Netflix's The Letter for the King Is YA Game of Thrones, and It's Great

[System 1]

The Letter for the King is currently available on Netflix. [poilib element="accentDivider"] I miss Game of Thrones, and if you were one of the millions who tuned in every week for eight seasons to catch the latest machinations of the Starks, Targaryens, and Lannisters, you've likely spent the better part of the past year looking for a show to fill the void HBO's (mostly) stellar political drama with dragons left behind. While Netflix's The Letter for the King isn't a perfect replacement for the cultural phenomenon that was GoT, I'd highly recommend it as a relatively quick binge that scratches that itch. (You can also read David Griffin's official IGN review for The Letter for the King!)

Binge It! James Acaster's Repertoire Is a Meta Stand-Up Absurdity Loop

The new series, which is available on Netflix globally, can be most easily pitched as Game of Thrones with kids -- and I mean that as a positive, if all things YA don't immediately put you off. The plot is pretty straightforward: while training to become a knight, 16-year-old Tiuri (His Dark Materials' Amir Wilson) finds himself in possession of -- you guessed it -- an important letter for the king of the realm. But despite that simple premise, which is an adaptation of the 1962 Dutch novel of the same name from Tonke Dragt, the show is very ambitious in its scope and ultimately fulfills its promise. It has a surprising amount of political intrigue, interesting fantastical elements, and surprises throughout its six episodes that keep things interesting and engaging to someone used to the complexity of GoT, even as it leans into some familiar fantasy tropes, like "The Chosen One." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflixs-the-letter-for-the-king-first-look&captions=true"] What I liked most about The Letter for the King is the world it created. I'm a sucker for most things fantasy, so I'm predisposed to give your show a shot if you've got interesting characters, a solid magic system, and a good mystery. The Letter for the King checks all those boxes, and it also looks great. Shot in Prague and New Zealand, The Letter for the King feels akin to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones in its scale, bringing its fantastical backdrop to life better than the likes of The Shannara Chronicles or, I'd argue, even The Witcher. Unlike those previously mentioned titles, there aren't really any big names you'll recognize in The Letter for the King. The one key exception is Andy Serkis, who appears opposite his real-life daughter Ruby Ashbourne Serkis (adorably, he plays her dad in the show). But the young cast is great, with believable chemistry and strong performances that anchor the show even as it spins up in a fantastical way. This isn't YA in the same way as, say, the darkly, delightfully campy Riverdale or Pretty Little Liars. The Letter for the King is more Lord of the Rings than Game of Thrones in its earnest tone and commitment to its high fantasy setting, just with a younger cast. So if you're looking for something new to watch and missing Game of Thrones like me, I can recommend The Letter for the King as a fantasy world I'm glad I sank six hours into. For more new Netflix titles, be sure to check out the full rundown of what's new to Netflix in March! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/28/new-to-netflix-for-march-2020"] More From Binge It!...

• Justified Is a Stylish, Modern Western That Still Hits the Target 10 Years Later
• Netflix's Castlevania Is a Bloody Exploration of the Human Condition... With Vampires
• Netflix's Voltron Is a Surprisingly Complicated Update of the Classic Cartoon
• Letterkenny Is the Smartest Small-Town Comedy Ever
• James Acaster's Repertoire Is a Meta Stand-Up Absurdity Loop

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Binge It! is IGN's recommendation series. Movies, TV shows, books, comics, music… if you can binge it, we're here to talk about it. In each installment of Binge It!, we'll discuss a piece of content we're passionate about -- and why you should check it out. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Terri Schwartz is Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment at IGN. Talk to her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz.

View the full article