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The Show

The Show

Enter a town where fantasy is reality.

2020115 minMidcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Director
Mitch Jenkins
Starring
Tom Burke, Siobhan Hewlett, Ellie Bamber, Sheila Atim

A man goes on a mission to locate a stolen artifact for a client, which leads him to a haunted town full of vampires, sleeping beauties, and Voodoo gangsters.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Show?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Show streaming on Netflix, Shout! TV via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Show?

The Show earns 3 badges, led by One of a kind and Preferred by Non-US Viewers.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Show worth watching?

The Show's Midcredits score is the 39th percentile of all films, from 1.6K ratings across 2 sources. 46% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

39th percentile

Better received than 39% of films

36th percentile among Drama40th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)32nd
Approval (how many liked it)46th

56 /100

32nd percentile of all films

28th percentile among Drama34th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

46% liked it

46th percentile of all films

44th percentile among Drama48th percentile among 2020s
46% rated it 7–1054% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

58th percentile

1.6K ratings across platforms

61st percentile among Drama57th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A surreal, low-budget detective story filled with bizarre characters and dream sequences.

Fans praised

  • quirky, memorable characters
  • surreal, dreamlike atmosphere
  • witty dialogue and dark humor

Detractors panned

  • convoluted, meandering story
  • low production values and cheap look
  • self-indulgent, pretentious tone

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive85

Boldly surreal and unconventional; divisive

AtmosphereDivisive78

Surreal, dreamlike, immersive world-building

CharactersDivisive72

Eccentric, memorable oddballs; detractors find them shallow or annoying

ActingDivisive70

Tom Burke as a charismatic anchor; mixed reviews on some supporting performances

DialogueDivisive68

Witty, deadpan lines; some call it forced

HumorDivisive60

Dark, quirky comedy; many detractors find it unfunny

Plot and storyDivisive40

Convoluted, meandering mystery with loose threads

Pacing35

Rushed, meandering; too long for some

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 21 points higher than US viewers.

Watch experience

What is The Show like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
AbsurdContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Deadpan · 1% of films: Delivered flat and unsmiling, which is the joke.Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its bizarre, dreamlike world with a straight-faced deadpan that invites the audience to accept its surreal logic without overt mockery.
The rideThe film maintains a consistently surreal and absurd atmosphere as Fletcher drifts through bizarre encounters.
StructureThe investigation unfolds in a conventional linear sequence, though the surreal events blur reality within each scene.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe unresolved mystery and dreamlike narrative leave the viewer pondering the nature of reality and the limits of the investigation.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Quest
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% (this title) · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Treasure hunt: Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).

10% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeFletcher arrives in Northampton to retrieve a stolen cross for a client, but the mission unravels into a surreal journey through a dreamlike town where identities shift and reality blurs.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTruthIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsIdentity · 14% of filmsIsolation · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the blurring of dreams and reality, questioning what is real and whether a stable world still exists, while the protagonist's multiple identities underscore a fractured self.
StanceThe film questions the nature of reality and identity through its surreal narrative, neither celebrating nor condemning its world.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanAlternate dimensionMagical realism
AmbientExperimentalSupportive music · original score
Settinga haunted, surreal version of Northampton, England, hiding a twilight underworld beneath its surface
MusicThe film's score likely blends ambient and experimental electronics to enhance its surreal atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Show okay for kids?

As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (47/100), sexual content at mild (29/100), language at intense (78/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (53/100) and frightening material at moderate (47/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (5 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (28 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Show have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Show?

Cast

Tom Burke
as Fletcher Dennis
Siobhan Hewlett
as Faith Harrington
Ellie Bamber
as Becky Cornelius
Sheila Atim
as John Conqueror
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Richard Dillane
as Flash Avenger
Alan Moore
as Frank Metterton
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Eric Lampaert
as Herbert Sherbert
Daniel Tuite
as DCI Rickett
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Robert Goodman
as Nicky Matchbright
Ethan Rouse
as Tim Morley
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Show?

Movies like The Show include Something in the Dirt (2022) and Fando and Lis (1968), both magical-realist films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Show?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.