Near perfect adaption

I don't recommend watching this if you haven't read Mervyn Peake's original book of the same name. His Gormenghast trilogy is radically different from other fantasy books, hence this screen adap is vastly different from other fantasy productions.

The literature is as much social criticism as record of the author's mental descent, so it's a joy to see this production bring the anarchic and dusty gaudiness of the book richly to life.

The cast list shows the cherished place Peake's work holds in people's hearts.

Be warned - this is not an easy work to understand. There are no wizards or magic rings, only strange characters in a complicated world.