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A new Netflix series, titled The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, is getting rave reviews from critics who are calling it an "X-rated Harry Potter". Despite the streamer's young-adult-orientated shows being a decidedly mixed bag, the show is outshining the others thanks to its style and personality – as well as its handling of the source material.
Based on Sally Green’s Half Bad trilogy, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself centers on a 16-year-old boy, Nathan (Jay Lycurgo)., who just happens to be the son of the world's most feared witch. In this world, witches gain their powers at 17, and as Nathan's birthday approaches, the so-called "good" witches fear that he may turn evil like his father. Oh, and there's a daunting prophecy involved that complicates things further.
So far, so Harry Potter. However, the script for the series comes from Joe Barton, best known for the stellar crime series Giri/Haji, the time-loop drama The Lazarus Project, and the horror movie The Ritual. "His experience and background in more 'adult' fare than a teen witch series gives The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself an edginess (as seen in the title) that distinguishes it from the herd of fantasy TV series awash streaming right now," writes Radio Times.
"It would be fair to jump to conclusions and say there is no need for another fantasy show about young people finding their way in the world," the review continues, "but Barton pops his scripts with enough snappy dialogue and well-plotted mechanisms to keep everything fresh enough to stand out from the hegemony."
The Telegraph calls the series "an X-rated Harry Potter" that's akin to Sex Education and Skins in the way it deals with young-adult themes. "This is a show about swearing, blood, and sex," the review concludes. Not very Harry Potter, then.
"As far as YA dramas go, The Bastard Son has the style, personality, and ideas (even if they're more than a little on-the-nose) to resonate with audiences and avoid becoming another casualty of cancellation, as has been the case with so many other similar shows," a separate review in The Upcoming claims.
On social media, one journalist wrote that the show is "like a mash-up of Harry Potter and Twilight but with the edginess of Skins – binged eight episodes."
