The reviews are unanimous in their approval. Most critics credit Noah Hawley with taking a known comic-book concept and making something they have not seen before, and the praise clusters on his direction: fractured camerawork, non-linear editing and a surreal, psychedelic look meant to put the viewer inside David’s unreliable mind. The handling of mental illness alongside mutant powers is repeatedly singled out as the show’s real subject. Dan Stevens’ performance and the wider cast draw steady approval, with several critics noting a humane core beneath the flash.
There is little dissent. The spread is narrow, from the Guardian and Telegraph at the lower end to Collider awarding full marks, and even the coolest notices call it ambitious and fascinatingly unconventional. The one caution worth noting is that most of these reviews judge the pilot and early episodes, so the consensus rests on the show’s opening rather than a full run.