I absolutely loved The Terminal List! It's hard to even describe how much better this show was than I was expecting. First of all, Chris Pratt was terrific as the lead. He proved that he can do more than comedy and action with this dramatic performance and how he continues to grow as an actor. Pratt shows once again why he's one of the biggest actors on the planet right now. I know this is a mini-series but there is plenty of ways they can make this into a few seasons worth of great television. This action packed thriller will keep your heart pounding and wanting to binge this as fast as you can. If you haven't seen this amazing show yet then do yourself a favor and go watch it as soon as possible!
1,497 Reviews
Loved It!
Supermanfan-139 September 2022
The Terminal List is an action packed thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat throughout the entire series. It's absolutely loaded with star power led by Chris Pratt and also has incredible performances by the rest of this great cast including Taylor Kitsch, Riley Keough, Jai Courtney, Constance Wu, JD Pardo and Jeanine Tripplehorn just name a few. You don't get that kind of star power (especially Pratt) for a tv show unless you have a good show on your hands. This show is full of action but it's not a mindless action show, it has a good story that keeps you entertained throughout the show.
James Reece (Pratt) is a commander of a Navy Seals platoon that's wiped out except for him and his buddy. He gets a concussion and when explains to his bosses what happened they tell him he's wrong and have their own story of what actually happened. They keep telling him he's wrong and the trauma is why he's not remembering but it's much deeper than that. The only who who believes him is his buddy (Kitsch). Turns out he is right and the US Gov't has an agenda and are against Reece, who's a decorated and respected soldier. What is the Gov't trying to protect? Again, it's a great action show that will absolutely keep you entertained!
James Reece (Pratt) is a commander of a Navy Seals platoon that's wiped out except for him and his buddy. He gets a concussion and when explains to his bosses what happened they tell him he's wrong and have their own story of what actually happened. They keep telling him he's wrong and the trauma is why he's not remembering but it's much deeper than that. The only who who believes him is his buddy (Kitsch). Turns out he is right and the US Gov't has an agenda and are against Reece, who's a decorated and respected soldier. What is the Gov't trying to protect? Again, it's a great action show that will absolutely keep you entertained!
Un-Apologetically entertaining!
loco_733 July 2022
This is the type of entertainment that used to get made on a fairly regular basis yesteryear. Not anymore. Shows like this one are far and few between these days. A show which doesn't preach, insult or attack it's audiences or tries to force-feed a specific message of anykind. It is a series that is unabashedly entertaining, interesting and a pleasure to watch start to finish. The themes and ideas of this show are woven into the storyline and plot points as well as the journey of the characters. No empty virtue signalling or moral grand-standing here.
"The Terminal List" is an edge of your seat mystery-spy-action-thriller with a healthy dose of revenge seeking thrown in there, one that while not necessarily breaking any new ground (there are other similarly-themed series and movies of varying levels of quality) still manages to feel fresh and put it's own spin on the genre.
The show is not necessarily an easy watch and is at times grim and darkly-themed. But that is part and parcel of the story and the different paths the characters have to undertake. Which is also what makes for such compelling viewing.
Some may point to perhaps the overly long run of the episodes. I personally, do not mind that one bit. The series is eight episodes long...and you actually get your money's worth. I am sick and tired of these series that are only six to eight episodes, where individual episodes sometimes a have a forty minutes or less runtime...looking at you Disney Plus! Besides, this is actually a positive, because it allows the show to breathe, the story to unfold properly and the characters to actually develop in a meaningful way.
In addition, perhaps most importantly, this a very solid, well made, cast, acted, written and directed series. I am aware that it is based on the books by James Carr (I'm assuming this series will get more seasons), which I have not read. It speaks to the effectiveness of the series, that it draws those like myself, who have not read the source material, to this world and characters. Of special mention is the pilot/ first episode, directed by Antoine Fuqua himself, who puts on a clinic on how to properly start a show and set the tone. Chris Pratt is no doubt a standout here but by no means the only one. Taylor Kitsch, Constance Wu, JD Pardo, Riley Keough, Jane Tripplehorn, Jay Courtney are all good in their respective roles, as are others not mentioned here. The cinematography, action sequences, the music also nicely round off the whole deal.
"The Terminal List" is an example of talented people in front and behind the camera, working on a project they care about and are invested in.
"The Terminal List" is an edge of your seat mystery-spy-action-thriller with a healthy dose of revenge seeking thrown in there, one that while not necessarily breaking any new ground (there are other similarly-themed series and movies of varying levels of quality) still manages to feel fresh and put it's own spin on the genre.
The show is not necessarily an easy watch and is at times grim and darkly-themed. But that is part and parcel of the story and the different paths the characters have to undertake. Which is also what makes for such compelling viewing.
Some may point to perhaps the overly long run of the episodes. I personally, do not mind that one bit. The series is eight episodes long...and you actually get your money's worth. I am sick and tired of these series that are only six to eight episodes, where individual episodes sometimes a have a forty minutes or less runtime...looking at you Disney Plus! Besides, this is actually a positive, because it allows the show to breathe, the story to unfold properly and the characters to actually develop in a meaningful way.
In addition, perhaps most importantly, this a very solid, well made, cast, acted, written and directed series. I am aware that it is based on the books by James Carr (I'm assuming this series will get more seasons), which I have not read. It speaks to the effectiveness of the series, that it draws those like myself, who have not read the source material, to this world and characters. Of special mention is the pilot/ first episode, directed by Antoine Fuqua himself, who puts on a clinic on how to properly start a show and set the tone. Chris Pratt is no doubt a standout here but by no means the only one. Taylor Kitsch, Constance Wu, JD Pardo, Riley Keough, Jane Tripplehorn, Jay Courtney are all good in their respective roles, as are others not mentioned here. The cinematography, action sequences, the music also nicely round off the whole deal.
"The Terminal List" is an example of talented people in front and behind the camera, working on a project they care about and are invested in.
WOW! We need more series like this!
deacon_blues-886323 July 2022
Awesome production value, cinematography, acting, writing, dialogue, and action sequences. I can't see any weak aspects, but I gave it a 9 just to be restrained. Could very easily been a 10! Maybe an actual specops person would be more critical, but that's not me. Loved every second of it! Sad it ever had to end!
Amazon outdoing Netflix.
Nemesis426 July 2022
Prime isn't mucking around when it comes to hiring coherent creative ensembles for their projects. This is a terrifically well made story, expertly executed in all departments. The final twist was the only failure for me but you decide.
Outstanding emotional arcs, perfect casting and writing. The flashback sequence the last time he's in his house was so well done and appropriate - the montage rose up to meet the strong need for it at that point in the story. A perfect symphony between form and narrative.
Outstanding emotional arcs, perfect casting and writing. The flashback sequence the last time he's in his house was so well done and appropriate - the montage rose up to meet the strong need for it at that point in the story. A perfect symphony between form and narrative.
Revenge is a dish best served by Chris Pratt
DeadMansTrousers11 July 2022
Ignore the critics they have no idea what they are talking about. This is probably the best show I have streamed all year. I couldn't wait to watch the next episode and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I enjoyed seeing Chris Pratt in a serious role where he isn't constantly used as the comedic relief and he did a great job as such. This is a great entry in the revenge genre and I seriously recommend it if you are considering watching it.
One of the best action-thrillers series I've seen in years
jon-226436 July 2022
It's almost perfect, and deserves a 10 thanks to the huge cast (lots of great actors), and amazing scenes, almost impossible to stop watching once you start it's that good. Great job by a pro production, tight story, the director and his team made a very good job and well as as the camera and technical team, reliable characters, and all actors as well as stunts are putting a lot of efforts, so the results is very powerful. It is very surprising to see Chris plays a serious role, no comedy no jokes, nothing is cheesy here, just painful, serious, cold character, and it's suits him so well that I wonder how it affect some of his next action roles, he can play a deep and dramatic character in thrillers. Must see, satisfaction guaranteed!
Lighting is horrible
sviaqbzg6 July 2022
Really Good Show! (Critics are predictably ignorable)
umrebel6 July 2022
This show is genuinely intriguing. For the first few episodes you are wondering what is real versus what is imagined by Reese because of his head trauma. But, this show is a good solid production. Exciting, dramatic, and even touching at times. It's despicable how much critics hate Chris Pratt IRL because he is vocal about traditional family values, and equally wrong that they bring that obvious animous into their reviews, rather than just giving an honest take on the quality of the show. When users en masse dislike a 'woke hot mess' of a show, critics are quick to call it review-bombing, but if they do the same thing to a great show because they don't like an actor IRL... perfectly fine? I highly recommend you watch this show, not only because it is genuinely good, but as a middle finger to critics who are incapable of keeping their political biases out of entertainment reviews. 93% user rating. Enough said. Enjoy!
A passable thriller but seen it all before
Dave Addo1 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I don't quite understand the 8+ overall rating for this show. It was OK, I enjoyed it enough to watch it right through, but it was pretty average in most respects.
The 'man seeks revenge for death of wife/child/family' has been done to death, and this didn't really bring much new to the genre. Pratt's unreliability due to a brain tumour was a nice twist, but we've seen that in other series and movies before (usually amnesia caused by head trauma).
I love Chris Pratt, and he was pretty decent in the role, and while the nature of the role meant he had to be suitably dour throughout, it did become a bit depressing after a while. I also found the early episodes quite slow in parts.
Characters like Jai Courtney's baddie Steve Horn were so cookie-cutter. You could tell just by the haircut that he was a baddie the first time you saw him, and he played to all the tropes.
And the episode where Chris is on the run in the bush, while actually quite exciting at times, was pretty unbelievable. Maybe my grasp of technology isn't so good, but I doubt the thermal imaging camera tracking him would confuse a couple of tiny batteries for a human (do batteries even give off heat when not in use??).
This was certainly watchable, but I was expecting much better.
The 'man seeks revenge for death of wife/child/family' has been done to death, and this didn't really bring much new to the genre. Pratt's unreliability due to a brain tumour was a nice twist, but we've seen that in other series and movies before (usually amnesia caused by head trauma).
I love Chris Pratt, and he was pretty decent in the role, and while the nature of the role meant he had to be suitably dour throughout, it did become a bit depressing after a while. I also found the early episodes quite slow in parts.
Characters like Jai Courtney's baddie Steve Horn were so cookie-cutter. You could tell just by the haircut that he was a baddie the first time you saw him, and he played to all the tropes.
And the episode where Chris is on the run in the bush, while actually quite exciting at times, was pretty unbelievable. Maybe my grasp of technology isn't so good, but I doubt the thermal imaging camera tracking him would confuse a couple of tiny batteries for a human (do batteries even give off heat when not in use??).
This was certainly watchable, but I was expecting much better.
It's goooood
jaimemedina-362881 July 2022
I'm usually not a Chris Pratt fan. I hated the idiotically named "Tomorrow War". But The Terminal List absolutely delivers. It's gritty and tense, violent and engaging. It rings ever so slightly like a Jack Ryan movie with threads of the Manchurian Candidate. It keeps you thinking and keeps you watching. Perfect weekend binge.
Entertaining but dragged out
lasse-454-8550395 July 2022
Enough action to keep you interested but way too many dream sequences especially towards the end makes you feel like cutting out an episode or two would have made this a bit more dynamic experience. Also takes itself way too seriously considering the lucky breaks and plot armor the main character has.
Oh, no ... another flashback.
alexboyteh18 July 2022
It is interesting about 10-20% of each episode, the rest is filled with unnecessary dialogue and melodrama.
Flashbacks are almost useless and due to them the story often loses momentum, leaving the impression that they are made only to lengthen the episode.
I found myself in the situation where I began to use the fast forward, often jumping over flash-back scenes.
The lighting is poor, it is too dark, even if the character is within 30 cm of a lamp, his face it is barely visible.
The music is generic but acceptable.
I understand the high marks he received here because he is well played and Chris Pratt is great here, but I am disappointed because it could have been an exceptional television show but it manages to be only mediocre.
Flashbacks are almost useless and due to them the story often loses momentum, leaving the impression that they are made only to lengthen the episode.
I found myself in the situation where I began to use the fast forward, often jumping over flash-back scenes.
The lighting is poor, it is too dark, even if the character is within 30 cm of a lamp, his face it is barely visible.
The music is generic but acceptable.
I understand the high marks he received here because he is well played and Chris Pratt is great here, but I am disappointed because it could have been an exceptional television show but it manages to be only mediocre.
Revenge and standard motives
MoistMovies2 July 2022
Seen some of this before, but the execution was very well done.
Chris, when he's not restrained by Jurassic Park crud. Has pretty decent range of emotions for a modern actor. I'd like to see him take on some very heavy subjects that are not just action.
He could pull off a great role in the right type of indie horror film from A24 productions.
Much more respect to him after this series.
I won't go into plot, but it's Chris's show. He executive produced and obviously had a lot of say in this. Not making it politically biased like so many films are now.
Great escapism for 7hr It's shot well and the military aspects seem well researched so a squad moves tactically and they shoot properly. Not John wick style.
I think I saw 1 score votes purely for being too dark in some scenes..... adjust your tv.... far out people. Contrast and brightness are changeable....
Chris, when he's not restrained by Jurassic Park crud. Has pretty decent range of emotions for a modern actor. I'd like to see him take on some very heavy subjects that are not just action.
He could pull off a great role in the right type of indie horror film from A24 productions.
Much more respect to him after this series.
I won't go into plot, but it's Chris's show. He executive produced and obviously had a lot of say in this. Not making it politically biased like so many films are now.
Great escapism for 7hr It's shot well and the military aspects seem well researched so a squad moves tactically and they shoot properly. Not John wick style.
I think I saw 1 score votes purely for being too dark in some scenes..... adjust your tv.... far out people. Contrast and brightness are changeable....
Really good. Not understanding critics.
ztigr4 July 2022
Don't worry, there are no politics here left or right. You'll definitely feel a bit conflicted about the protaganist at times, and wonder if he is going too far. There is particularly one scene on a beach that gives you pause. Its an engrossing thriller about a man that has nothing left to lose.
Powerful great thriller series
sk-mckenzie1 July 2022
Wow this beat my expectations as I a am a fan of the books and was not sure how this was going to be. It is really good - Pratt does an excellent job with the PTS and showing by his features and face the internal turmoil of loss and trauma. Production values are solid and the story is well paced and each episode makes me want more. Plus I buy into the whole premise of people needing to pay a price. This thriller is not for the faint of heart I highly recommend it. And for the book series the audible version is also excellent. I listen to it on long runs or hikes.
Watched it a second time with my son who also enjoyed it and was reading the book at the same time - big thumbs up for us and episodes 4 and 5 were stand outs for different reasons and the whole progression of action to psychological thriller to conspiracy thriller to a time of reckoning works really well.
Watched it a second time with my son who also enjoyed it and was reading the book at the same time - big thumbs up for us and episodes 4 and 5 were stand outs for different reasons and the whole progression of action to psychological thriller to conspiracy thriller to a time of reckoning works really well.
Almost No Politics. Just Entertainment.
johnh2210 July 2022
The Terminal List is a revenge thriller. It's not like Death Wish or John Wick, it's more military oriented, a little like Seal Team with a revenge twist.
Grades: Plot: C. Production: B. Acting: B+. Constance Wu and Taylor Kitsch had standout acting performances.
Bottom line: Dramatic moments, along with Constance Wu and Taylor Kitsch makes this show pretty good. But, best of all, like Reacher, this show (with some casting exceptions) was close to being ideologically neutral - no preachy messaging in the dialogue at least.
P. S. The dark screen/ lighting complaints is puzzling to me. If I can't see the screen, I simply turn off the lights in my living room. It's a simple fix. I have an old t.v. And had no problems.
Grades: Plot: C. Production: B. Acting: B+. Constance Wu and Taylor Kitsch had standout acting performances.
Bottom line: Dramatic moments, along with Constance Wu and Taylor Kitsch makes this show pretty good. But, best of all, like Reacher, this show (with some casting exceptions) was close to being ideologically neutral - no preachy messaging in the dialogue at least.
P. S. The dark screen/ lighting complaints is puzzling to me. If I can't see the screen, I simply turn off the lights in my living room. It's a simple fix. I have an old t.v. And had no problems.
Ohhhhh yea, I'm in
bmiller594 July 2022
If it's got Chris Pratt, it won't take much to get me to watch it. Not knowing anything about The Terminal List, written by Jack Carr I had to watch the first episode and now I'm moving on to episode #2. This is a great genre for Chris Pratt. He seems to alway embody a light hearted guy, but in this he's got an edge, and it works.
This first episode ended so that you HAVE to move on to episode 2..
Cannot wait to get into this series.
This first episode ended so that you HAVE to move on to episode 2..
Cannot wait to get into this series.
If Rambo, Jacob's Ladder, and John Wick had a baby
jsbachglory6 July 2022
The Terminal List manages to avoid clichés, but at the same time it all feels rather familiar. The scenes don't feel particularly engaging, at times when they probably should, yet the overarching story manages to drag you through to the end. If you're not expecting the world, this show will likely suffice, and maybe even entertain at times. There is some decent action, and it never really lands in any pitfalls, it just doesn't really stand out either.
Don't listen to "Hollywood" critics
antdizzle2 July 2022
This show an is action packed throw back to the adrenaline packed, masculine hits of the past. Chris Pratt gets hate for who he is in Hollywood but he brings it here along with Taylor Kitsch in a heart pounding thrill ride of a show.
Not very original and it was really predictable, but still ok
keithnicholas-725125 July 2022
I quite liked this, but it was really predictable right from episode one. So it was a bit disappointing, especially as they tried to build the "twist", but it was mostly wasted effort.
The story itself is not too original either, wronged special forces dude who then goes and kicks everyones ass, while getting damaged, and un ending amount of close calls. Typical "bad" guys. Etc
I think the whole thing could have been done a lot better, a lot more grittier, a better story, better setup, etc.
Having said all that, it is really watchable, even though I knew roughly how it was going to play out, I enjoyed watching it happen. Chris is a good actor and I think did a good job here. If you enjoy rogue soldier against the world story lines, this is worth a watch, but otherwise you might want to give it a miss.
The story itself is not too original either, wronged special forces dude who then goes and kicks everyones ass, while getting damaged, and un ending amount of close calls. Typical "bad" guys. Etc
I think the whole thing could have been done a lot better, a lot more grittier, a better story, better setup, etc.
Having said all that, it is really watchable, even though I knew roughly how it was going to play out, I enjoyed watching it happen. Chris is a good actor and I think did a good job here. If you enjoy rogue soldier against the world story lines, this is worth a watch, but otherwise you might want to give it a miss.
Dark
miketc-667961 July 2022
The method used to film this is very dark. I suggest these wonderful dark pioneers go a couple of shades darker to create an entirely new way to film. I'm gonna call it RADIO!. Hopefully these RADIO pioneers will store their invention up a very dark place.
Fabulous show - back to basics! Chris Pratt is fantastic. Just please, for the love of God, drop the dark/noir filter!
modurand7 July 2022
I'm seriously enjoying this show. This is the kind of entertainment we've been needing so desperately. No woke politics, no BS, just plain old good TV that lets you unwind after a day of madness. Chris Pratt is at his best! He really shines in this role, and I hope to see him in more roles like this. My very only complaint is the dark filter. On the sunniest of LA days, it looks like they're in the dark. I have to struggle in many scenes to see what's going on. I'm not sure why some shows/movies lately think this is the way to go, but it seriously is NOT. Or at the very least, maybe not have such a heavy hand about it. With less of a dark filter, this is a 10/10, hands down.
Easily thr best show on TV
iamjamalwhite4 July 2022
Read the book last month at the recommendation of a SEAL buddy, wow! And yes, the TV show does it justice. As a retired, career veteran, we notice the little things. This show gets those right. Pratt is a Sierra Hotel stud just like in the book. Just massively great! Must see TV. Hope it goes on through the whole series plus more!
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