It's Friday, which means it's time to binge watch. Every month we take a look at what movies or TV shows are deserving of your binge time with Mark Jordan Legan. Here's what he's got for the month of May.
Sneaky Pete (Amazon Prime)
Synopsis: Giovanni Ribisi plays a professional con man named Marius who is currently serving a prison sentence for his various scams but is going to be released in a few days. Once Marius is out, he gets a heads up that a vicious gangster he ripped off wants him dead.
So, Marius decides to temporarily take on the identity of his cellmate Pete and hide out at Pete's grandparents' upstate New York farm. Marius/Pete gets deeper and deeper with his newfound family — all the while trying to stay one step ahead of the crime boss who is looking everywhere for him.
Why MJL picked it: It's dark, funny and compelling with complex characters and intriguing story lines. But "Sneaky Pete" also insists you pay attention, which is one of the things I like about it.
Why you'll love it: The crime boss is played by none other than Bryan Cranston who co-created the show with David Shore, who gave us the hit medical drama, "House." "Sneaky Pete" is currently run by the creator and head writer of "Justified," Graham Yost. There are two seasons streaming on Amazon Prime and they are well written, expertly acted and thoroughly entertaining.
Hap & Leonard (Netflix)
Synopsis: "Hap & Leonard" is about two lifelong friends -- one black, one white -- struggling to make it through hard times in 1980s East Texas. James Purefoy plays Hap and the great Michael Kenneth Williams — who many know as Omar Little in "The Wire" -- plays Leonard, a gay Vietnam War veteran with anger issues.
Why MJL picked it: It comes from the amazing mind of legendary Texas crime author Joe R. Lansdale. Season one involves the duo trying to find this lost money and each following season is a different adventure. Season two involves trying to clear Leonard’s Uncle after something disturbing is discovered buried under his dilapidated home.
Why you'll love it: The best part of the series is the friendship and chemistry between Hap and Leonard. The show is a darkly funny slice of Southern noir.
The Terror (AMC)
Synopsis: In 1845, two British ships set out on a treacherous journey to find the Arctic Northwest Passage and the ships disappeared. That's a fact. This series offers what may have happened to them.
Why MJL picked it: Ridley Scott executive produced this and it's got his vibe. In fact, you could pitch this as "Alien" on an 1847 Royal Naval expedition. The show does an amazing job capturing the time period and the rough, harsh environment once the ships become stuck in the frozen ice.
Why you'll love it: You'll love how "The Terror" captures the day-to-day existence of life on a ship only with a supernatural twist. Jared Harris and Ciarán Hinds play the two captains, and their performances are just superb. There are ten episodes and this show is an eerie, gripping and harrowing thriller.