--- title: "Paradise: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/paradise/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/paradise" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Paradise (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Paradise an absorbing, twist-driven thriller whose performances keep its more improbable ideas credible. Praise centres on Sterling K. Brown, with James Marsden and Julianne Nicholson also singled out for giving the elaborate mystery emotional weight. The favourable reviews value its character-led momentum, wit and willingness to combine genres, finding enough feeling beneath the plotting to make the demands on patience and belief worthwhile. The spread is wide, with disagreement chiefly over whether that emotional pull compensates for thin ideas and implausible developments. Some find the silliness enjoyable; The Telegraph sees superficial characters and storytelling despite the strong acting. Reactions to the second series retain that divide: The Hollywood Reporter finds its emotion undermined by plot holes, flashbacks and lost momentum, while /Film is more forgiving of uneven subplots because of the ambition and performances. Even sympathetic reviews acknowledge that the mechanics do not always withstand scrutiny. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2025. The critic calls it a precision-tooled thriller with wit and heart, praising the twisty concept and especially the performances of Sterling K Brown and James Marsden. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jan/28/paradise-review-disney-a-whodunnit-with-wit-heart-and-sterling-k-brown) ## The AV Club — Saloni Gajjar Rating B+. 24 January 2025. The critic finds Paradise a rewarding, twisty thriller that blends genres effectively with strong performances, though it demands patience and suspension of disbelief. It praises the character-driven momentum, incisive scripts, terrific performances (especially Sterling K. Brown's), and the way it evolves into a multifaceted, thought-provoking drama. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/paradise-review-tv-hulu) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2025. The critic describes an addictive thriller with well-wrought twists and back-story emotion, highlighting Marsden's performance and an exciting episode seven. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/paradise-review-disney-new-series-3pn2wqqg2) ## The i Paper — Rachael Sigee Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2025. The series is an ambitious, conceptual thriller that combines murder-mystery elements with big emotions and high stakes, unafraid to take big swings that mostly pay off. It singles out the strong performances of the three leads—particularly Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, and James Marsden—for grounding the story amid its twists and conceptual ambition. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/paradise-review-unpredictable-thriller-3503350) ## Vulture — Kathryn VanArendonk Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2025. The critic finds the series a fun, broad, and snappy-paced thriller that stands out among other apocalypse-bunker shows despite its frequent silliness and reliance on on-the-nose needle drops. The twist-driven premise and momentum make it entertaining even if it lacks depth or high-gloss production values. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/paradise-hulu-tv-review-sterling-k-brown-james-marsden.html) ## Evening Standard — Vicky Jessop Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2025. The review calls it one of the most bonkers shows of the year, an enjoyable but flimsy binge-watch that falls short of glossy prestige TV ambitions despite the cast's efforts. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/paradise-disney-review-sterling-k-brown-james-marsden-b1206596.html) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2025. The review finds the dystopian thriller superficial and glossy despite its detail, lacking depth in characters and story despite strong performances from Brown and Marsden. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/paradise-review-disney/) ## Empire — James Dyer 24 January 2025. The critic calls it a moreish if preposterous murder-mystery wrapped in a swing-for-the-fences premise. Brown’s grounding performance keeps the propulsive, addictive thriller on track despite its wilder aspects. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/paradise-season-1/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Rating Lots of heart, not enough brains.. 22 February 2026. The critic finds Season 2 has plenty of emotional pull and strong performances but grows messy, sprawling, and inconsistent with too many plot holes and flashbacks. It prioritizes heart over brains, losing focus and momentum. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/paradise-season-2-review-hulu-sterling-k-brown-1236511516/) ## Variety — Alison Herman 27 January 2025. The critic praises the twisty Hulu thriller that still puts feelings first, with Brown’s star turn and Fogelman’s knack for emotional storytelling. It delivers propulsive, addicting momentum through its mysteries and character focus, even if light on sci-fi details. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/tv/tv-reviews/paradise-review-sterling-k-brown-hulu-1236283549/) ## Collider — Kelcie Mattson Rating 8/10. 24 January 2025. The critic calls it a return to form for the political thriller genre, with timely concerns and heart. They single out Sterling K. Brown's captivating, layered performance as the standout element that makes the series compelling. [Read the review](https://collider.com/paradise-hulu-review/) ## /Film — Jeremy Mathai Rating 7.5/10. 20 February 2026. The critic finds season 2 a messier but more emotional road-trip odyssey about hope after the apocalypse. They praise the ambition, heart, and performances by Sterling K. Brown and Shailene Woodley while noting uneven subplots. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2103387/paradise-season-2-review-sterling-k-brown-hulu-series/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/paradise.md