I gave it a7 measured against everything I've ever watched before. The short review is that I enjoyed this. I binge watched it during my wife's absence because I suspected she would not enjoy it. My taste is slightly more eclectic and so I came into this without major expectations, simply expecting just a fun romp with the occasional smart or funny quip and it met my expectation.

I read through many of these reviews before and after watching and I think some viewers expected too much. If a person feels the need to write a horrible review, why the heck even would that individual hang in there for eight episodes?

Anyway, if you are the curious type, you'll see I have a public list of movies I've watched during my many years on this little blue planet. I don't write a lot of reviews but jumped in here because I felt this deserved higher than a six rating. If you've found my review and you're wondering if you should invest 8 hours of your time watching this, my advice would be to stay away if you are the very serious or overly critical type.

It was fun. Love has long claws.

I think many have a lack of understanding what satire is. If you need a laugh track to have fun, this is not for you. I found the storytelling to be pretty smart and every episode is filled with twists and turns that keep the story interesting.

Obviously, this isn't historically accurate. It doesn't need to be and doesn't try to be, if somehow soundtrack made of 80's electro pop and punk hasn't made it abundantly clear already.

It's a study of humanity and well - inhumanity. The setting is irrelevant. It could've just as easily been placed in modern time. It's not like we haven't gone through a pandemic recently...

Anyways, personally I've enjoyed it. And you may as well. That is if you don't find it infuriating that characters are wearing wrong gowns, or speak English with an accent that you don't like, or whatever the negative critics say.

It is good. Looks great. Has great actors. Uses satire and the period of the black plague both as wrappings in which to serve some smart portrayals of human greed, selfishness, inequality (which is still terrible today) and position of women and lgbt persons (also current issues). It is hard to look at this mirror to humans evwn with the bows silly hats and bright colors that is served with.

I found it an easy watch. Amusing. And occasionally clever and funny. But mostly was glued to the actors who are all quite successfully playing not particulary likeable characters.

And the show really does look very good!

I am surprised it is on netflix. Feels like it would fit better with hbo.

There is no point in comparing this with Boccaccio's Decameron, as it has only really taken the idea and setting from Boccaccio. This is not setting out to be a serious adaption and is best not judged as such. The tone and humour may seem more in line with Boccaccio's contemporary Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales.

The humour is broad, but does hit the mark on occassions and the setting and costumes are certainly beautiful. The show features an international cast of well-known faces from some top comedy titles who cope well with the stye which is at times positively theatrical.

Just taken as a stand-alone production, separated from its illustrious literary predecessor, it has quite a lot to offer those just seeking entertaintainment who may have little interest in history or satire.

I am not sure why the show got such low grades. It has all it takes to make it interesting to watch: light humour, fast pace, caracter development, awkward situations... I mean yes, there is no end goal to it, as in there is no classic scenario, some things are bizzare and maybe illogical, but it all serves the atmosphere of a plague, and depicting the sense that the people must have had during those times - despair, hunger, pain, opportunism, but also sense of freedom, unimportance of social status, changing roles, and finally importance of love and friendship during difficult times.

The show depicts how in times of crisis people start behaving in different ways, and the results are sometimes bizzare, sometimes satisfactory.

Though not really a Decameron, it reminded me of Shakespeare's comedy plays, depicting quircky medival atmosphere. It definitely deserves higher grades.

It's a very watchable show. Not great but not terrible. It would have been way better as a 30 min per episode comedy instead of the overly ambitious 45 min episode "dramedy" it apparently attempted. The funny moments are solid but lost between long periods are dullness and scenes that tend to last too long. The "drama" falls flat in the wake of silliness and yet it's the so called serious moments that fill most of the time. I really like the concept of this time period and how people might have reacted during the chaos but I think the execution is lacking in this one. That being said, there are some solid performances by the cast.

This series has nothing to do with the original work. It's just an unassuming soap opera dipped in medieval costumes in the netflix style. Childish jokes, meaningless, drawn-out storytelling. The costumes, the scenery, the photography are fine, but it has as much to do with the Decameron as Inspector Drebin has to do with the opera. Nothing. I still had hope for the first episodes, but I realized that netflix only needed a good-sounding title to create something mediocre and forgettable again. It's unfortunate, because the Decameron could have been excellently developed, see the Pasolini film.

I'm so happy I saw the positive reviews and gave this a go. It's actually brilliant, well-played and so funny, I found myself laughing out loud several times. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical at the beginning of the first episode, but found myself quickly drawn into the story. It's crazy, clever and highly entertaining, with many surprise twists and turns which keeps you completely invested in the story and characters. The actors are playing their roles almost to perfection, capturing the stupidity of their character with what feels like such a natural ease. I cannot understand the negative reviews AT all! I loved this.

Just a fun show to watch in my opinion.

For historically accurate series, you might want to watch a documentary. This is very much not that.

I had a good laugh while watching this, knowing to not take it seriously.

Between all the current affairs and also the real documentaries that I watch, this show was a very welcome distraction.

Yes, it is simple humour and easy to follow, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad.

I feel the actors are all committed to their parts and make the best of the script they have. And they look to me like they are having good fun at it too. I don't think there's anything wrong with that! There are plenty of serious works out there. Avoid this if you are looking for that.

Well, thats 8 hours (probably more like 7 hours due to skipping ahead because I just could not do it anymore) of my life I wont get back. I so badly wanted to love this but it just felt like it could not figure out what type of story it wanted to tell. The funny parts weren't funny enough, the serious parts felt forced. Interesting Storylines felt rushed and a talented cast seemed wasted. A disappointing adaptation that suffers from disorganized storytelling and weak performances. Many themes appear heavy-handed, failing to provide the depth expected. Overall, it does not do justice to the charm and talent of the actors.

My goodness but doesn't anyone want to watch something just for fun anymore?? C'mon y'all, this is called humor and we need it these days.

First I want to thank the sound crew for the delicious soundtrack! I'm in my mid 50s and most of the songs (I've watched the first 4 episodes so far) have me and my husband nearly dancing while viewing!! Of course it's silly to hear Depeche Mode playing in the background during a scene from the 1300s, but that's the point! Some of these other reviewers seem to have missed the point.

This series is very refreshing, goofy, fun and hilarious but also well scripted, performed and beautiful cinematography as well. I am trying not to binge this one out too quickly, yet I can't wait for more!!!

Just finished watching all the episodes, and here's my review:

Positives: A super crazy, binge-worthy historical drama. When I saw that the first episode was about an hour long, I almost wanted to quit. But not a single scene was boring, and the same goes for the rest of the episodes. The show is highly entertaining with very few slow scenes that won't ruin your experience. After the first episode, I stopped checking the duration because I was enjoying it. The direction, the writing, the cast, the background music, the location, and the story all of it worked well.

No character is safe in this show, which I love. I enjoy shows where they kill off some or many lead characters because it keeps you engaged and interested in seeing who will survive until the end.

The cast did an amazing job. I love many of the characters, especially Filomena and Neifile, who were my favorites. Even though it's currently a limited series, I'd love for the show to continue for at least three seasons or more..

The final episode includes a really dark scene that I wasn't expecting. The overall ending was superb and satisfying, avoiding the usual cliffhanger tactic to force a network renewal.

The ratings are currently a bit low, but please give it atleast 10-15 minutes of your time before judging the show based on these ratings and skipping it.

Negatives: Although I don't mind nudity and intimate scenes, some of it felt a bit unnecessary. Almost everyone is involved, including straight people, gays, lesbians, and even rats in the intro. But, this doesn't impact the overall experience much.

The final battle could have been more interesting and thrilling, keeping us on the edge. Instead, it was made more casual.

They could have explored the black deaths happening during the pandemic a bit more. The show mainly focuses on those who are not affected, so it doesn't feel like it's set during a pandemic. The focus is more on, poisonous deaths, revenge, and battle rather than the disease.

Overall: This is a must-watch and super binge-worthy show. I hope it gets the hype it deserves, with popular leads from hit shows like Sex Education and Derry Girls. It's on Netflix and is one of the best comedy period dramas. It may not be as good as The Great, but fans of that show might also enjoy this one. Rating: 3.75/5.

The cast is fantastic and it descends into wonderful chaos. Just think of a Carry On series for a contemporary audience but without the jokes that haven't aged well. Gary Hale, Tanya Reynolds and Saoirse-Monica Jackson are standouts though the Tindaro character becomes irritating very quickly. I loved the queerness that develops and the opening credit sequence is brilliant.

I must admit, I was unsure of the first episode as it took me an episode to get into the humour. The series reminds me of Our Flag Means Death in that regard. If you are unsure of the first episode, go with it and the style of humour will make sense.

I just finished watching the first episode of The Decameron and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. On one hand, I was hooked from the very beginning - the pacing is fast, the cast is fantastic, and the costumes, set, and cinematography are all top-notch. If you're a fan of shows like Sex Education and Derry Girls, you'll probably like this too.

On the other hand, the jokes are a different story. Oh, the jokes. They're just not good. At all. I was expecting a witty and clever take on medieval history, but instead I got babble-humor that fell flat. I was cringing so hard I almost felt embarrassed. And the soundtrack doesn't fit - it's like they thought they could just throw in some 80s pop and call it a day. It's a jarring and awkward attempt to make the show feel more "relatable".

Despite all this, I have to admit that I'm hoping it will get better. The cast is great, and I'm curious to see where the story goes. Maybe it'll get better? Maybe they'll dial it back on the babbling and focus on telling a more nuanced and engaging story.

But for now, I'm just going to have to suffer through the cringey-babble-humor and hope that the rest of the show is better.

It's getting a lot of hate but I rather enjoyed it. It's funny and weird and even a little sexy. It's a crazy story of wealth and their servants moving in together in a large villa in hopes to escape the plague. Every character is delightfully awful, minus one that is kinda just cool. The actors are all great and I absolutely love Tanya Reynolds. Just beautiful. It can drag a little sometimes but not often. Tony Hale is great in it but I'm obsessed with him too I don't make it all the way through shows too often these days and this ride was fun. Now I'm just saying words to fill the ridiculous character amount. Done.

The trailer didn't win me over so my expectations weren't high. My partner started watching it, so I joined him and we binged it through. I enjoyed it.

There's plenty of dark and serious stuff out there, or American style humour, which definitely doesn't float our boat, so it's a relief to find something light and fun, that doesn't make you feel a sicker about the state of the world. And a few laugh-out-loud moments is definitely a bonus.

Yes the plot might drag on a bit but I think that's the nature of tv series. It may not go down as an acclaimed masterpiece but I felt touches of Monty Python, Killing Eve and Taming of the Shrew coming through, which worked for me.

Well as I said its beautifully shot and thats about it. It's just not well....funny. The script is very poor. If any of you listen to Mrak Kermode and Simon Mayos podcast Mark states for a film to be funny it has to past the 3 laugh test, this at a run length of 1 hour for the 1st episode didn't even give me a chance to smirk let alone laugh. It is without doubt one of the worst comedies I've seen. Perhaps it gets better, but sorry it's just not doing it for me and I won't be investing my time in another episode.

This is just my own opinion you may find it funny and it's the show for you, but it's definitely not for me.

Ok, so this show is epic, tragic, funny, heartwarming, and devastating. The actors are all amazing, they all play their parts so convincingly it is a joy to watch. They are all a bit mad and the show has a crazy mania to it, but also very down to earth as this is how it was and how people would act.

The story is so addicting, it was hard to not binge every episode once I started. You will have no idea where it is going and be shocked, thrilled and horrified at where it takes you.

The writing is fantastic, even though it is set in the dark ages they still speak in a normal fashion so you can relate to the characters. I was so moved by the last two episodes I laughed and cried through most of it. The episode is so heartwarming and satisfying. It could easily end there, or continue on their journey.

I highly recommend giving this a watch.

If you're looking for a bingeable, lighthearted show, give this a go. Granted, it's not quality storytelling or character development, but it's a short series and it's a fun watch. Set in the context of the Black Death, a motley crew come together in a fancy villa to try to escape their woes. Strong personalities clash as the group of misfits realize they've got way more than they've bargained for. In all truth, coming in without any expectations, Decameron was an entertaining watch! The shenanigans that the group must face, and the randomness of events, make you keep watching throughout the absurdity of it all.

I was hopeful for this new version. And the costumes, set and camerawork are all on-point.

I wasn't expecting anything approaching Pasolini's standards but am disappointed that the way this production is presented with the same values as Bridgerton, aimed at the same audience.

It is a cheap pastiche made palatable to a mass market by filling the script with slap-stick gags and nods to modernity, at the expense of deftly exploring the human condition, which is what justifies the book's masterpiece status and why it is worth bringing to our screens in the first place.

The writers had the opportunity to give the audience something they didn't know they wanted but they took the easy route and gave them what they've always had.

A group of people trying to social distance in a luxurious Italian Villa find themselves at odds with their own desires. The ensemble cast and farcical comedic styling makes this a fun show to watch. The dramatic elements that are woven in aren't always given proper attention. Not having read the source material I can't speak to what others have said about it not being like the book, however, it is full of resonant themes all people can relate to. Themes like love, friendship, betrayal, jealousy, lust, religious oppression, class differences and wealth inequality, oh and plague.

In the course of the series there are many twists and turns, and while the themes are serious, they're handled with darkly comedic flair. Most of the show is fun to watch, but there are a few times where I found myself cringing. Some of the acting feels out of place at times, incongruent and frustratingly one-dimensional. This is not to say there are bad actors in the cast. On the contrary, this is a talented and seasoned group of actors, reminiscent of a theatrical troupe. I wonder if it is more that the direction and choices are not always consistent with the balancing of comedy and drama that the series seems to be reaching for. All in all I enjoyed this, and would watch it again.

Growing up in Europe, I had the Decameron on my reading list in high school, but I remember being quite bored by the sexual stories and not retaining much from the book. Watching this movie reignited my interest, and I plan to read the book again with a more mature perspective. The COVID pandemic has also changed my view on the story, as we now understand what it means to be confined and seek refuge away from the city, much like the characters in this captivating series.

I particularly enjoyed the beginning of the series, though I found the ending to be somewhat diluted in its storytelling. When the scriptwriters stayed true to the original Decameron, the content was spicy and engaging.

The locations, costumes, and cast were all outstanding. The actors' performances were perfect, making this a memorable series that kept me entertained and up late into the night. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good series to watch.