★★★★☆
Rian Johnson is back doing what he does best, creating fascinating mysteries. With Poker Face, he’s really hit the nail on the head. Read our full review.
Rian Johnson seems to have single-handedly brought the whodunnit genre back to life? Would something like See How They Run ever have seen the light of day or attracted such a starry cast without the success of Knives Out?
Johnson perfected the formula with last year’s Glass Onion and Poker Face feels like a natural companion to the Knives Out films. Poker Face originally aired in the US earlier this year, whilst us UK peasants have been salivating for the chance to witness the latest Rian Johnson whodunnit. Or 10 of them, in fact.
It’s a pleasure to say that Poker Face more than matches the inevitable hype it comes with. It’s a tight, ripe and thoroughly entertaining crime saga with impeccable talent both in front of and behind the camera. Sure, it’s not exactly a whodunnit; we often see the murder happen so we’re in on who did it, but nevertheless, Poker Face is riveting.
When her friend is murdered, Charlie Cale, a woman with a knack for identifying lies, investigates. Credit: Sky
The series follows Charlie (Natasha Lyonne), a cocktail waitress with an impossible gift: she can naturally sense whether or not a person is lying. The plot is kickstarted when her friend accidentally uncovers a criminal scheme at the casino they both work at and pays for it with her life.
Charlie then stumbles onto the same scheme, which prompts her to leave town. The rest of the series throws Charlie around the country as she flees from Cliff (Benjamin Bratt). Completely by chance, Charlie keeps stumbling upon murders that she then solves with her unique talent.
Poker Face is a particularly starry affair. Lyonne is a wonderful lead but each episode features an ensemble cast stronger than the one before. Guest stars include, but are not limited to, Adrien Brody, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hong Chau, Chloë Sevigny and Jameela Jamil.
So many big stars in one TV show might have become a distraction but under Johnson and a team of efficient, intelligent writers, Poker Face is able to maintain a tight focus on Charlie. Each episode reserves about 15 minutes to the new characters, which ensures that things don’t go off the rails completely.
More than anything, Poker Face is very smartly crafted. Each mystery is constructed meticulously and even when we, the audience, know how it all happened, it’s a joy to watch Lyonne work it out. The current TV landscape is filled with big network juggernauts such as Succession and Yellowjackets, but Poker Face injects much more fun into its narrative. Rather than trying to give its audience as much anxiety as possible, Poker Face reminds us that entertainment can – and should – be fun.
Lyonne is, as expected, terrific as Charlie. Anyone familiar with her work in Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll or in the queer classic But I’m a Cheerleader knows she’s a magnetic tour de force on screen. She is supported by the talented guest stars but this is really the Charlie Cale show.
Johnson directs the first two episodes as well as another episode later, but the rest of the series is in fine hands. Janicza Bravo, Lucky McKee and Lyonne herself direct episodes and there are no weak links. What slightly bogs Poker Face down is the runtime. Each episode lasts nearly an hour and can sometimes feel a little stretched. Some of the quirkiness of the writing loses its charm by episode 8 and Poker Face almost becomes exhausting. Almost, but never quite.
All episodes of Poker Face are available on Sky Max and NOW from 26 May
