The Bannen Way: Season 1 Review

The Bannen Way won Best Drama at the 2010 Streamys. But drama at the Streamys is kind of like comedy at the Oscars. It's not the main event. So, how well does The Bannen Way compete on the grander scale of potential things to watch?

Well, it certainly makes a strong visual pitch. The Bannen Way has been compared to Ocean's 11 and Smoking Aces for its sexy visual style. This flashy look allows director Jesse Warren to create a fun mood that works both as a web series and a feature film.

The main character, Neil Bannen (Mark Gantt), is a thief who dislikes guns. He's not a bad guy, but he simply can't resist playing ball with bad people. Naturally enough, he's indebted to a crime boss 150 grand. He wants to pay off his debt and quit the game, but he doesn't know whether he should turn to his his police chief father or his crime boss uncle for help.

While everyone loves a mischievous anti-hero, it has been done many times. In fact, the "attempting a heist to repay debt" storyline has been done many times. But for fans of the genre, The Bannen Way probably gets away with it by switching up just enough.

Part of the fun of a series like The Bannen Way is seeing how they are going to cleverly give us what we want. The series introduces a beautiful assassin who is known for killing her victims in the throes of passion. She meets Bannen and they begin to get intimate. Previously, Bannen's technical friends installed a camera in Bannen's glasses for heist purposes. Now, they accidentally tune into the unexpected show. Suddenly, they realize who the woman is and rush to warn Bannen before it is too late. It's a unique moment that also advances the plot.

The Bannen Way is good at creating interesting story arcs in just a few minutes. If it were solely a feature film, it would be less memorable. While The Bannen Way offers some twists to stay fresh, it doesn't topple the classics in its genre like Snatch.

Watch The Bannen Way.

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