Hello everyone, I'm excited to share my thoughts on the Kazakh series 'The Player', which premiered on March 3rd. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first, given all the hype surrounding it on social media, but I'm glad I finally got around to watching it.
As it turns out, the series is available on multiple platforms, and you can watch it for free without any hassle or registration. I was impressed by the quality of the video, too.
So, what's the series about? Well, 'The Player' is a 2022 Kazakh production with one season and 12 episodes. I was a bit confused by some online sources claiming it had only 8 or 10 episodes, but trust me, it's 12.
Now, let's talk about the storyline.
The series follows a 28-year-old employee of a construction company who's working on a major social project. He starts betting on sports, but things quickly spiral out of control. Can he break free from this vicious cycle?
To be honest, my impression of the series was a bit different from what the official description promised.
The main character, Dania, is a 28-year-old man who's doing well for himself. He's got a great job, a loving wife, and a beautiful home. He's on the rise in his career and has everything going for him.
I've gotta say, my friend's life took a drastic turn when he started betting on sports. He won big time, and after that, he became a total sports betting addict.
He's been at it for a while now, and I've gotta admit, he's pretty good at it. His head's always filled with thoughts of betting on sports.
If you want to know how it all went down for my friend, I'd recommend checking out the TV series. I haven't watched it myself, but I'll tell you why.
The first major issue with the series 'The Gambler' 2022 is the constant use of profanity. I'm not a prude, but even I was taken aback by how often the characters swear.
Don't get me wrong, I'm used to hearing some strong language in Russian movies, but this series takes it to a whole new level.
The second major issue with the series 'The Gambler' 2022 is the underwhelming performances from the cast. Most of the actors seem like they're sleepwalking through their roles, which makes the whole thing feel like a joke.
But there is one actor who stands out - Abilmanov Serikov, who plays the main character Dania. He's already proven himself in the hit series '5:32', and he's just as good in this one. He gets a lot of screen time and really draws you in, but unfortunately, the rest of the cast can't hold a candle to him.
I tried to look up the other actors, but there's hardly any information about them online. It's like they're complete unknowns.
The third thing that really bugged me about 'Player' 2022 is how unbelievable everything is.
I'm talking about tiny details, too. I just can't believe that a high-powered construction company would have employees behave like that. I mean, sure, they might swear and act tough, but not like they're some kind of misfits.
Businesspeople can be pretty rough around the edges, but there's a certain level of decorum they're expected to maintain.
The fourth thing that really annoyed me about 'Player' 2022 is that the show itself is just so boring.
I don't know how anyone could stomach watching 12 episodes of this stuff. I found myself rewinding the first three episodes just to try and get a handle on what was going on, but by the end, I'd lost interest altogether. I just didn't care how it was going to end.
One redeeming quality of 'Player' 2022 is its soundtrack.
Here are all the songs from the show:
1 Tone - From the 'Player' series
DASHXX
2 Uade
Shiza, Ulukmanapo
3 Outro
The OM
5 With Love
CAPTOWN
6 Shartarap
dudeontheguitar
7 Qorapsha
Q1SHBEK, Jann
8 Melancholy
I couldn't come up with a title
9 Nosferatu
daur
10 I'll record the sea on my dictaphone
The OM
11 Sports and Racing
RYSO
12 Keipker
Darkhan Juzz
13 Intro
The OM
14 winter 2
I couldn't come up with anything
The soundtrack was a song by Kazakh singer DASHXX, titled 'Tone', and here's the lyrics.
I'm wiping my bank card clean
Drunk, I'm writing your number
You've got dirt on me
And I'm promising to change again
Point of no return
But I'm proving myself without a lawyer
Panic attack
Because I'm at the machine
Chorus:
And I'm drowning in it today
I'm sinking slowly to the bottom
I'm always comfortable alone
Please forgive me as I deceive you again
And in this deception, I'm drowning
I'm sinking slowly to the bottom
I'm always comfortable alone
Please forgive me as I deceive you again
Verse 2:
(Another shot to the heart)
It's like everything's against me
They're rushing to accuse me
Don't say a word
And just listen lovingly
I don't want to go back anymore
But I'm proving myself without a lawyer
Because my heart is falling
Because I'm at the machine
Chorus:
This soundtrack was probably the only thing that left a positive impression on me. I even looked up the artist - it turns out he's a very well-known singer who was born in Kazakhstan, but moved to Hungary for education at 17 and now lives in Germany.
• Dashxx (Dinmukhammed Zardykhan) - a Kazakh rapper and sound producer living in Munich, working in the field of post-stroke rehabilitation robotics.
That's my verdict on this series.
I didn't enjoy it, it didn't interest me - I've watched many interesting series about gamers, like the Russian series 'The Golden Land' and 'The Gambler'.
Those series are a page-turner, and I even re-watched them.
So, I have something to compare it to, and in my opinion, watching the series 'The Player' in 2022 was a waste of time - it didn't impress me.