Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week after the series 8 finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland. Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal portrait from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers. Much more than a “making of” documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world – and then have to say goodbye to it.
A genuinely well-crafted making-of documentary that goes deeper than typical EPK fare, offering real emotional intimacy with crew members rather than just stars. Finlay captures the scale and exhaustion of the final season's production with wit and sincerity. However, its subject matter — a behind-the-scenes doc for a TV season — keeps Novelty from climbing higher, and its emotional resonance is somewhat contingent on the viewer's attachment to the source material. The ending carries bittersweet weight but is constrained by the nature of the format. Solid across the board without excelling dramatically in any single dimension.