Welcome to One Shot With HBO, a pop-up video series that takes a closer look at HBO’s award contenders.
HBO’s “Perry Mason” is the quintessential example of how talented actors can elevate great material. A reboot of the classic crime screen franchise and novels, adapted for television by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, the 1920s Hollywood noir stars Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Tatiana Maslany, and more, all giving unmissable, unforgettable performances.
As the eponymous private investigator, the Emmy-winning Rhys puts himself in the running for drama acting awards yet again; with understated gravitas and the grimmest sense of humor, he turns Perry into a down-but-not-quite-out antihero. Rylance creates a full-fledged character we can’t help but root for as legal secretary Della Street. And stealing the show is the award-winning Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan, a fanatical preacher wrapped up in the season’s disturbing murder case.
Any scene featuring these three powerhouse performers deserves consideration at the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards. Rhys, Rylance, and Maslany have charisma in spades, but it’s the way they harness that quality to drive home this drama’s high stakes that makes “Perry Mason” must-watch TV.
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