neverwhere be a good concept hamper by inept handle on all front . though a little gothy ( a oppose to gothic ) for my taste and i be willing to appreciate the story of a second london exist below and alongside the proper one and and the intrigue that happen there . unfortunately and there be easily fixable slip ups at every point in the production . one represent the acting be ridiculous . not hopeless and necessarily and but it be melodramatic and theatrical when it should be subdue and forceful . case in point represent the two main villain be silly when they should be chill . it be especially bad when anyone have to act a though experience extreme emotion and a during richard ordeal . two represent the write while specifically and the dialogue . a world like this should enfold a we be immerse in it . the character should emote through their mannerism and not their tortured diatribe . look at dark city for a similar movie that be handle expertly ( save for the terrible end ) . three represent the direction . it be compare to soap opera direction on this site . i agree and but i would add that it be unforgivably bland beyond belief . the underground set alone should be overflow with great shot ( and indeed many of the set look wonderful while it be the way they be use that waste them ) . look at city of lost child for a movie with a similar setting that look appropriately beautiful and eerie . the fight direction be also amateurish and a when hunter fight the black friar . i think that the best thing to happen to the sf or fantasy genre in recent memory be the explosion of special effect technology . movie like jurassic park and lord of the ring and harry potter and narnia and et cetera and have show u that it be possible to fully realize a foreign world . do i expect a 1996 bbc production with a budget that wouldn not fee the crew of those movie for a day to be able to compete . no and but it do seem like a waste of time to have try to do it without the resource necessary . neverwhere be not a disconcertingly podunk a the bbc chronicle of narnia ( think the letter from the wolf in the first installment ) and but it be in the running . i be sure that gaiman apologist or pale wiccan wannabe will disagree with my assessment and or my comparison to film with much more talent and money involve . unfortunately for them and the last twenty year have show u that anyone with enough drive and vision can make a movie with next to no budget and such a primer or even cube and which maintain it otherworldliness with one square room and enough of another room to make it look like there be another cube beyond it . a minimalist fantasy miniseries and i. e. one involve a second london under london utilize the underground tunnel and could work impeccably and but not when it be weight down with boring light filter and ugly art design and grating actor and uninspired direction and appal dialogue and and bad production . a waste of three hour and and innumerable effort on the part of the cast and crew .