Here is a list of everything I've watched in the month of Septemeber 2020...
As with all my monthly logs, here are my top first time watches of the month...
Fleabag Season One & Two
I'm very late to the party with this one.
Fleabag was a series that has always been on my watchlist but never had the desire to immediately watch. I enjoyed season one, but was expecting more due to the amount of praise the show has been receiving, it wasn't until season two until I fell in love with it.
It's a comedy with a lot of relevant ideals to unpack and takes a few episodes to get used to the style of the show. The screenplay is definitely a key factor which is only highlighted with the brilliant performances from the entire cast Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Coleman and Andrew Scott.
Personally for me, season one is a 7/10...season two a 9/10.
The second series had me audibly laughing at almost every frame. I can’t quite grasp a final reasoning as to why I didn’t enjoy season one. Season two just echoed my favourite kind of comedy, checking off all the boxes. From the subject matter, dialogue, and well-timed fourth wall breaks, the bar raised even higher.
Immediately after finishing season two I just wanted to go back and rewatch at all again. Fleabag is a series you’ll go through fast. So if you were like me and wasn’t sure if you should check it out or not give it a try. Two full seasons on Amazon prime at six episodes 20 minutes in length, you’ll breeze through it.
4.3/5
Euphoria
bold. is an understatement.
I’m always hesitant to watch shows that receive a lot of praise if I never watched it on initial release, this was the case for HBO's Euphoria. I've heard numerous people praising the series and a lot of recommendations from friends. It has always been on my list and with the Emmy's fast approaching it was obviously my duty to watch the series that just kept coming up in conversation.
The acclimation the show receives is definitely adequate to the show standards. Euphoria was a show that I went into with no knowledge and a few assumptions. I have never been so wrong. The series took a completely different direction than it was described to me, in the most successful way.
Euphoria shows the gritty realism of today’s youth culture. It's an exploration of different characters who have never been represented on the screen before with full and utter transparency. This is an example of an ensemble cast of talented young actors portraying characters in relevant situations without shying away from diving into deep topics and facing them head-on unapologetically.
Production-wise Euphoria is beautifully shot. The cinematography and styling of the camera placement and framing of characters is stunning, which I believe is the key highlight of the entire series. So many beautiful and seamless transitions that are complex and intricate, which absolutely baffled me on how they achieved certain effects. It's a heavy show, but one not to be missed.
4.5/5
Misfits
so much fun.
Misfits was a show that was recommended to me years ago that I finally got around to watching when I stumbled upon it on Amazon prime. I absolutely loved it this is a classic 2000's British staple. If you find sarcastic, dry, raunchy, humour unenjoyable then this is a great watch.
This two time winning BAFTA series was a fun, comedic and extremely energetic.
I do prefer the first two seasons over the rest of the series as there was a shift in casting however the show continued to be extremely entertaining. Misfits falls into the offbeat superhero genre like Amazon's The Boys. It doesn't focus on the hero aspect but rather on the misfortunes of having uncontrollable powers.
Each episode had its own unique style playing into different genres and tropes. The performances were comedically brilliant, with absolute scene-stealing performances by Robert Sheehan. The dialogue is clever and witty, fast-paced and punchy. For a superhero-themed series, it felt extremely real. There was a sense of naturalism to the comedy rather than seeking comedic moments.
It’s extremely dated and takes a while to get used to, but still worth the watch. If you like British comedy, then you'll love this show.
3.7/5
Hamlet & Coriolanus
Shakespearian double feature
A double feature of live stage productions of Shakespeare with a modern design. There's nothing I love more than a retelling and with National Theatre Productions these two did not disappoint.
My favourite subject in school has always been English. I thought it was important to continue studying and learning all through university, to keep learning more about the art of storytelling. Once I saw the National Theatre was streaming some of their filmed productions I could not resist.
Not to discredit the media of film but there’s something special about plays and watching a live performance. You just know that you’re watching something truly performed in the present moment. Not to say that the same situation doesn’t happen in film but when it’s a three to four-hour stage production it’s incredible to witness the talent that the actors display without falter or pause. There is no second take and anything can happen.
National Theatre has a ton of great taped live performances with incredible actors that we've seen on the screen. I've chosen to watch a personal favourite, 2017's Hamlet and one that was unfamiliar to me 2019's Coriolanus.
Both plays had a remarkable modern set design which worked in both the performance and function of the work. I adored this iteration of Hamlet, with it's contemporary setting and jaw-dropping dialogue delivery but most likely due to my bias in preference. Coriolanus had incredible stage effects within such a small space.
If you're ever given the chance to catch one of the National Theatre's live streams, especially when theatres are still closed give one a try and you might be surprised.
4/5
And that's September!
It's spooky season next month, and nothing brings me greater joy than cosy sweaters, candles and scary movies....stay tuned.
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