Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but here’s a fantasy coming of age story where a young boy is grappling with the knowledge that incredible power will one day be his.
First, of course, he must train to defeat his nemesis. Oh yes! It’s his own father! (No Darth Vader jokes here, please.)
An adaptation of Sally Green’s contemporary YA trilogy Half Bad, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself pitches Fairborn witches against nasty blood witches.
Our hero Nathan is hoping he doesn’t actually turn out to the latter, and it will not surprise you to learn the people in Nathan’s orbit talk in seriously whispered tones about prophecies and destinies.
Still, for all the fantasy cliches, from the moment Nathan is asked about his knowledge of witching history and wisecracks ‘I know Harry shags Hermione at the end,’ it’s clear that The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself will be prepared to be knowingly irreverent about its genre.
And Jay Lycurgo is outstanding as Nathan; funny, vulnerable, scared and grounded in real world desires – particularly when it comes to the wide-eyed Annalise (the similarly excellent Nadia Parkes), whose own father appears to have complicated witchy allegiances and motivations.
![The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. Nathan [Jay Lycurgo] & Annalise](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEI_130300184_1666880209.924-a0b6.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=540%2C270)
In that sense it’s right at the adult end of young adult – although possibly a bit too knife-y in the current context for comfort – and the soundtrack (overseen by Let’s Eat Grandma) is similarly spot on.
If only everything else around Nathan and Annalise was so compelling. They’re actually supposed to be part of a heroic trio with the sassy Gabriel (Emilien Vekemans), but he doesn’t appear until over three hours in.
The aggressive relationship Nathan has with his sister (Isobel Jesper Jones) doesn’t come with much perspective or explanation.
What Annalise’s father (Paul Ready) is actually up to is less intriguing than just frustratingly, obviously withheld.
So it does begin to feel that there isn’t eight episodes of material here, when we’re so obviously building to an end-of-level baddie-style confrontation.
That’s not to say there aren’t some great set pieces, and there’s enough in the writing from Joe Barton (Giri/Haji) and Lycurgo’s performance to make The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself watchable. Just not quite bewitchingly so.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is available to stream on Netflix now
