‘Maxton Hall – The World Between Us’ Prime Video Series Review - A Feeble Script

Tell me if you have heard all this before - A rich boy falls in love with a poor girl. The boy's father disapproves of their relationship. The girl has one best friend at school. The boy and girl initially hate each other but slowly realize they are made for each other. Certain circumstances force them to work together, so this closeness is what brings about a change in their bond. But thanks to the rich-poor gap, the relationship goes through ups and downs.

You might be thinking, "Oh yes, I have heard this story a million times." The next question you should be asking is this: "Why then should I watch Maxton Hall — The World Between Us?" Frankly, I don't have a good answer. This is one of those shows that could have started with the text "We don't have great ambitions." Maxton Hall, coming from the mind of Daphne Ferraro, reheats clichés without vigor. It sometimes irrationally treads on a well-worn path. Sample this: According to teen movies, high school is filled with gossip girls and bullies. Hence, apart from Ruby's (Harriet Herbig-Matten) best friend, Lin (Andrea Guo), all the girls in the school dispense bitchy remarks at Ruby. The boys, on the other hand, pass comments coated with misogyny or do pool parties. One of the boys wears glasses, which in "cinematic" terms means he is a nerd who doesn't get the girl of his dreams. Another boy is into, well, boys, so Maxton Hall uses him to make a point about the world being a difficult place for gays or something (the character he loves doesn't publicly disclose his sexual identity).

Then again, Maxton Hall doesn't have the capacity to make a point. It's too shallow, too light. The Ruby-James (Damian Hardung) romance entirely hangs on the rich-poor divide, but this gap is merely used as a source for generating feeble obstacles. James's dad, Mortimer (Fedja van Huêt), scoffs at his son's choice. He reminds him that they have a high social reputation, and he shouldn't waste his time on a crush who would soon become a distant memory. Mortimer's ego, his constant reminders, and his stubbornness to see James as the head of his business empire when his daughter, Lydia (Sonja Weißer), is obviously the right choice, turns out to be the main issue that keeps James away from Ruby. Even Lydia's love life suffers because of her dear daddy.

But for how long can James be away from Ruby? We know where this story is headed from the show's very first scene. When Ruby says she wants to be invisible and away from troubles at the beginning, you immediately predict she won't remain hidden for a long time. When Ruby expresses her contempt towards James and his wealthy lifestyle, your senses tell you she will soon stop resisting him. One can clearly see her getting seduced by his luxury when the couple go to London for a short trip. And given how Ruby's animosity for James also comes with traces of erotic energy (they stand VERY close to each other), you simply wait for the sex, the kiss, which unsurprisingly comes eventually. Hardung and Herbig-Matten have solid chemistry. Unfortunately, they are trapped within the confines of a script that merely asks them to be functional and pretty.

Ruby is supposed to be smart and ambitious, which is why her dumb reaction during certain events feels funny. For instance, she notices how the iron falls when she places it on the table, yet she doesn't turn it off and starts reading text messages. No prizes for guessing what happens next. When her mother comes to clean her room, she carelessly puts a box on the floor meant to be hidden from her family. James starts ignoring Ruby when Mortimer catches them kissing. You can understand why James is acting rudely in front of Ruby. It's also evident that he loves her tremendously. Still, Ruby thinks James has forgotten her and doesn't want to be with her in a relationship. Like many other lovers who are found in this genre, Ruby is blind.

Mortimer, in one of the episodes, informs his son how poor Ruby is. Her mother is the breadwinner, Ruby earns peanuts as a waitress, and her sister does copyright fraud. The family is apparently struggling, though you don't get this feeling, as they are almost always happy. Their financial burdens might as well be imaginary. But you can't expect believability from a show like this, where James pesters Ruby because he fears she will disclose Lydia's affair to the public. Anyone who has a clear vision can easily figure out that Ruby would keep her lips sealed. Whatever James does, he is motivated by only one thing: The narrow calculations of the script. Maxton Hall is based on Mona Kasten's bestseller Save Me. "Save Me" is what you utter while watching this series.

Final Score- [4/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All six episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: May 9, 2024, on Prime Video