[TIFF Review] The Lowdown

One of the Toronto International Film Festival's (TIFF) sections, "Primetime," showcases series from around the world, including shows from mainstream American cable channels and streaming platforms. Among these is The Lowdown, which has an eight-episode first season, with the festival screening its premiere episode.

The Lowdown stars Ethan Hawke and Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

The Lowdown incorporates many noir elements: a murder mystery, an investigation, and dark, nocturnal stalking scenes. However, it is simultaneously full of comedic color. Most scenes take place during the day, and the characters are often funny and a bit silly. This combination reminded the reviewer of Paul Thomas Anderson's 2014 film Inherent Vice, but set in modern-day Tulsa, Oklahoma. The series' creator and director, Sterlin Harjo, is a native Oklahoman. His previous films and series have also been set in Oklahoma and Tulsa, and he meticulously portrays the diverse landscapes, communities, and characters of Tulsa in this show.

Unlike traditional noir detectives or police officers, the protagonist of The Lowdown, Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), is a citizen journalist. He fights against the powerful and exposes racial discrimination in newspapers and magazines, a setup that feels very relevant to contemporary American society. Ethan Hawke delivers one of his wildest and most vibrant performances in recent years, portraying not just a fearless, unrestrained fool, but also showing fear in his eyes when Lee is ambushed and kidnapped. Furthermore, Lee isn't a lone wolf; he has a daughter (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and they even stalk Lee's targets together, suggesting their father-daughter relationship will be quite crucial to the series.

The first episode primarily introduces the characters and the story's premise, but more importantly, it establishes a tone that is full of humor yet infused with a sense of underlying crisis. Lee is trying to expose a conspiracy by the powerful, and characters from this elite family have made brief appearances. The story will unfold as Lee follows various clues to uncover the truth, likely encountering many dangers along the way. I am also curious to see how Sterlin Harjo will continue to depict the diverse cultures and communities of Oklahoma and Tulsa throughout the series.

FX’s “The Lowdown” premieres on Tuesday, September 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FX, and streams the next day on Disney+ in Canada (September 24).

Trailer:

Synopsis:

FX’s The Lowdown from Creator Sterlin Harjo and starring Executive Producer Ethan Hawke, follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist “Lee Raybon” (Hawke), a self-proclaimed Tulsa “truthstorian” whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble. When the publication of Lee’s latest exposé – a deep dive into the powerful Washberg family – is immediately followed by the suspicious suicide of “Dale Washberg” (Tim Blake Nelson), Lee knows he’s stumbled onto something big.

Photo and Source: FX Networks、Disney+