In Netflix’s The Madness, political consultant-turned-TV pundit Muncie Daniels finds himself in the midst of a huge political conspiracy when he becomes the sole witness to a horrifying crime in the Poconos. Now on the run, he must do anything in his power to get out of the quicksand before his life is ruined. Along the way, he reconnects with different people whom he had left behind in the past while fighting an uphill battle.
The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 60 minutes.
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The Madness Netflix Cast
Colman Domingo, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Gabrielle Graham, John Ortiz, Tamsin Topolski, Thaddeus J. Mixson
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The Madness Series Creator
Stephen Belber
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The Madness 2024 Showrunners
Stephen Belber, V. J. Boyd
The Madness Review
In The Madness, media pundit Muncie Daniels finds himself paranoid after watching a horrifying scene in the Poconos that seemingly stops existing. There’s a palpable tension in the series from its very first episode that leaves viewers expecting the worst. Thanks to Colman Domingo’s portrayal of Muncie’s growing paranoia surrounding a white supremacist’s “alleged” murder, we get deeper and deeper into a horrifying tale of racism and prejudice that clearly that there isn’t one particular political faction that can be given a clean bill of health.
The series excels in showcasing Muncie’s very legitimate paranoia. Domingo is fantastic in his role and brings out the anticipation of something going wrong around every corner extremely well. I couldn’t take my eyes off him throughout the length of the runtime and as things get more and more complicated, the actor displays a great range in his performance that sets him apart. Viewers will be left questioning what is happening and why for a good chunk of the runtime, which is great because it keeps things moving at a decent pace.
The show’s exploration of racism and being on the receiving end of it is done well. In spite of the bad guy being murdered, the Black witness is still made out to be the villain. The series holds up a mirror for viewers, especially in the current political climate, and showcases a scary fictional reality that is slowly becoming real. The series does a great job of building the fear of the unknown (and the known) and leaves you in shock for a lot of the runtime. Plus, it helps that it’s named appropriately and captures the essence of the show 100%.
It’s also great that the series creates a strong emotional foundation for us to follow Muncie throughout ~8 hours of runtime. The series works mostly because of his relationship with his wife and two kids. Even though there’s tension in his personal life, it becomes the main thing that tethers Muncie to reality and teaches him not to give up on those around him when things get tough. Gabrielle Graham and Thaddeus J. Mixson are fantastic as Kallie and Demetrius respectively and add some much-needed humour to the mix as well.
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However, there’s something about The Madness that will leave you thoroughly annoyed. I get that the series wants to create a world where almost everyone other than those close to Muncie is absolute trash to the point where they feel like they have come out of Hell itself. It’s just too much. Every person that comes in contact with him seems to have no subtlety and nothing holding them back. Everyone acts in the most evil way that they can muster and it comes off as so odd that it sometimes feels funny.
And yes, I acknowledge that law enforcement and other fringe groups are prejudiced against the Black community and can go out of their way to harm them. However, there has to be a limit to how they act. This is a public figure who apparently doesn’t have any prior charges remotely resembling murder. And now, suddenly, they are a horrifying murderer who chops people up? The cops act hell-bent on showcasing him in this light, which is fine, but I wish there was more nuance there.
Plus, at 8 episodes, The Madness can drag sometimes. There are several moments that drag on forever and make you want to skip to the next scene. A shorter runtime would’ve definitely helped the case, but it’s unfortunate that we didn’t get that. Either way, in spite of being cliched, I did enjoy Muncie going on the run to get to the bottom of what is holding his life hostage. With fantastic cinematography, score and editing, the series definitely has more hits than misses.
Final Thoughts
The Madness isn’t without its merits. Its twists and turns are delicious and there are several moments that will leave you hooked to the screen. However, the series is too long and sometimes isn’t able to balance itself well. In spite of that, viewers will find themselves wondering what Muncie has gotten himself into as he slowly peels back the layers of this devastating and life-altering situation. This one’s definitely worth the watch.