Based on the Half Bad trilogy of books by Sally Green, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is a fantasy-drama series created by Joe Barton for Netflix.
Sixteen-year-old Nathan (Jay Lycurgo) is the illegitimate son of the world's most feared witch. And he knows it.
Desperate not to go down the same path, he has spent his whole life being monitored by The Council of White Witches for any signs that he may be like his father.
Set in the modern day, witches and humans live together, and there are two types of witches. Black witches are generally oppressed and considered evil. White witches, which make up the majority, are seen as good.
Nathan is a Half Code. His mother was a White witch, and his father, Marcus, is the most powerful and the most dangerous witch in the world.
To keep him under control, he must follow specific rules. However, when he breaks one of them, he receives a new guardian who traps him in a cage and abuses him.
If he escapes before his 17th birthday, he will receive three gifts from his father. Otherwise, he will die.
When tensions start to rise and the conflict between the Black Witches and White Witches escalates, the lines between good and evil blur.
Only then will Nathan discover what sort of person he truly is.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself Trailer
Is The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself Worth Watching?
Netflix has really doubled down on the fantasy drama aimed at the teenage market. We've had the Winx Saga reboot, the adaptation of the teen vampire series First Kill and now The Bastard Son.
All deal with magic and mystery, but does this addition stand out from the crowd?
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself has a lot going for it. Firstly it's written and created by Joe Barton, who also made the hit tv series Giri/Haji.
Secondly, it is directed by Debs Paterson, Rachna Suri and Colm McCarthy (The Girl With All The Gifts).
Thirdly, Andy Serkis is one of the executive producers. So if that kind of production value doesn't pique your interest, nothing will.
The fact that the tv series is based on a trilogy of young adult books may put some viewers off, but the production value is so high, and the story is so well mapped out that it really is a great show to watch.
It's dark and gritty, has plenty of twists and turns and overall is a fantasy series that is well worth investing time in.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself Release Date
Originally this was supposed to be a feature film adaptation. However, it never really got off the ground and Netflix bought the rights.
Production of the show began in 2021 with the majority of filming taking place in London in 2022.
Netflix then announced that The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself would have a release date of October 28th 2022.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself Cast
Jay Lycurgo as Nathan Byrn, the illegitimate son of the world's most dangerous witch.
Nadia Parkes as Annalise O'Brien, the girl Nathan loves.
Emilien Vekemans as Gabriel, a black witch stuck in the body of a human.
Isobel Jesper Jones as Jessica Byrn, Nathan's older half-sister.
Karen Connell as Celia, Nathan's abusive guardian
Paul Ready as Soul O'Brien
David Gyasi as Marcus Edge, Nathan's father
Kerry Fox as Esmie
Fehinti Balogun as Bjorn
Misia Butler as Niall
Liz White as Penelope
Róisín Murphy as Mercury, a dangerous black witch
