Benedict Cumberbatchhas certainly proven himself to be one of the greatest movie stars of his generation.
What Is Patrick Melrose About?
Fans of the original material may have been delighted to see such an in-depth portrayal of the character.
Image via Showtime
However,Patrick Melroseis still approachable to those experiencing this world for the first time.
Cumberbatch can show the caustic mannerisms that define an addicts behavior.
Hes able to shift between being entirely confident to being snarky and aggressive whenever hes denied his indulgences.
Image via Showtime
Its impressive that an actor as inherently likable as Cumberbatch can become so genuinely nasty at points.
Cumberbatch does a great job at playing a character who is both empathetic and infuriating.
However, it is easy to sympathize with someone who has dealt with as much trauma as Patrick has.
Image via Netflix
The series acknowledges that his wealth has played a significant role in eluding any serious repercussions for his actions.
However,Cumberbatchshows how the lasting traumaof Patrick’s childhood affects his adulthood.
Cumberbatch perfectly fits within the somewhatambiguous nature ofPatrick Melrose.
The show follows a puppeteer named Vincent Anderson (Cumberbatch).
After his son, Edgar, goes missing, Vincent begins to spiral deep into self-loathing and addiction.
Cumberbatch plays the characters struggle with addiction realistically, mixed with heart-wrenching sympathy.
This leads to further familiar nuance that audiences who enjoyedPatrick Melrosewill further appreciate.
It’s also an indication thatCumberbatch wasn’t concerned about playing a wholly unlikeable character.
Thankfully, Cumberbatch was able to avoid these potential issues by getting personal.
