Florida Man, the review: how to freak out in Florida and live happily (with Edgar Ramirez)

On Netflix from April 13, the review of Florida Man, a sunny and crackling series that mixes detective story, mystery and comedy for a crazy treasure hunt starring the star Edgar Ramirez.

Florida Man is a famous meme that has been circulating on the net for years and is connected to strange stories that occur in the state where the sun always shines, between explosions of madness, improbable murders, alligator assaults and so on and so forth. In the collective imagination, Florida is the land of the sun, endless beaches, wooden motels, boats, swamps, alligators and firearms. Veteran writer-producer Donald Todd has drawn heavily on this imagery infusing it into the crackling miniseries Florida Manavailable at Netflix from 13 April.

Edgar Ramirez is Mike Valentine, an ex-cop and ex-gambler who acts as a bodyguard to a small-time Philadelphia boss to pay off his gambling debt. When Delly, the boss’s babe, gets into her new convertible and heads to Florida, losing track of her, Mike is forced to follow her to bring her back. What the boss doesn’t know is that this is actually a homecoming for Mike, with his family in Florida and a past he’d rather leave behind. Once back in Coronado Beach, in addition to tracking down Delly, the ex-cop will have to navigate between real and fake murders, lies and painful memories until he finds himself involved in a real treasure hunt. What’s up for grabs? A chest full of gold coins.

Fun, surprises and twists make us forgive some flaws

Florida Man immediately denounces its nature as an entertainment product without any pretense. The pilot directed by Miguel Arteta puts the cards on the table by presenting this curious hybrid between mystery, detective story, comedy and treasure hunt. Therefore, it is superfluous to turn up one’s nose in the face of the numerous coincidences – starting from the fact that Delly chooses Mike’s hometown as his own refuge – and the gags scattered with both hands throughout the show because they represent its lifeblood. From the ridiculous characters that populate the undergrowth of the miniseries to the abundance of jokes, from the philosopher henchman of the boss Moss Yankov (Emoy Cohen), the seraphic Jimmy, to the hilarious appearance of Clark Gregg in a minor but very tasty role – of which we do not anticipate nothing to reveal the surprise – even the most chaotic and disconnected ingredients from the heart of the plot contribute to the vitality of a show that aims to stand out from the mass of productions in constant release.

Between twists and fun found, Florida Man immediately captures the viewer with its frenetic rhythm and even makes up for defects such as the tendency to take refuge in stereotypes, some gags that are a little too “likeable” and the not exactly perfect accent of the Venezuelan Edgar Ramirez who, on the other hand, has the charm of sell and light-hearted air to the right point. His former cheater has to stand up to the blonde Delly, who we will discover is more seductive and clever than him. Playing her is an old acquaintance, the statuesque Australian actress and model Abbey Lee, who we got to know in Lovecraft Country, here grappling with a decidedly lighter role. We also point out the presence of Anthony LaPaglia in the role of Mike’s father, a retired policeman who is also full of secrets.

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Between treasure hunt and detective story

From the first of the eight episodes that compose Florida Man, the awareness of a show that does not hide its origin and the background on which it leverages to capture the attention of viewers is very clear. In an attempt to save a girl stranded in the waves, Mike unwittingly becomes a web star and is located even by those from whom he wanted to hide his arrival of her.

The presence of technology and the influence of modern times are soon canceled by the mysterious and haunting atmosphere of Florida, the “Most Damn Real Place on Earth”, as Mike’s father calls it. In the footsteps of Elmore Leonard and John Grisham, the detective story and the treasure hunt take precedence over the rest and the story becomes more and more intriguing, playing on a choral dimension that acts as a counterpoint to the spicy relationship between Mike and Delly. And the surprises have just begun.