Manhunt: Deadly Games (2020) Review

 

Manhunt: Deadly Games (2020)

Deadly Games follows the heroics of security guard Richard Jewell at the 1996 Olympics, his fall from grace, and the hunt for the real bomber Eric Rudolph through the woods of North Carolina.

Once again, we get a story about a famous bomber, on the run from authorities. But while Season 1 was pretty clear-cut, the waters and the FBI get murkier this time around. The first half of the season is a bit slow, focusing on Richard’s heroics and his eventually trial by media, accusing him as the real bomber. It suffers there due to genuine hatred you get for both the media and the FBI, as they make up their minds quick, with a large chunk being dedicated to them. It’s tough to watch. Once the focus is flipped to Rudolph, this season gets infinitely better, as all the pieces start to click together nicely, with the FBI, local militia, and ATF working together to bring him down, it makes for very exciting television. I have to assume some of the real story was changed for timeline reasons and to conceal the identities of the characters in real life, but aside from that, much of the story rings true and is done well from an investigative standpoint.

As for the cast, we get a lot of good performances by Cameron Britton, Carla Gugino, and Jack Huston, but I think the most intriguing of them all were Arliss Howard and Gethin Anthony. Anthony’s knockoff Agent Smith persona got real tired, real fast, but as he grew as a character, he became a genuinely enjoyable addition to the season, especially when he came to his senses about doing the right thing.

Howard however, was solid from the start, stealing whatever scene he was in and his family dynamic created real tension and danger for his character. Britton as Richard was also a solid casting choice, bringing to life a misunderstood man who was beat down any chance he got.

Deadly Games provided an exhilarating and fascinating look into the hunt for the Atlanta Olympics bomber, exploring every nook and cranny from the media & FBI, to Richard Jewell & Eric Rudolph. Definitely another hit from the Manhunt team.

6/10