Renegade Nell
Set in 18th-century England, Renegade Nell follows the titular Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland), who returns home five years after she was presumed to have been killed on the battlefield. Her family is happy to see her back, but an unfortunate encounter with the village landlord’s son Thomas (Jake Dunn) soon escalates with Nell being framed for murder and forced on the run with her young sisters, aided by Thomas’s former groom Rasselas (Enyi Okoronkwo) and highwayman Isambard Tulley (Frank Dillane).
It’s a fairly straightforward story, with a predictable plot only slightly jazzed up by the show’s supernatural elements. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing – Renegade Nell is aiming at a younger audience, and the simplicity of its storytelling helps the writing weave in more digestible layers of mystery and intrigue while keeping its overall shape more coherent, giving its viewers something substantial enough for them to properly sink their teeth into without becoming overwhelming.
This also allows the show to indulge in several entertaining set pieces, using its structure to its advantage to keep the experience fresh and engaging. Renegade Nell boasts some great, dynamic camera work to enhance these various scenes, accenting the strong narrative beats with considerable style and adding some extra visual complexity to proceedings.
The series also benefits greatly from a talented ensemble cast with fantastic chemistry, bringing out heaps of emotional depth and presence to elevate their character drama and development arcs. In particular, Harland is a brilliant leading lady, attacking the role with enthusiasm and gusto, and Frank Dillane is a very fun foil to her as Tulley – individually, the characters steal every scene they’re in, and together they chew up the scenery in some very fun ways.
Overall, Renegade Nell isn’t the most ambitious or deep production out there, but it’s also not trying to be; what it focuses on in every aspect of its production, from writing to cinematography to acting, is having a good time, and it excels in that regard. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, inviting its audience to simply enjoy some mild political peril and cool fight scenes bolstered by great performances, and it’s hard to stay mad at a show for having a solid mission statement that it sticks to so earnestly.
Umar Ali
Renegade Nell is released on Disney+ on 29th March 2024.
Watch the trailer for Renegade Nell here:
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