like you can't judge a book by its cover, you cannot judge an anthology series by its first episode. 'Amazing Stories' sets a difficult task at hand as it hopes to transport the audience to a world of wonder. Sadly, the first episode doesn't manage to strike the right chord.
A reimagining of the original anthology series from the 1980s, the first episode, 'The Cellar', stars Dylan O’Brien, Victoria Pedretti and Sasha Alexander. With Steven Spielberg's name attached to the high-profile project, the first hour-long drama doesn't spill brilliance as expected. In the typical "ordinary-meets-extraordinary" style, the fantasy drama attempts to uncloak the hidden aspects of technological marvel and time travel.
The hourlong tale begins with two brothers, Sam (Dylan O'Brien) and Jake (Micah Stock), who get set to restore a house destroyed by a fierce storm. As they enter the antique house, Jake seems to be pretty impressed with the place, but Sam is busy left-swiping and right-swiping on Tinder. He stumbles upon an old box with peculiar memorabilia, especially a gorgeous woman's photograph. His brother jokes, "You know you can't swipe such things."
As they continue to work around the house, they find an old barometer. It can make you travel in time. How convenient was it to bring a device that "somehow" makes a sound in Sam's ears and he travels through time to enter another dimension? Wow! Guess we all just need a good old barometer to fix mistakes from our past and catch a glimpse of the future.
He reaches an old era. It is the year 1919. He finds the same girl from the vintage photograph playing the piano. Once there, he looks at the regressive state of society. Whether it is her interest in music or marrying her choice of man — Evelyn Porter (Victoria Pedretti) apparently can't move a finger without approval. "William will not understand your perverse taste in music," Paula Porter (Sasha Alexander) tells her. Isn't that how women were shut out from following their own passions or honing their talents in olden times? Perhaps, this is the only junction where the story makes a little sense.
It is odd how Sam becomes such a huge influence in her life in just one day. From saving her vinyl records to making her realize her real potential when she sings 'After You've Gone' on stage — he is indeed her very own time traveler. And no surprises, it is he who tells her how she deserves to be free, to be happy... as if she didn't know on her own. Yawn! And in a matter of minutes, the two fall in love.
Why are romantic movies so clichéd? None of the dialogues mint magic. The couple mumbles what we've heard and read in countless love stories. In the middle of the episode, you can't help but wonder, what's new?
The two start staying together and wait until her wedding day. Like time travel is a joke! Gah! The plot leads to the same old boy-meets-girl drama where the pair tries to run off and the other lover turns up like a villain. Exactly at that moment, his ears start ringing again. He goes back into the present time. Not able to forget her, he tries to use the barometer again. "Come on," he mutters to the barometer and it works. Magic words, indeed! This time, he enters the future and Evelyn seems to have achieved her dreams of becoming a singer. She sings a lullaby and kisses goodnight to put her son Sam to sleep.
A tear drops from Sam's eye and he makes his mind to "save" her from the 1919 era. After a difficult ordeal, he lets her escape and stays back instead of her. Of course, he has to be the self-sacrificing prince charming. When Jake comes looking for Sam, he finds Evelyn instead. He realizes Sam sacrificed himself to save her. A few days later, Evelyn and Jake find letters beneath the wooden shaft. Sam pens down: "As much as you belong in the future, I belong in the past. I found my place. All thanks to you. I have a life."
While O'Brien manages to give a good performance, Pedretti's over-acting is a downer in several scenes. Sasha Alexander too brings a powerful performance in the few scenes she acts. However, it is the story that disappoints. What could be an interesting concept seems like a dull, drowsy saga with no head or tail. Sadly, the episode only deserves a generous two stars. Time will tell if the Spielberg-produced series manages to make up for the half-witted science fiction in its pilot, or turns out to be a bummer.