Netflix’s Kaleidoscope is an ambitious TV experiment that will thrill heist fans
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Netflix loves a good experiment – and the streaming giant’s next TV trial is unlike anything you’ve seen before.
The upcoming Netflix show, titled Kaleidoscope, is billed as a crime anthology series, but with a compelling twist. Launching January 1, 2023, the series will be presented in a non-linear format, with viewers watching Kaleidoscope’s eight episodes in a different order than their family and friends. No two viewing experiences will be the same, creating an air of mystery surrounding the heist and sparking countless watercooler-style discussions between you and your fellow Netflix subscribers.
Need more context? Let the cast and crew of Kaleidoscope walk you through Netflix’s latest ambitious experiment in this first-look, behind-the-scenes video:
In a press release, Netflix also revealed more about what audiences can expect from its your own adventure style TV show.
“Loosely inspired by the true story in which $70 billion in bonds went missing in midtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy, Kaleidoscope consists of eight episodes spanning 24 years before the robbery to 6 months after,” the press release reads.
Kaleidoscope is an all-new anthology series that follows a group of master thieves and their attempt to crack a seemingly unbreakable safe for the biggest payday in history. Guarded by the world’s most powerful corporate security team, and with law enforcement on the case every episode reveals a piece of an intricate puzzle of corruption, greed, revenge, scheming, loyalty and betrayal. How did the thieves’ crew plan it? Who will get away with it? Who can be trusted?”
There are 7 billion ways to solve a crime. Watch KALEIDOSCOPE for the first time, a new heist series starring Giancarlo Esposito, Paz Vega and Tati Gabrielle. Only on Netflix on January 1. pic.twitter.com/8QIpR4suZCNovember 22, 2022
So, how will Kaleidoscope work? When you start watching the series, you start with a specific episode (randomly assigned to you by Netflix), all of which are named after a certain color – hence the title Kaleidoscope. For example, Netflix might start you off with the entry called Yellow, which takes place six weeks before the heist. Meanwhile, your best friend can start his adventure with the episode Red, which starts on the day of the robbery itself.
Once that episode is done, you get another episode to watch, such as Violet (24 years before the robbery) or Pink (six months after the robbery). The one episode every viewer will end up in is White, marking the story’s epic conclusion.
The idea is that each subscriber gets a unique viewing experience, with the order in which they watch Kaleidoscope episodes affecting how they watch each crew member, when the plot unfolds, and what questions they’ll have (and answers they’ll get) . ) after each episode. In that way, Kaleidoscope keeps you guessing until the last moments and forces you to rethink what you know about the puzzle pieces with each passing episode.
Kaleidoscope stars Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian Season 3, Breaking Bad), Jai Courteney (The Suicide Squad), Paz Vega (Rambo: Last Blood), Rufus Sewell (Old), Tati Gabrielle (Uncharted), and Peter Mark Kendall (The Americans). ) among other things. The crime drama comes from creative visionary Eric Garcia, whose directors include Russell Fine and Everardo Gout.
Analysis: Experimentation is the name of the game
Kaleidoscope isn’t Netflix’s first major experiment when it comes to original content.
Still regarded as one of the world’s top streaming services despite a rough 2022, Netflix has had mixed success with its two other major entertainment-based tests. The first – 2018’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch – was a true pick-your-own-adventure affair, with viewers choosing one of two options to advance that movie’s story and earning one of five possible endings with their personal interactive experience.
The other – Fear Street, an adaptation of RL Stine’s favorite horror novel series – saw Netflix release its movie trilogy adaptation for three consecutive weeks. That film trio, which includes Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke from Season 5 of Stranger Things, was filmed back-to-back before its weekly launch in summer 2021. The release schedule allowed Netflix to boast that it released the first proper film trilogy in an anthology format, even if that is up for debate.
Kaleidoscope, on the other hand, represents an intriguing step into the unknown for Netflix. Sure, it’s taken creative risks before that haven’t paid off in a way many expected, but the streaming company isn’t afraid to keep trying. In an era where its competitors like Disney Plus and HBO Max stick to tried and tested formulas like episodic TV releases, Netflix is at least trying to push the boat out and offer something new to its subscribers. Maybe everyone should take note.
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