Rian Johnson’s series Poker Face on Amazon Prime sends Natasha Lyonne as the human lie detector Charlie Cale on an adventurous road trip through the USA. The series combines exciting Murder Mystery with black humor and brings a breath of fresh air to this classic crime genre.
The first season of Poker Face was available to stream exclusively on WOW in Germany for a long time. Now all Amazon Prime subscribers can also enjoy it.
That’s what Poker Face is about on Amazon Prime and WOW
The quick-witted Charlie Cale (Orange is the New Black star Natasha Lyonne) has a special gift: She knows instinctively when people are lying to her. Whenever someone tells an untruth, she slips into a “Bullshit!” out. Pursued by her former boss, Charlie is on the run across the United States and stumbles into a bizarre murder case in each episode.
The audience is usually one step ahead of Charlie. In the style of the crime classic Columbo, the murder and a selection of possible murderers are presented directly at the beginning of each episode.
Rian Johnson reinvents the murder mystery genre as a road trip
The trick of Poker Face is to combine familiar elements in astonishing new waysThe heart of the series is embodied by Natasha Lyonne as the lovably snotty Charlie, who easily connects with the audience emotionally on her escape across the USA.
The high voltage factor The series’ appeal comes from watching with excitement as to whether Charlie manages to put the necessary puzzle pieces together in time at each of her stopovers. For example, when she is stuck in a remote mountain motel because of a snowstorm and discovers that her supposedly helpful host has sinister plans.
It works brilliantly that the classic road trip scenario meets the equally classic case-of-the-week principle. Each episode features new cases that take place in a completely different location. Combined with Lyonne’s bullshit detector, this results in an astonishingly fresh, exciting crime series. Rian Johnson mixes the murder mystery genre with location changes and a reluctant amateur detective.
Like Charlie, the audience starts in a new setting with each episode. Whether it’s a traveling metal band, eccentric theater stars or prison inmates on parole – the series offers constantly changing insights into a part of American society.
Originally created for the streaming provider Peacock, Poker Face celebrated its US premiere on January 26, 2023. The first season with a total of ten episodes is available in Germany with a subscription to Amazon Prime and WOW.
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