There are so many great prestige drama shows on streaming, it can be hard to decide which one to watch next.
Thankfully, Watch With Us is here to help you out. We’re highlighting a fantastic drama from the mid-2010s that you have to check out now on HBO Max.
Boardwalk Empire follows the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City, Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), in the early 1900s — a real guy from history, but heavily fictionalized in the show.
The show centers on Nucky’s dealings with other seedy criminals and crime bosses, in a Golden Globe-winning turn from Buscemi.
Watch With Us breaks down why Boardwalk Empire should be your next binge-watch.
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‘Boardwalk Empire’ Boasts a Fantastic Roster of Character Actors
When Boardwalk Empire was first airing, it provided something of a jumping-off point for many actors who were lesser known at the time, and have since gone on to do other great work and become recognizable names. Charlie Cox would go on to get a high-profile lead as Daredevil in the eponymous Marvel series, Michael Shannon has become a consistent fixture in prestige films, as have Michael Stuhlbarg, Jeffrey Wright and Julianne Nicholson. Still, there are plenty of veteran character actors you might recognize, like Stephen Root, Stephen Graham and Michael K. Williams, from more popular shows like NewsRadio, The Wire, and Adolescence.
Ultimately, Boardwalk Empire is a wonderful series for watching some of the best “Hey, I recognize that guy!” actors do some of their best work. Frequently embodying complex, unsavory people, the characters of Boardwalk Empire are complicated, flawed and multifaceted. It makes sense why so many of the recurring characters or small roles were filled by actors who have gone on to have bigger careers — it’s a character actor showcase, in need of memorable actors with unique faces who can sink into idiosyncratic personalities with ease.
The Period Production Design Is Meticulous and Immersive
Part of what makes Boardwalk Empire such an engrossing show is its diligent adherence to mirroring the world of Prohibition-era Atlantic City. That’s all thanks to the show’s production design team led by Bill Groom, who received four Primetime Emmy awards for his work on the show. To recreate the feel of Atlantic City in the 1920s, extensive, painstaking research was conducted.
The production design team created an elaborate, multi-block boardwalk set in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The team also combined historical detail with creative license, such as in the case of the recreation of the inside of the Ritz-Carlton hotel, which was embellished to match Nucky’s character. While some sets were hand-crafted, other scenes were shot on location in various Brooklyn interiors. With such care and depth put into the show’s tangible atmosphere, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in its world.
‘Boardwalk Empire’ Is One of HBO’s Best Dramas Ever
While Boardwalk Empire must balance an ambitious web of characters and subplots, it’s in juggling these complex relationships where the show shines the best. This intricate storytelling is at once dense and narratively rich, focusing on the ever-evolving dynamics not just between contentious criminals but also various friendships, families and romances. These relationships are given time and satisfying arcs, with characters who possess a refreshing moral complexity.
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Indeed, it’s this very moral complexity that adds to the character drama that Boardwalk Empire excels in. Since almost every character on the show exists in an ethical gray area, the show explores a banquet of complex themes pertaining to greed, corruption, the American Dream, generational trauma and class conflict. Ultimately, watching Boardwalk Empire is akin to digging into a great novel — satisfying, philosophically rigorous and replete with engaging melodrama.
Stream Boardwalk Empire now on HBO Max.
