If I have been accused of anything in my life it’s that I am a huge fan of period piece films. Especially those set in the past of the United States which is the case with Manhunt. This AppleTV+ mini-series about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth at the Ford Theater is a fantastic period piece.  It shows this story in a more detailed light. This series is based on the book by James L Swanson Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase For Lincoln’s Killer

The story of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln is one of the most known stories in American history. Every child is taught this story in American history. We know it as if it were part of our own history. In a way it is.  Manhunt goes more in-depth on this historical event than any film or series has ever done before it. It’s an achievement in historical truth.

With any series or film set in the past like this one, it has to look authentic to the time period. This series has amazing technical aspects. Starting with the cinematography,  which is very good. Whether the scenes were inside homes or rooms the lighting is amazing. All the scenes look like you would think they looked at that time in history. The filmmakers used lamplight, fire, and sunlight as various ways to light scenes. The daylight outside scenes looked vivid and colorful. This series looked gorgeous. 

The production design, props, and costumes as well as makeup and hair design were also first-rate. These days Studios have the necessary funds to do all of this stuff correctly and Apple spared no penny on making this series look the part of the day and time it took place. That’s half the enjoyment of a show like this. The fact that it looks the way it’s supposed to look so the viewer can watch it in its full glory. 

With any series such as this, you have to look at the cast. The cast in this show is incredible. Starting with Tobias Menzies as Secretary of State Edwin Stanton. He plays this character as a staunch supporter and believer in Lincoln.  He is the true hero of the mini-series. Anthony Boyle John Wilkes Booth the man who killed President Lincoln. He is very good in this show as he was recently in another AppleTV+ series Masters of the Air. He’s having a good year. He plays a villain very well. Hamish Linklater plays honest Abe in a limited role, Patten Oswalt plays Lafayette Baker, an ally to Menzies’ character’s cause. Lovie Simone as Mary Simms is one of the best performances of the series. Her character had to show a lot of courage in a difficult situation. She is stellar in the part. The cast is filled with great character actors and their performances. I could go on forever talking about them. All this cast is that good from top to bottom. 

If you’re a fan of history or not I can’t honestly say how you wouldn’t enjoy this series. It shows how this country overcame prejudices, somewhat, and how the death of a great man Lincoln galvanized another man and his supporters to change the Constitution for the better. These are the times in history that are the hallmarks of why this country is so great. You can’t possibly watch this show and not get emotional about it and our country. Patriotism is in full swing. The showrunners, directed by Carl Franklin, written by and created for television by Monica Belletsky, did an excellent job of inducing a lot of emotions from this red-blooded American patriot.

Manhunt is as good as a historical document as a book or anything else. It depicts these events as honest and forthcoming as it possibly could. The showrunners, writers/ directors have all done a great job. They assembled a fantastic cast of character actors and they were led superbly by Tobias Menzies, who should be nominated for an Emmy for his stellar work. The technical aspects were first rate and I didn’t have to worry about seeing things that didn’t look right or out of place. The authenticity of the series was incredible. Any true American or history buff will eat this series up. It’s that good. Anthony Boyle was a great John Wilkes Booth. Everybody should see this show as soon as possible.

Episodes of Manhunt will stream weekly on AppleTV+

4 stars

Dan Skip Allen