Hanna is based on an often overlooked 2011 film which gained a cult following due to its unique audiovisual style that has been described as “fairy tale.”
By Sean David Hartman
While Netflix may seem to hold domination in digital media quantity, Amazon Video is proving to be focused on quality concepts, bringing in new and classic ideas to a wider audience. After their hit debut of Jack Ryan, based on the Tom Clancy novels and multiple film adaptations, Jeff Bezos is taking a break from taking pictures of his genitals to give us another spy thriller adaptation, Hanna.
Hanna is based on an often overlooked 2011 film which gained a cult following due to its unique audiovisual style that has been described as “fairy tale.”
The film is relatively unique in director Joe Wright’s film portfolio. Wright is more well-known for extravagant period pieces, from 2005’s Pride & Prejudice (sadly, without zombies) to more recent award-winning Darkest Hour, about British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Though the shadowy motif prominent in Wright’s films are prevalent in Hanna, this film played as an LSD trip, and for good reason. The film depicted Hanna, a child super-soldier created by a black ops CIA program. The story is a well-known trope in modern spy thrillers, but Hanna was different for its gritty realism combined with well-done psychedelic effects.
Wright utilized intense beat sounds, differentiating camera angles, light and darkness interchangeably, turning what is a common story into a visual experience.
The question is, can this be replicated by Amazon Video?
Commercials have shown us so far that the series, in part, will mimic verbatim aspects of the film. The question is, did Amazon Video place enough time and effort to ensure the effects we got from Hanna?
If the media company was smart enough to listen to the audience, we are set to have a revolutionary new addition to the spy thriller genre. Hopefully Bezos doesn’t dick around with this.
Sean David Hartman is a reporter for the Central Florida Post, covering entertainment and public affairs. He describes himself as a “Professional Political Nuisance” and goes after politicians on both sides. Hartman is an autism rights activist, and #ProudlyAutistic
