Troy: Fall of a City is the Netflix Sleeper You Need To See

*Light Spoilers get packed in a wooden horse and left on the stoop* Somehow, Netflix has gone and broke the Troy curse. The greatest love story in ancient history has been properly adapted for the silver screen, and it is pretty damn astounding. We all know that Helen and Paris fall in love, setting in motion the bloody 10 year war. But if I’m keepin’ it 100, I’m just here for this spot on representation of so many legendary heroes on both sides of the god instigated and influenced conflict. Troy: Fall of a City sets itself apart from 90% of Iliad adaptations by going behind those historic walls and giving us a great depiction of the tough (and completely wrong) decisions that were made causing the tragic downfall of a historic empire.

Shot in Cape Town, South Africa, the worlds of Troy, Sparta, Greece and the surrounding landscapes are incredibly vast and absolutely stunning. Cape Town did this show and its creators so many favors with such beautiful and diverse terrain. The plains, hills, and mountainous regions are lush with vegetation. The beach and sea scenes are as glorious as the shimmering Mediterranean.

But setting alone does nothing for a show of this magnitude and ambition. The created sets that compliment each location are equally impressive. The walls of Troy look high and imposing but not farfetched from the barrier that inspired them. Far too often, filmmakers become obsessed with the scale of their production and transforming legendary moments from ancient …