Series: YOU
Starring: Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Zach Cherry, Luca Padova
Streaming: Netflix
Review: Klep Napier
Rating: 4X’s out of 5X’s
From the producers of Riverdale, originally released back in September of 2018 on the Lifetime network, comes a dark, twisted, yet honest take on romance and drama. Book store salesman Joe Goldberg [#PennBadgley] appears to be charming, mild mannered and full of culture, that is until he meets Beck [ #ElizabethLail ] a writer who's not quite found her muse for inspiration. Joe is head over heals and the two seem to hit it off quite nicely with instant chemistry. So what’s the issue you ask? Well, Joe has a bit of an attachement issue with Beck and unbeknownst to her and everyone else, Joe is literally stalking her! That’s right, Joe is linked into her routine, her cell phone and even her friends cellphones. Yikes! But what’s charming is Joe’s intentions I mean, he means well right? I know what you’re thinking, how can anything about this story be charming? Well let’s just say that ‘YOU’ takes chivalry to the next level. It shows us who we are and what we may be capable of becoming in the name of true infatuation or “love” as some would call it. Joe goes over the top. To unhealthy lengths, but somehow has convinced himself that he is the only one looking out for Beck’s best interest. Where the show wins is all in the writing and it’s presentation. YOU takes its time developing Joe’s intentions. Don’t be surprised if at one point you begin to understand and maybe even empathize with his motives. Both leads, Beck and Joe are extremely relatable. In their own right both have strong points. These are the things REAL relationships are made of. Just with a bit of psychosis mixed in nbd. The two often trade off narrating the 10 episode long journey wittingly which lightens the darker tones but also keeps you engaged. Like a melodic harmony the tone and message play clearly and if ‘YOU’ were a 10 Song playlist I would name it Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twist Fantasy”. On the other hand some losses, besides glorifying aggressive sociopathic behaviors, would enclose predictability around Joe’s journey. Most of the show is built off of foreshadowing so if you’re sharp enough, you can find your way through the narrative without anticipating any twists. Things we hope they will fix in season two. Oh yea, that’s right season two is on its way! ‘YOU’ is the perfect date night for a Netflix and chill or relationship reflection. Check it out!