The comic book The Sandman by Neil Gaiman is, without exaggeration, a legendary work that should be recommended to absolutely everyone. Yes, it is far from a fact that you will like it or will be understandable, but this is one of the rare comics that demonstrates all the advantages of the chosen format, takes the medium to a new level and, in general, is unlikely to ever lose its relevance. It is almost impossible to adapt something like this into a film, because The Sandman relies too much on the features of comics, but this did not prevent Netflix from releasing the series. Which loses to the original source in almost everything, but the greatness of the latter is so monumental that even a somewhat secondary show still turned out to be beautiful, interesting and sometimes masterpiece.
| Name | "The Sandman" / The Sandman |
| Genre | fantasy, drama |
| Director | Allan Heinberg |
| Cast | Tom Sturridge, Gwendoline Christie, Vivien Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, Stephen Fry and others |
| Channel | Netflix |
| Episodes | 23 |
| Years | 2022-2025 |
| Link | IMDb |
The family of the Limitless rules over concepts that even the gods would be ashamed of. However, this does not guarantee that the Limitless themselves are immune to problems. This is something that Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), who has many names, but the most telling is the Dream, has experienced firsthand. He spent a hundred years in captivity due to human ambition, and during this time everything has changed. Now the Dream King’s task is to restore his former power and establish order in the bizarre nature of dreams. However, not everyone shares his views, and various mythical creatures, personifications of phenomena and even other Limitless have their own ideas about what the Dream should be.
I won't hide anything: I adore the comic The Sandman and consider it one of the monumental achievements of modern culture. The Ukrainian publishing house "Ridna Mova" has just translated all ten volumes and some high-quality spinoffs, so I highly recommend it. That's why when I watched The Sandman, I couldn't stop comparing the series with the comic. This is a bit of a misguided path, because it is highly likely that millions of viewers got to see the adventures of the Sandman without knowing the original source - and got great pleasure from the non-trivial story. So take into account the author's position when reading this review.
However, even I can't say that there's anything blatantly wrong with The Sandman. It's a show with a unique world, interesting and thoughtful dialogue, lots of unconventional situations, and crazy characters that you start to care about almost instantly after five minutes. Plus, it's an almost verbatim recreation of the original comics. Yes, sacrificing some phrases or moments, but all the key scenes at the beginning of the show conveyed the spirit of the original source perfectly.
That changed with the second season. The Sandman's defining feature as a comic is its non-linear plot and constant shifting of focus from Sleep to other characters. The first season attempted to recreate a similar structure, albeit on a smaller scale, and it mostly succeeded. However, the show's creators said that many viewers found it difficult to follow this format. So The Sandman became as focused on Morpheus as possible in the second season.
And this is not directly bad, but it definitely reduces the overall level of creativity. In general, it is extremely strange how a show about dreams, an ephemeral and elusive phenomenon, closer to the finale tries to become straightforward and clear for everyone, as if acquiring a physical form. This would have been suitable for any other story, but definitely not The Sandman.
Or take, for example, the visual component. Costumes, sets, even computer graphics, which are often "limping" in modern projects, - in The Sandman with all this is in perfect order. It even begins to seem that the real reason for Netflix's reluctance to allocate more seasons to this story is the high cost of CGI and other visual design. However, the comic book drawing conveys the chaotic essence of dreams much better, and the structure of the distribution of objects on the pages creates an additional level of immersion in the Dream Kingdom.
Call me a snob who doesn't accept anything new. However, let's look at The Sandman from the perspective of someone who has never read comics and the vast majority of the characters in the show will be completely new to them, even if they are based on real legends.
From this perspective, the show's main strength is undoubtedly its cast. Tom Sturridge as Morpheus is a perfect fit. He manages to embody the alienation, melancholy and barely noticeable vulnerability of the ancient being who is both the master of dreams and their prisoner. His deep voice and minimalist facial expressions perfectly convey the character of a character who is more of an observer than an actor.
But the real gems are the supporting characters. Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer exudes a majestic menace, Boyd Holbrook as the Corinthian is both charming and creepy, and Jenna Coleman as Joanna Constantine is a delightful twist on the famous exorcist. But the emotional heart of the entire series is Death, played by Kirby Havell-Baptiste. Her appearance in episode six is perhaps the best hour of television in years: warm, wise, and compassionate, she provides catharsis and forces you to look at the very concept of the end of life.
For a new viewer, the series is not without structural problems, on the contrary - they may seem even more tangible. The pace of the show is very leisurely, meditative. For some, this will be an opportunity to immerse themselves in a bizarre world and enjoy the atmosphere, but for many others, watching will turn into a test.
The series demands maximum attention and patience from the audience, which in the era of fast content can be off-putting. In addition, while watching, there is a certain disconnect between different plot arcs, for example, between the search for the artifacts of the Dream and the story of Rose Walker. In the comic, everything looked organic, but in the format of the series it gives the impression that the different seasons were glued together into one whole, which can be confusing.
Yet The Sandman shines brightest when it strays from the main plot and allows itself to be a sort of anthology of individual stories. It's in these episodes that Gaiman's universe's full potential is revealed: it's not about epic battles, but about quiet, intimate stories that explore the deepest aspects of human and non-human existence. It's a shame that the series doesn't always dare to go this route, especially in the second season, which favors a more traditional narrative.
Ultimately, The Sandman is an ambitious, visually stunning, and incredibly faithful project that is a small miracle in and of itself. For comic book fans, it's a long-awaited treat that offers a fresh look at their favorite characters. For new viewers, it's a unique opportunity to experience one of the most imaginative fantasy stories of our time.
However, its slow pace, peculiar structure, and decision to simplify the narrative in season two make it far from perfect. It's a beautiful but imperfect dream from which you sometimes want to wake up.