Quibi hosted a special invite-only premiere of the new thrilling murder mystery series When The Streetlights Go On on Monday (Oct. 12).
Starring Chosen Jacobs (God Friended Me, It Chapter Two), Sophie Thatcher (The Tomorrow Man), Ben Ahlers (The Village), Sam Strike (Nightflyers), and Queen Latifah (Hollywood), When The Streetlights Go On follows Charlie Chambers played by Jacobs as he grows up in a small town rocked by a double homicide.
The 10-episode saga is so compelling in nature, it’s hard not to believe that its not based on a true story. Penned by scribes Eddie O’Keefe and Chris Hutton, the series has been reworked with new actors and a revamped script since its debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
When The Streetlights Go On ascribes to the nostalgia of a 1990s crime thriller mystery rebranded for Gen-Zers and the youngest of millennials. Vibes from the 1990s were immersed throughout each episode, cradled by songs from the era, such as the 1992 Ace of Base hit “All That She Wants” and the Cranberries 1993 Billboard charting song “Linger.”
The trip down memory lane didn’t end with the music, however. Everything from the bedroom posters to the charming Halloween costumes that referenced 1990s films Ace Ventura: The Pet Detective and Pulp Fiction aided in creating a believable ’90s aura.
The series perfectly fits the 10-minute content business model of the short form, direct-to-mobile streaming service known as Quibi. Yet, the gift also has a curse. If there was one misstep of the Rebecca Thomas directed series, it would be that the mystery of the show was solved too quickly in the last episode. Perhaps the swift ending can be attributed to the pressure to contain the timing.
The sacrifice of the story towards the end for the sake of time doesn’t discount the greatness of the series, but it does leave viewers eager for more. Despite the time constraints, When The Streetlights Go On plays out like a movie, but develops its characters like a TV series, a perfect combination for the impatiently patient.
The MouthSoap gives its “Co-sign” to this highly recommended series.
