The Consultant (2023) User Reviews

This site is a joke

[tscruton1028 · 7/10 · 26 February 2023]

First off, whoever listed this as a comedy and wrote the description clearly didn't watch the show at all. It is most definitely NOT a comedy. It has some mildly amusing moments, but pinning down exactly what it is isn't so simple. It's a Twilight Zone-ish drama/mystery/thriller that doesn't easily fall into one category. Solid performances and an intriguing story make it an interesting watch.

Christoph Waltz alone is worth watching as always. By the way, if your review contains spoilers mark it. At least one other review on here is giving away major plot points with no warning whatsoever. I've met the minimum character limit now.

Strong Start, Weak Finish

[twistedgiraff3 · 6/10 · 8 March 2023]

I recently binged this show over the course of a couple days. I rate it a 6, slightly above average. It is based on a book I believe--I haven't read it for the record. I want to begin by saying the plot just didn't really make sense to me both in terms of how it progresses and how it ends. I am not against leaving stories open-ended or ambiguous. Sometimes leaving it to the viewers to interpret or imagine in their heads is a powerful tool, but in this case it does not work well. There is not enough information provided to the viewer to make sense of the ending in a satisfying way in my opinion.

As I have seen some other reviews mention, Christopher Waltz does a great job and I found his character humorous and well-acted, but he alone cannot make a confusing story make sense. There is one interpretation that the show does seem to hint at, but I don't know how to describe it other than unsatisfying and very surface-level.

Some other slight issues I had were that like the premise that eventually gets explained of why the consultant is there didn't make much sense to me unless the show takes place in a universe full of overly naive people. People committing huge criminal acts and the authorities apparently don't really care. The show is about a video game company, but the game they make look like it's a game from 2010. I could easily look past issues like these if in service of receiving a good story, but the payoff just wasn't there for me. My review may seem harsh but overall, it is worth a watch because it is visually entertaining and it starts off strong.

Fun!

[gallagherkellie · 7/10 · 25 February 2023]

I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews which is a bit weird because I usually side with the majority of reviews on here. Maybe people were thinking too deeply into this. I saw it as a comedic creepy thriller, with a few laugh out loud moments and a few shocking moments and a few silly moments.

I love Christoph Waltz, he can do no wrong in my eyes! He's a great actor.

The rest of the acting was well done too.

I had no idea what to expect in terms of the story, but I enjoyed it. The episodes are short and I binged it all in one day.

I'm not sure if there will be a season 2 but it should probably stay as a one-off, even though some things weren't answered it didn't bother me.

Game-away

[thinkMovies · 6/10 · 28 February 2023]

The Consultant holds up a mirror to you that speaks and says: It does not matter if you liked the show or not. You watched it, I got your money, our transaction is concluded. And that is what businesses do today. Everything is dystopian from the scripted responses the non-good-English-speaking far eastern tech support reads to you, to products guided by focus groups and are only meant to last for a very short time till you move on to the next product, and, very importantly, there is no longer any interest to the quality of products because the consumers have lost the ability to evaluate quality, or purpose of the product for that matter.

Administrative assistants can rise to CEO's overnight for doing as they are told, whatever they are told to do. Bosses have the power of gods over the lives of employees who have descended to the level of ants. Employees don't know who the boss is, what the boss is, and they cannot piece together the clues.

In The Consultant, the central question of who or what is REG. US. PAT. OFF is constantly raised and never answered: Is he the Devil, is he a spirit, does he even exist at all, or is he an extremely devious manager of situations, capable of getting people around him to achieve any result he wants? The only thing that is proven as fact, after watching this series, is that his skeleton is not made of organic bone but of pure gold. Allegory? Metaphor? Or just another meaningless device for a product that is meant to excite, momentarily, and then we move on, but the production company has thrived already by our meaningless excitement?

I have serious issues with where viewership demand for shows and consequent stories and script-writing are going. Beyond that, Christoph Waltz's performance holds it all together because he is the perfect actor to use in the product that this short series was.

Now, we can all resume regular programming waking-hours gaming application of thumbs-on-smartphone-screen.

Worth The Watch

[lmajka · 7/10 · 26 February 2023]

I don't understand the low reviews. I almost skipped watching it after seeing how many people complained about this series. I'm glad I gave it a chance because I found it entertaining.

It's definitely not a comedy. It has a few moments where you may chuckle, but it's more of a drama mixed with a thriller crossed with a sci-fi.

They did a great job letting the story build upon itself and giving the viewer background clues while still leaving things open to interpretation. I appreciate when a show doesn't over explain things to me and let's me figure it out on my own.

The story kept me engaged, the actors did a great job, and although I doubt there will be a second season, it would be cool if there was. I know I'd watch it.

The unknown

[janstue · 7/10 · 24 February 2023]

Pretty good start. I like how they give us the feeling that we have a pretty good idea about what the base of the show is, yet it is completely uncertain. The show managed to only hint at the normal everyday life of the characters before introducing a complete turnaround of things at the very beginning, without making it feel rushed. I find myself in the chaotic atmosphere of not knowing what's about to happen. Because the beginning was so abrupt, someone could flip or be killed in an instant at any given moment - or nothing unusual could happen and we're left in suspense. I have some ideas of what might be in the cards, but none of them seem certain - or at times even likely. I really enjoy this uncertainty. It has a mystic touch to it. On another note, I was concerned about the "comedy" genre of this show but fortunately the humor is rather subtle - sometimes it works sometimes it falls flat, but it doesn't make or break the show. I Enjoy your night!

Weirdly captivating little show

[jamesjustice-92 · 7/10 · 4 March 2023]

I've started watching The Consultant strictly because of Christoph Waltz and his genius of a performer. Since Hans Landa he gave some truly chilling performances over the years but this one has got me really frightened of the man and what he's capable of.

Waltz plays with his whole body and even when he's not speaking he says it all with his eyes, mimics and body language. His Regus Patoff may not be the most scariest of all the villains I've witnessed but the mystery surrounding him is much scarier than any back story on any villain in movie history.

It's especially sad to see such great talent be buried alongside mediocre actors whose characters either don't have enough stamina to face themselves against Waltz or that happens because of their own weak characters. The show plays well on your emotions and fears but it doesn't give you much in return and by the end of episode 8 you're left disappointed to see the characters grow on paper but not in your eyes therefore I rate this little show 7/10 mainly because of Christoph, some nice visuals and a fine choice of soundtrack.

People on IMDb have been off lately

[Showwatcher1986 · 9/10 · 27 February 2023]

The show is good. I binged it until like 2am. It is not a comedy I don't remember laughing at all. A few clever parts but it's a thriller/satire. If you are expecting The Office starring Christoph Waltz this isn't that. It's kinda dark and not in a funny ha ha way. The production value was high, the acting was good. The story wasn't necessarily revolutionary but it was entertaining and fresh.

The complaints are all saying it isn't a comedy or realistic. That doesn't make it bad lol 90% of entertainment is unrealistic. The story is cohesive and consistent the characters aren't "realistic" but they make sense in the world that the story takes place.

It has its pro's and cons

[axxmqmcy · 7/10 · 25 February 2023]

Admittedly, Waltz was the reason I was intrigued by the show. After just finishing the last episode I can say that it has its flaws but overall I was entertained and that's the goal of tv... Recognizing Wolff from Mortal also made me curious to see where the show was going. I admit I was a bit disappointed with the ending and perhaps slightly confused. I also found it strange to see the mother polishing a nude statue of her son, but... I admit, I am not one of those people who watches television looking for deeper meanings and things so there's probably a lot that I missed in the show but overall I would say the plot was decent and the acting was superb.

I was especially confused about the Golden skeleton. Most people seem to believe Waltz was the devil, so why. Did he need a skeleton made of gold? Maybe there's some reference there I'm missing but it seems that even if that were the case, the devil would be strong enough to walk up stairs without assistance.

Much like everything in the world, this show has good things and bad things but at the end of it all, it kept me entertained for about eight hours, and I really couldn't ask for more.

Waltz made me watch it to the end.

[neji-san · 4/10 · 25 February 2023]

Saw the Trailer and got really curious, I love when Waltz performs and like it when he plays the bad guy.

With every episode I got more and more questions, what is Waltz? Where is he from, how could this all happen from start to the end? Is he a modern Jesus? This story plays in a human world, but with mystic, paranormale things happen, and references I really don't understand, felt more like a novel where you left most story parts. Like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or Matrix and so on, where you start with the last part.

I don't want to spoiler, but the partyroom the next day, the russian girl, the fiancee, the gold smith, sangs mother, the last scene with craig in the kitchen, level 316 and the tester and I could ask 10 more things, that made no sense for me...

Reminds me of those Art House Movies, where you have to be deep into the Themes, so that you get all those genius references otherwise it's just a waste of time.

And don't tell me to read the novels to get me those questions answered. There was nothing to hook me up, I'm just pissed that I wasted my time.

Modern take on an old story

[ThaNuggetMan · 8/10 · 24 February 2023]

It's weird people are giving this one star because they figured out who the character is in the first episode. They also claim to know why he can't walk up stairs but that's a cool unveiling they definitely didn't see coming. The show never even tries to hide the fact who the character is. The main title sequence pretty much shows that. They all even say "I'm not watching past the first episode" if they watched to episode 4 the show actually unveils it and never tries to make it a mystery.

(SPOILERS) To me it seems like a new take on a very old story. Selling your soul to the devil is a story as old as any. This is a pretty modern look at the idea of this. Christoph Walz does a great job playing the "devil" and the other two main actors are pretty good.

Overall it's a pretty fun show to binge. He definitely says the name Craig too repeatedly and it becomes a joke at some point. It's an interesting scenario to try to put yourself into and think about what you would do if offered something similar. It's mainly a suspense show with some dark humor thrown in. I enjoyed it and it can be binged in one day if you don't have anything to do.

Judging by the first episode...

[specialbobby · 7/10 · 24 February 2023]

Expect the unexpected, from the rather good opening scene to the line about 'transportation' (well it made me laugh, yep I'll burn in hell), then that menacing face while doing a certain act. I have no idea what this shows about or where it's heading, didn't even know it was a book, but with Waltz in the lead you know the character will be great regardless of what goes on around him. I think this show will get darker and darker, maybe maddening, maybe a lot worse but the opening is worth way more than one out of ten, and is a lot better than almost all games that you could be playing on your phone.

I've been duped into watching

[semmian-93345 · 4/10 · 25 March 2023]

If you want to watch an 8 part series that:

1. Does whatever it wants with disregard to any cohesive plot 2. Makes no sense what-so-ever at any point 3. Explains nothing that's going on 4. Has no likeable characters 5. Throws weird scenes and events in at any time that are never fleshed out, concluded, or have mush or anything to do with anything.

5. Has a meaningless ending that explains none of the weirdness they injected along the way

Then this show is for you !

I guess this show might be explained by saying it's a parable of the greed of modern people (in the software industry). Thus the characters represent certain stereotypes they want to skewer. But I doubt that was the goal.

Terrible writing

[arawakt · 16 March 2023]

This is one of those titles that are only watched because of the one talented actor who everyone knows. In this case, Christopher Waltz, of course. The other actors aren't bad, but the writing makes their characters and acting fall flat and become incredibly unbelievable. The things that happen in this show would never make sense in real life, and I mean this in a bad way. Common sense things that anyone would do in the moment, when scared, threatened or plain untrusting, are NOT done in this show. The characters play along with what is happening in a way that nobody else would. It just makes no sense. The writers tried to play with your head and make you nervous, and that happens sometimes, but again, not in a good way. The "edgy" and/or crazy or disgusting things that happen are also random and don't make sense. I don't think there was any real plot. It feels like every episode is random things happening leading nowhere.

If you are SUPER bored and curious or you just love C. Waltz, then sure, give it a watch. But I'm telling you, it'll most likely a waste of your time. Two stars are only given because of Waltz's performance alone.

No climax click and bait

[galvas · 6/10 · 26 February 2023]

One of those shows that throw all these random characters and plot twists at a viewer just to keep you intrigued enough and guessing what the heck is going on and at the end ....nothing, no climax no satisfaction. Some actors are decent, there is certain chemistry, some satire, could have been more. Main female lead, main female lead's ex though rather episodic and our golden boy did their part. I was not convinced by the main male protagonist, and some other secondary players like Mr Sang. Some movies leave you asking for more, some leave you bored, some make you think. This one is neither, leaves you pi...d a bit for the click and bait tactics.

Christoph Waltz makes up for so-so script

[paul-allaer · 6/10 · 1 March 2023]

As Episode 1 of "The Consultant" (2023 release; 8 episodes ranging from 31 to 38 minutes each) opens, a group of young people gets a behind-the-scenes tour of a gaming company including its creator. One of the kids kills the creator. Then out of nowhere comes "the consultant" to take over as (temporary?) CEO, and he immediately shakes things up... At this point we are 10 minutes into episode 1.

Couple of comments: this mini-series is the brainchild of writer-creator Tony Basgallop ("servant"). In the beginning we don't understand what is going on. Why did the gaming company creator get murdered? Where does the consultant mysteriously come from? What is the end game here? The mini-series is super plot-heavy so the less said about the plot, the better. "The Consultant" makes for good viewing in the initial 2-3 episodes but then the script gets bogged down, and the story line suffers accordingly. Frankly, if it wasn't for the great performance from Christoph Waltz, it's doubtful that I would have watched all 8 episodes.

"The Consultant" premiered on Amazon Prime last week, and all 8 episodes are now available to stream. Given that the episodes are all quite short, this is easily binged in a couple of evenings (as I did). If you are in the mood for a mystery-black comedy-thriller featuring a top notch Christoph Waltz, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

You're not meant to understand EVERYTHING

[zgxxgb · 7/10 · 24 April 2023]

I'm not sure where and when it was decided that the viewers need everything handed to them but god it was a mistake. I loved this show because, while different from the book in many ways, it didn't give you everything on a silver platter. I read a lot of reviews before posting my own and it seems to me that most of the people who ranked this so low just genuinely expect the writers to throw everything in their face. This show works because it's mysterious! This show works because it's strange and curious! It holds its cards close and you're supposed to use your brain and ability as a consumer to read into stuff. There's tons of clues as to who and what Regus Patoff is about. There are cleaver examples where the writers DO tell you their secrets, such as his name reveal. But a lot of it is meant for us to care and wonder about. It's meant to keep us interested. When you don't get the answer revealed directly, you get to re-examine what you've seen. I think anyone who disliked it for the reason that is was "missing elements" or "has loose ends" needs to rewatch with a different expectation! We need to stop being spoon fed deeper thoughts.

VERY DARK humor, but absolutely humor all around

[thejdrage · 9/10 · 26 February 2023]

This is an odd show, to say the least. And first off, anything Christoph Waltz is in is probably going to be brilliant on one level or another.

You have to watch what's happening - carefully. If you don't, you're going to miss some MASSIVE in-your-face hints as to what's happening.

The rest of the cast is strong and backs up Waltz beautifully and flawlessly. No one misses a beat. The cinematography is sharp.

Several reviewers just didn't get what they saw. They said this isn't comedy - it is! They said there was no story - oh, boy, is there!

This is a weekend binge with a friend or family and discuss it. You'll all have fun! If someone doesn't - send them home.

And don't miss the last episode's ending ---- the song. Now THAT'S FUNNY!!

Heart of gold?

[Guanche48 · 7/10 · 13 March 2023]

To be honest, I was doubting whether to see it or not, I decided to see it and it has not disappointed me. Christof Waltz is absolutely fantastic!!. The other main actors are new to me and they reach a good level of acting, without a doubt.

The series seemed more exciting, tense and somewhat terrifying than a laughable comedy. It has moments of humor but in general more thrillish than I expected. The episodes are short of 30 minutes, which makes you watch it very quickly and it is also very entertaining and always leaves you wanting to know more.

What I liked least is the main role of the young boy, Craig in the series, he is the only one who sees what is happening, but he gives up very quickly in my opinion. Reaching the final chapters I would have chosen two whole chapters to build up more emotion, the end seemed to me done in quite a hurry.

I recommend it, it is different, unpredictable, original and creative. Just as tense and very interesting.

The Definition of an Under Cooked Story.

[ryanpersaud-59415 · 4/10 · 7 March 2023]

I was watching Tik Tok one day where a woman - who claimed to be a "TV addict" and "watched just about everything" highly recommended this show on the basis that it was like "nothing she'd ever seen before," and "had her jaw on the floor multiple moments throughout the series."

I now sort of suspect she was a plant by Amazon, coincidentally drumming up hype the DAY this show was released in its entirety. I think this, because this show is kind of lame. Like, I genuinely don't think it'd have ANY hype at all without Christoph Waltz's involvement and probably wouldn't solicit such an endorsement from anyone.

I'll give the show this: the first episode is a banger. It's really good at hooking you in and making you interested in what's going on. While the momentum from the shocking first episode (which I will admit, had my jaw on the floor multiple times) keeps the train running for a bit, eventually a story has to pick itself up and deliver SOMETHING interesting.

There's so much just...underwhelming about The Consultant. I hated how the story was told, it was needlessly long, with too little material to justify its eight episode length. There are so many plot elements that are just dropped for no reason or introduced so late that they don't really have much of a point. Characters are introduced and nothing really happens with them and I genuinely have forgotten what happened the last episode and I saw it a couple days ago.

I think the problem here is that this was pitched as "Christoph Waltz plays Hans Landa except now he's a consultant for a tech company and probably Satan." That conceit doesn't go anywhere and the writers seem so scared of disappointing viewers that they bafflingly decide not to answer any of the juicy questions. The show keeps piling on mysteries and I suspect there are no satisfying answers.

I did like Natt Wolf and Britanny O' Grady's characters and performances, but even they seemed to lack the electric chemistry they should've. They're past lovers who don't seem like they've ever even held hands, if you get what I mean. And yes, Waltz is fine. He's doing his thing, but I frankly got tired of it half way through. There's only so much ambiguity a show can pile onto a character until it becomes tired.

You'd also think a show like this would have a colourful and interesting cast of side characters - it being an office and all - but unfortunately, it even falls flat there. We get glimpses of other people, but in reality its the Regus (Waltz), Elaine (O'Grady), and Craig (Wolff) show. Very disappointing, especially when the show hints at a broader exploration of how leadership transforms an organization and how access to power corrupts. (Anytime I can get a sociological story, I want it, and when I don't get it, it really hurts)

I did like the design of the office a lot and there are some cool locations and visual ideas presented in this show as well. I feel like it was a fun show to watch, for that reason.

I've heard this is supposed to be a multi-season project, I hope they can do it and it can be satisfying. As of now, "season 1" of The Consultant is an utter bore and a big missed opportunity.

It gives me Severance vibes

[yen_galvez · 10/10 · 24 February 2023]

Fantastic Series, reminiscent of Severance. Christoph Waltz is incredible!"

I get the feeling of watching something as marvelous as Severance. I see many users protesting because they don't understand anything, while others protest because they think they're too clever to know things that the series clearly shows are quickly intuitive from the start.

All of this worries me because those who rate it a 1 only want series that are quickly assimilated, those who would consider Twin Peaks a series of poorly constructed scenes and bad dialogues with no sense.

Enjoy this series because it is wonderful and Christoph Waltz is incredible.

I liked it, although...

[Jason4482 · 7/10 · 11 April 2023]

...I don't really know why. The show could also be called "weirder stuff" (credit to Rick and Morty), because that's what happens, all the time, weird stuff. Without any doubt Waltz performance is intriguing as always and I assume the main reason why I binge watched it. But I have to say that there is scenes where you think "what in the actual F just happened?" and "WHY THOUGH?!". I don't wanna spoil, so I just state it this way: you have to accept that some of the things that happen on the show keep unexplained and are odd/strange. If you're okay with that, go for it. If you want logical explanations for everything, don't watch... Overall, the actors all do a great job, the plot keeps you wanna keep on watching. The show's atmosphere is somehow mystic, funny here and there with very dark, odd humor, but it's not a comedy. I wouldn't be able to put it in a specific genre.

It's not gonna be on my favorite shows of all time, but it's good. I'd given it a 6,5. Since that's not possible, I rounded up to 7.

Poorly constructed story

[womfer · 3/10 · 26 February 2023]

The premise is, the consultant offers "immortality" to a young CEO in exchange for his life. That makes no sense, you can't be immortal if you're dead. Apparently, a 20 year old cares more about his "legacy" then the 50 plus years ahead of him, and agrees to the deal. But it turns out, the consultant has mind control powers and has a little kid murder the CEO. This points to the consultant being the devil or some demon, with a gold skeleton that likes to turn around failing companies in exchange for a soul. If he has mind control, why even bother trying to help the company? It's very confusing why he uses power on some people and not others. For example, he "convinced" a lady to amputate several limbs and replace them with robotic ones but can't prevent the guy trying to kill him. As the story progresses the questions are answered with more questions.

Who is in control of this multi million dollar company? Investors are mentioned but no one shows up when the CEO is murdered.

Why would the guy try to kill the consultant by breaking the floor beneath him? Because it's like the game they made? Why not check if he's dead? Why take the toe and incriminate yourself?

What happened when the fire department arrived and there was bloody foot prints? Would they follow them? What about all the cameras that would have caught the attempted murder? Who fixed all the damage caused?

Back to the toe. Seriously, why take the toe? Wouldn't you notice right away the bone was gold? Why would you boil a toe inside your house? What are you gonna do with a gold toe bone?

The answer to all these questions is NOTHING.

Yes, Christopher Waltz is great actor, but the story he's in is just bad. There are a couple of good scenes when he has the remote workers to come into work.

More frustrating than entertaining.

3/10.

Poorly tv

[lior-rooze · 26 February 2023]

When amazon released information about "The Consultant" (the casting of Christoph Waltz) and later the trailer my hype was vary high, i was vary curious about the show . I did binge of one day on all the episodes and I must say I am vary disappointed, its been a while since I watch such a bad tv show.

I think there is 3 reason why it is so bad:

1) payoff- there is many thing in that show that not coming to solution, thing that are important to the story such as how the consulting Convinced people to do many thing, how did he know that the bad thing going to happen, why these companies? . If the point is that he is the devil or any supernatural power so the story didn't hinted at it. And if he is really the devil and the point is Deal with the Devil why this company why this people. There is many thing that didn't get to reward.

2) the consultant- Christoph Waltz did such an amazing villains in the past for example Inglorious Basterds and here where he had the chance to make an amazing performance he disappointing. A very incoherent performance he is jerk boss and there is moments where he is vary Cruel and "Boss from hell", but this moments are few. He is a mystery person and there is something strange about him but at some point it began to be gimmicky.

3) comedy and drama- The Consultant tagged as dramedy. For me there is a few moment of comedy. I think the drama happen sometimes due to Nat Wolff and Brittany O'Grady they are the emotional anchor and the point of view for the TV viewers. I must say the drama Not so noticeable for me and this is because i don't have emotional identification. They really did their best and there is moment of fanomenal acting but there is moment of that the bad performance.

"A circus?!" Christoph Waltz is brilliant!

[qjrusticus · 7/10 · 23 March 2023]

Christoph Walz is mesmerizing, once again in this performance as the terrifying, and funny, Regus Patoff. I've only seen this brilliant actor in 3 movies, 2 of which he won the Oscar for best supporting actor (Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained).

His ability to instantly connect - and scare the hell out of - the audience as a villain is second to none. I couldn't help but get the same feeling I had when I watched the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds of the hair on the back of my neck standing up each time he spoke to one of his supporting characters.

Although some of the supporting actors in this series come across as weak with the exception of the actress that plays Elaine (next to Walz who wouldn't be?) it is worth it just to watch him!