AppleTV+ The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey may be Samuel L. Jackson’s best performance yet, but he had a heck of a script to work with. Check out the details in my parents guide review.
AppleTV+’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey drops its first few episodes on the streaming service tomorrow, Friday, March 11th. The series is based on the popular Walter Mosley novel of the same name and is an earnest story about a man with dementia who is racing against the clock to atone for his past. Samuel L. Jackson plays the lead character, Ptolemy Grey, and gives a performance of a lifetime. Check out the details in my parents guide review.
If you enjoyed The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey parents guide review, check out these other articles: Deep Waters parents guide movie review, WeCrashed parents guide review, The Adam Project parents guide movie review, Upload season 2 parents guide review, Turning Red parents guide movie review.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Quotes
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Parents Guide
Suddenly left without his trusted caretaker, Ptolemy Grey is assigned to the care of orphaned teenager Robyn. When they learn about a treatment that will restore Ptolemy’s dementia-addled memories, it begins a journey toward shocking truths.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Age Appropriate Parents Guide
Let’s take a look at what parents need to know before letting their kids watch The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
Language: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey contains strong language, with profanity used throughout. Lookout words include: f*ck, mother f*cker, sh*t, b*tch, d*mn, hell, and multiple uses of the n-word.
Mature Content: The series revolves around an elderly man who is suffering from dementia, so that may be a trigger for some viewers with loved ones with the same affliction. Other than language, the biggest concern for parents is the violence shown in the series. Characters are attacked, killed, or shot, and dead bodies are shown. There is a scene that gets played over and over (more details are added each time) of a man being totured and hung with a noose. During this scene, men were set on fire.
Overall Thoughts
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is adapted from the Walter Mosely novel of the same name and is a heartfelt story that is both powerful and sorrowful. The plot is a strange one. Ptolemy is an elderly man with dementia who takes part in an experimental treatment to restore his memories. However, there is one catch: the memories will only last for a short period of time and he will soon revert back devoid of all recollection of his life events. With his memories back, Ptolemy sets out to solve the murder of his nephew, Reggie (Omar Benson Miller), and in the process, he forms a bond with his caretaker, Robyn (Dominique Fishback). Through the storytelling of Ptolemy, Mosely is able to elicit emotions in viewers that most of us may never experience. Audiences will experience Ptolemy’s pain, fears, and frustrations as he recollects his childhood traumas, his life choices, and his deteriorating mind.
Samuel L. Jackson gives the performance of a lifetime as Ptolemy in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. Jackson’s chameleon-like appearance offers a believable look as both the elderly Ptolemy and a younger, spryer version of the character. He embodies Ptolemy and gives a genuine and sincere performance, flawlessly tapping into the vulnerability of an individual with dementia. Fishback is just as impressive in her role as Robyn, superbly conveying the naive and sincere nature of her character to viewers. Some of the most tender moments in the series are the uneventful yet heartfelt interactions between Robyn and Ptolemy.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is a poignant tale about an elderly man with dementia, while at the same time being an earnest story about the universal truths of true love. There is so much to love about this series, from the acting to the story, to how one relates to what is being presented onscreen with their own lives and experiences. This is one show that should not be missed, and I would be surprised if it didn’t get nominated for several awards. Now I want to go and read the book and see how it compares, although after watching the series, I am not sure how it could be topped!
