Carl Roberts 
Picture Shows: (L-R) Erin played by (Celine Buckens) and Lori played by (Sheridan Smith)
Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens lead the cast in the Paramount+ adaptation of Lucy Clarke’s novel, The Castaways.
The Paramount+ adaptation of the Lucy Clarke novel, The Castaways, premieres on the service today. The series stars the brilliant pairing of Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens as sisters Lori and Erin Holme. Featuring an ensemble supporting cast, the series is five episodes long. We have seen the first three and know what lies in store for the viewer. But the question is, does the series fly high or does it replicate the plane crash and hit the ground with a large bump?
THE PREMISE
Sisters Lori and Erin embark on the holiday of a lifetime in Fiji. However, after a huge fight, Erin never boards the island-hopping flight to their resort-and the plane, with Lori on board, never arrives at its destination. Months later, with no plane or survivors having been found, Lori’s credit card is suddenly used in a corner shop in a remote village in Fiji, and on CCTV Erin recognises the plane’s pilot. She sets out on a journey to find him and discover the mystery of what happened to her sister.
Jumping between the two sisters’ perspectives, Erin undertakes a perilous mission to uncover the truth of the crash, while Lori struggles for survival among her fellow castaways. Each shocking twist will help reveal the truth about what happened to Lori and the other passengers. A truth that someone on the island will kill to keep secret.
THOUGHTS
Stay sitting in your seats with your belts securely fastened, this is going to be a bumpy ride! The series is yet another piece of brilliant entertainment for the adult audience. Dramatic, horrific in places, engaging, and wholly enjoyable, this is great entertainment from the very start. The acting is superb, the storyline compelling and it all adds up to something that grabs the viewer by the lapels and never lets go. Fans of the source novel needn’t worry, every piece of the story is done justice here.
The twists and turns keep coming at us at pace, the story is never less than compelling, and we find ourselves drawn into the mystery completely. Something feels off with the proceedings we witness during the episodes, as it should do. What does the stewardess mean with her final words on the beach to Lori? Who is determined to keep the survivors on the island? Were Lori’s suspicions correct all along? And why is Erin determined to find out the truth of what happened to her sister, despite having a few secrets of her own regarding the events?
SHERIDAN SMITH AND CELINE BUCKENS
The pairing of Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens pays dividends. Despite the two actresses only appearing in a few scenes together in what we have seen so far, they play off each other brilliantly. The award-winning Sheridan Smith is simply sublime as Lori. We can get behind her as a scared, worried but resilient character from the moment we see her. Lori’s story is one of someone who is determined to survive against the odds. After the horrifying plane crash sequence, we see Lori in a whole new light. Strong-willed, and determined to help her fellow survivors and escape their enforced isolation. She also has to face a saltwater Crocodile in one scene. We can see what’s coming, what is going to happen. But it still makes us jump when it does. Sheridan Smith is outstanding.
Celine Buckens as Erin is equally as good. While Lori is level-headed, Erin is more rebellious. When we first meet her, she is investigating the disappearance of her sister, despite being told that she is dead. Not willing to give up her search and rejecting a substantial cash compensation offer, Erin sets out to Fiji to investigate when Lori’s credit card is used. What she finds leads to more questions than answers. How is the pilot still alive and back in Fiji? Where is her sister? And what is going on with a gun-toting woman pretending to be the pilot’s daughter? Erin isn’t as innocent as she seems either. Celine Buckens brings a youthful enthusiasm to her role as Erin, and we want her to find the answers she seeks.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The supporting cast also plays their parts well. Brendan Cowell as Mike Brasse, the pilot is a standout. There is something not quite right about Mike that we can’t quite put our finger on. One minute he’s a shell-shocked pilot, devastated that the plane he was flying has crashed. The next, he seems shifty, nervous and hiding something. When he returns to Fiji, another mystery is thrown at us. How has he managed to return from the crash site? And how has he got a bag full of money hidden in his freezer? By the end of the third episode, we still don’t have the answers, and neither does Erin. Brendan Cowell comes across as likeable as well as slightly villainous.
Lasarus Ratuere as Felix Vatubua is brilliant. When we first met Felix, we are immediately on our guard. He comes across as nasty, violent, rude, and not someone we want to spend much time with. Nothing changes our opinion of him for the opening episode and for the majority of the second. But when we begin to know him better and understand him, we find ourselves warming to him pretty quickly. From someone whom we feel we should steer clear of, he becomes someone we would want by our side when trouble comes. Ratuere is a fine actor, one that doesn’t worry if we love him or hate him in this series.
Dominic Tighe as Daniel Elridge and Charlotte Vega as Amber also play their part in the proceedings. Charlotte Vega doesn’t have much to do during the second episode (you’ll understand when you see it) but she starts to come into her own later on. Dominic Tighe also plays his part, coming into his own as the series progresses. Will either of them survive their enforced confinement, and Amber her injuries? We will have to see.
JOE MYDELL
But our heart lies with Jack played by Joe Mydell. Jack is a vet who has the task of treating the wounded survivors. All this despite losing his beloved wife in the crash. Mydell plays his role with relish. We feel for him at every turn, we listen to his advice regarding what they are all facing. We feel heartbreak when he has to push his wife’s body into the ocean to be swept away to prevent Saltwater Crocodiles from getting their scents. To prevent them from devouring the bodies and posing a threat to the survivors. It is a performance of sheer emotion, one that sticks with us throughout.
CONCLUSION
If you’re looking for something that is the antidote to all the sugary, schmaltzy entertainment that accompanies this time of year, you can’t go wrong with The Castaways. A frightening, all too real tale that resonates with us from the start. With visuals that amaze us, some gorgeous scenery to boot, some peril that will have us chewing our fingernails, and some quality acting, it is superb. The scenery of the island pops out of the screen in glorious colour, the sea never looking less than inviting with its richness. The contrast between Fiji during a rainstorm and England is very apparent. The scenery itself plays a vital part in what unfolds.
With the quality of the performances from the two lead actresses and the brilliance of the supporting cast, the series deserves to be binge-watched with a glass of something alcoholic. Add in some mince pies or chocolates, a darkened lounge, and the phone is switched off and you have a great night in store for you. It won’t do anything to help if you’re a nervous flier, but it will stick in your mind after every episode. A post-Christmas treat.
All episodes of The Castaways are now streaming on Paramount+ UK
Trailer Source: Paramount Plus
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
A very complimentary review, taking into account some of the others I’ve read. I’ve only watched the first two episodes, so my opinion of Lori may change as the series goes on, but to describe her as “determined to help her fellow survivors” is not how I see her. She appeared to be the first of the passengers to regain consciousness after the crash, but rather than check on the health of the others on board, she departs the plane with nary a look back and wanders off to the beach. She only returns to lend a hand at the insistence of the captain who appears a few minutes later.
Plot holes abound – what sort of a plane was it anyway? For a 28-seat turboprop it had so much legroom, and the widest aisle I’ve ever seen! and to be 500 ‘klicks’ (no civilian pilot says klicks) off course would put them about half way to New Zealand, not near where the pilot was pointing on his map. I could go on, there’s so much wrong with it.
I’ll stick with it for a while longer, but it’s quite hard going. Here’s hoping the twist at the end is worth it😬