The Uyen Cao
A month on from my blog post about starting my Netflix free trial, it’s time to revise just how much I did–or didn’t–watch for the sparse 30 days.
To recap I had planned to watched three shows in particular: The Miraculous Tales of Lady Bug and Cat Noir, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Total Drama Island…
I ended up completing none of the above. I did not even start a single one of the shows I had intended in my original post, let alone finish one. It was a bit of a failure (depending on which way you want to look at failure in binge-watching shows).
I will say, however, that Netflix provided the perfect opportunity for the streaming equivalent of a tangent. Though I didn’t end up watching the three aforementioned programs, I did find my way to several movies and one spectacular British series. Below is the rundown on what I managed to cram into the short period of time afforded to my procrastinating soul.
Everything, Everything
I’ll admit straight off the bat that I haven’t read the book from which this movie is adapted, but I had read spoilers about the ending and I practically knew what I was getting into. Curiosity–more than anything–led me to seek out Everything, Everything and to my delight, it was on Netflix. Though I adore Nick Robinson (I can’t wait to watch Love, Simon!) and I was once a massive fan of Amandla Stenberg, the coming-of-age plot didn’t really do much for me, unfortunately. Everything (everything) felt a little lacklustre, far fetched, and a bit predictable. However, I really appreciated the aesthetic that Stella Meghie brought to life on the screen. Clean cut, angular, blinding white–the perfect backdrop for the protagonist, an architecture student with a neat book blog.
Peaky Blinders
Now this is what I call edgy entertainment. I went into this series with little expectation (I somehow missed out on all the hype when it first received critical acclaim) and itching for a unique TV show. Peaking Blinders is quite literally everything I could ever want in a novel: a touch of tragic backstory, a sprinkle of scheming, and a whole dollop of action. The protagonist, Tommy Shelby, is a World War One veteran, returning from the conflict a changed man. His complexity was, no doubt, a real magnet for anyone seeking a gritty and authentic narrative, with tales of criminal schemes as well as strained emotional relationships. The word “narrative” should be used loosely here, though, as the show itself is apparently based on a real gang in Birmingham, making the whole experience all the more fascinating.
Flipped
Of all my Netflix endeavours, Flipped has to be the biggest surprise. The film is your typical coming-of-age romance and school drama, with protagonist Juli and love interest Bryce dealing with their changing feelings towards each other. I found this particular plot line sweet enough and I think Rob Reiner executed the romance elements tastefully. The real kicker, though, was how emotional the subplots were. For instance, Bryce’s grandfather, Chet, happened to be just one of those characters that resonated with me, despite the fact that we have very little in common. He’s just so warm and open to Juli–and so misunderstood by his own family. Juli herself was a character I found myself rooting for–she comes from humble beginnings and has to deal with misunderstandings from her classmates and especially from Bryce. Overall, Flipped is a really warming film that left tears in my eyes several times throughout.
This blog is part of the Fuzzable Blog series, detailing different writers’ lives! For more, read here.
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