Much has been said about the Netflix original series, Kaleidoscope! A huge part of the buzz of this show has been that you can watch the episodes in any order! How crazy is that? It is a real testament to the creator Eric Garcia that you can do this. I was engaged from the start until the end and it is one of my favorite heist shows, it was so good, later in the year, I will give it a rewatch in a different order!
How to Download Kaleidoscope
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like experimental movies or TV shows, check out another one by Netflix – Dark Mirror: Bandersnatch.
The Movie Review
Now, the order I watched the show was the order that Netflix had listed the episodes for me, so the way I experienced it is probably a bit different from how you experienced it. What we have here Kaleidoscope is a heist story and a story about revenge and not being able to let go. What really drew me to this more than the “gimmick” was the fact it stared Giancarlo Esposito who I am a massive fan of.
Ray Vernon is a man who is in prison and learns that he has Parkinson’s. Ray has a close relationship with his cellmate, Stan and the two of them decide to break out of prison. Ray manages to get away, but Stan stays behind to help Ray escape. I think that they do a great job of showcasing the friendship between Stan and Ray and Stan almost looks at Ray in a father figure type of way.
On the outside, Ray heads to a lawyer friend of his, Ava. Ava hooks Ray up with a new identity where he will be known as Leo. Now that he is out of prison, Ray/Leo puts together the ultimate heist, a heist that will see him and the crew he puts together make billions of dollars.
The whole planning of a heist to get millions of dollars is a fantastic premise for a show. However, Kaleidoscope has more depth than that. You see, Ray/Leo has a real grudge and this is more than about money, it is about revenge. I was so invested in this and I liked Ray so much, I just wanted him to let it go and try to move on!
What I think makes this such a great show is just how many moving pieces there are. Stan for example loves a woman called, Judy who is the “chemist” of the group, but she leaves him for Bob, a meathead safecracker that is also part of the team. Add to this romantic drama with Ray and Ava, plus an estranged daughter in the mix and you have a lot of stuff to keep track of.
You may wonder how a show that you can watch in any order works, but trust me it does. Each episode is called a color, for example, The Green Episode, and it lets you know when it is set. For example, The Green Episode is set 7 years before the heist and The Orange Episode is set 3 weeks before the heist. The show spans 25 years, but it is amazingly easy to follow.
The only criticism that I have with Kaleidoscope is in terms of the special effects. Not in terms of gunfire, explosions, or stunts! We see Ray as a younger man and I am not sure what they did to his face to make him look younger, but it looks very odd. It was actually quite distracting if I am being honest with you. However, if that is my only complaint about the show, you know it is good.
I can tell you that all of the hype around Kaleidoscope is worth it. This is such a great show, as I write this it is January 2023 and already this is shaping up to be a great year for Netflix! With amazing performances and a real mystery about what will and what has happened, Kaleidoscope is one of the best heist shows that I have ever seen!
