‘The Decameron’ Reviews: Dramedy Impresses the Critics

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    On July 25, 2024, Netflix released ‘The Decameron’, which has earned predominantly positive reviews, currently holding fresh at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, a group of Italian nobles and their servants retreat to the countryside amid the bubonic, a getaway that proves to be eventful. The ensemble cast includes Zosia Mamet, Tony Hale, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Tanya Reynolds, Lou Gala and Amar Chadha-Patel. Read the full review round-up below.

Alison Herman of Variety notes, “While The Decameron may not reach the heights of Mike White’s contingency plan turned HBO crown jewel [The White Lotus], the series is a tartly funny showcase for a uniformly excellent ensemble.” Continuing, “Mamet is glass-shatteringly shrill as the insecure, off-putting Pampinea, while McMeekin has a Corden-esque knack for playing the bumbling fool. At least some of those sheltering in place earn our sympathy: both Reynolds’ Licisca and Sirisco’s deputy Stratilia (Leila Farzad) claw back some agency while speaking truth to power. “Currently, you’re taking up all the fear,” Licisca tells a panicking Filomena. “There’s none left for me.” It’s a succinct take on emotional labor in a sea of ribald jokes.”

Emma Stefansky of IGN Movies praises the series, stating, “Funny yet overlong and somewhat exhausting, The Decameron loosely adapts Giovanni Boccaccio’s collection of short stories set in an Italian villa during the Black Plague of 1348. In its attempts to put a modern spin on another century's pandemic story, the Netflix series imbues its intersecting plotlines and characters with an outrageous and grotesque sense of humor, which is hilarious until the length of its hour-long episodes catches up with it. Its cast of seasoned comedians often pull funny performances from the material, but only occasionally embody the harsh social commentary the show attempts by its later episodes.”

Pat Stacey of Irish Independent says, “If you took assorted pieces of Blackadder, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and peak-period Mel Brooks at his most gloriously iconoclastic and fed them into a mincing machine, what came out the other end would probably look a lot like black comedy miniseries The Decameron (Netflix, all episodes available Thursday, July 25) — although with those ingredients, you’d hope it would be a bit better than it is. The Decameron – loosely “inspired by” Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century book about 10 people sheltering in a villa from the Black Death who pass the time by telling one another stories — is a sweary, knockabout romp full of slapstick, farce, sexual shenanigans, broad satire about class and religion, and even broader performances.”

Lucy Mangan of Guardian writes, “Put down your Boccaccio, which I know you picked up the instant you heard Netflix had commissioned a series called The Decameron, keen to refresh your memory of the 14th-century Italian doorstop. A re-read is not needed at this time. The series retains only Giovanni B’s framing device; 10 characters fleeing plague-ridden Florence and taking refuge in a countryside villa. In the book, they each tell a story a night to keep themselves entertained. Here, they have been invited by wealthy Count Leonardo to simply get on with life. It soon becomes as messy and soapy as you would expect of 10 strangers trying to settle down together – not least as one of them is an extremely attractive doctor.” Adding, “The success of Bridgerton has meant that the schedules are now flooded with historical content of all kinds, from the great The Great to the impressive Mary & George, to Sally Wainwright’s unexpected entry into the field with Renegade Nell, to the eccentric but endearing My Lady Jane (what if the Nine Day Queen had lived?!). The Decameron falls between too many stools to be a triumph. But it is full of nice performances and lovely gowns (jewel-toned medieval drapery always beats 18th-century pastel puffery for me) and is good enough to mark out a place for itself even in the middle of the current glut of similar offerings. Have fun.”