On November 12, 1998, Tom Wolfe wrote a critically acclaimed novel titled, A Man in Full, which consisted of 742 pages and was set around a real estate mogul in Atlanta. Now, over two decades later, Netflix and David E. Kelley have joined hands to release a 6-part limited series based on, or in this case, inspired by the source material. Spoiler alert: the Netflix series isn’t nearly as good as the novel was.
You can now stream all 6 episodes of A Man in Full on Netflix, or you can read our review of said series, which could possibly help you decide whether or not you want to add this series to your watchlist, especially with room for a weekend binge approaching. In this review, we will share more details of what worked and what didn’t work when it comes to A Man in Full!
A Man in Full is Miles Away from Being Extraordinary
For starters, let’s talk about the cast of A Man in Full, because this limited series has an ensemble to boast about, and no matter how we feel about A Man in Full as a whole, we also have to give credit where it’s due.
This Netflix series had a range of actors and actresses including Jeff Daniels, and yes, that is the man who played the role of Harry Dunne in the movie Dumb and Dumber, but we will let you decide whether his character in A Man in Full resembled Harry in any way possible. You can let us know the answer in the comment box below.
Of course, Daniels has the limelight on him in all 6 parts of the series, starting from a very lavish 60th birthday party which sets the tone for just how rich his character, Charlie Croker was. We say this because soon after his party, Croker has an unusual meeting with a bank which is the starting point of the imminent downfall of the protagonist, in this case, Croker.
Following that, there’s plenty of damage control when it comes to life, luxury, and everything in between, but despite that, A Man in Full felt a little stale.
But also, several other cast members who are a part of this tale including Sarah Jones, Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, Tom Pelphrey, Evan Roe, Jon Michael Hill, Bill Camp, and William Jackson Harper amongst several other unforgettable faces in a forgettable series.
When it comes to adapting Tom Wolfe’s novel, you know, the one with 742 pages, there were many creative changes made, which isn’t an uncommon thing, but sometimes it steered away a little too far from the source material and delivered lackluster subplots.
If you were looking for the next best thing to watch after the ever-so-successful series, Succession, then A Man in Full will not meet your expectations, even in the slightest. Maybe there were a few scenes here and there that could be compared to the HBO series, but beyond that, there is nothing. As a standalone, A Man in Full got the job done, barely, but it did.
Conclusion
A Man in Full isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you can stick around for Jeff Daniels’ performance in the series, which according to us, was a silver lining. We would love to know your thoughts on A Man in Full in the comments below!