My thoughts on what I’ve been watching on Netflix recently, I promise there are no spoilers, just trailers. Let me know in the comments below what I should watch next!
Peaky Blinders: Seasons 1-4
Let’s start with an absolute classic. Why I only just started watching this in 2019 is completely beyond me, it’s brilliant! The story follows the Shelby family from Birmingham in the 1920s and how they rose from disadvantaged backgrounds to successful business owners known worldwide. However, their route the top is not exactly pure and they have to cross a few difficult paths and remove some ‘obstacles’ in order to get what they desire. It’s hard not to get attached to the Shelby family and, despite the Birmingham accent being a little dodgy sometimes, the acting is brilliant. I would throughly recommend watching seasons 1-4 before season 5 comes out sometime in 2019.
Sex Education: Season 1
I really enjoyed watching Sex Education. In the first couple of episodes I wasn’t sure where it was heading but after watching the first season I am really excited for the next one. It follows the life of a teenage boy who’s mum is a sex therapist. He and a friend decide to set up their own sex clinic in school and it’s all about the weird and wonderful happenings of a bunch of sixth form kids. It gives off American Pie mixed with The Inbetweeners vibes and definitely an easy and funny watch.
Stranger Things: Season 1-2
Patiently waiting for Season 3 to come out in July, I am obsessed with Stranger Things. I actually watch this show with my 13 year old brother and it’s brilliant. Although I wasn’t born in the 80s, I grew up watching films like E.T.and Star Wars and Stranger Things has a way of perfectly resurrecting the eighties by following the story of a group of kids living in a small town where strange things are happening but only they know about it. From the talented young actors to the perfectly timed music, the whole of this series is stunning and a real work of art. Roll on July 2019.
Gilmore Girls : Seasons 1-7 and Gilmore Girls: Year in the life
Across seven seasons plus a come-back special season, Gilmore Girls follows the lives of Lorelei and Rory Gilmore a mother and daughter who live in a small town where everyone knows everyone. It features some really big stars in their early days like Melissa McCarthy and the supporting characters are what make this such a loveable and easy to watch series. It took me 3 years to watch from start to finish and something I always have on in the background. The story line is so easy to follow that, if you’re a good multitasker, you can do other things whilst not missing a huge twist in the plot. It made me laugh and at times it made me genuinely cry. Although mainly done in a light-hearted way, it covers a whole load of difficult times and life experiences that I could relate to.
You: Season 1
I heard a lot of hype around this but didn’t fall head over heals for it. It’s follows the story of Beck a young writer who falls in love with Joe, a stalker, murderer and all-round psychopath. I think, because I’d heard people obsessing over Joe’s character before watching, I had preconceived ideas about what would happen. The ending of Season 1 however suggests that there may be a Season 2 which could be interesting, it’s not something I’m dying to watch again though.
Dirty John: Season 1
This series follows the story of Deb a woman, previously married three times, who meets and marries John who is, unbeknownst to her, a previously convicted criminal, stalker and drug user. I’m currently half way through Season 1 and so far it seems similar to the Netflix series You but with more mature characters and shows how the family surrounding the couple react to the situation. Although only halfway through, I’m more into it than I was into You. The main character John seems to be so deceptive with his lies but actually, at this stage, hasn’t done anything to harm Deb except cover up his past through a string of lies. I’m intrigued to see how it ends.
Abducted In Plain Sight: One-off Documentary
I’m not sharing the trailer for this one because you actually have to sign in to YouTube and confirm your age to be able to watch even the trailer. If you’re a curious person like me you’ll have heard the hype about this in the media and wanted to understand what everyone was talking about. It follows the true life story of two American families in the 1970s and how the father of one family manipulated the other family so much so that he was able to abduct their daughter ‘in plain sight’. In truth, I wish I hadn’t watched it. I just couldn’t believe it was a true story and actually it got so weird that I had to switch it off and watch it in two parts.
Making a Murder: Seasons 1&2
A documentary series covering the imprisonment of two men convicted of crimes they say they didn’t commit. Watching Season 1, I wasn’t sure whether or not I believed they had committed the crimes, but in Season 2 the lawyer representing one of the men is so compelling in her argument and is so committed to getting him out of jail that it’s hard not to believe, although it’s entirely up to you to make up your own mind.
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: Season 1
I hadn’t read the book but had heard many thing about the KonMari method of tidying up. I honestly wasn’t expecting to agree with her on so many things and I actually found this series real motivation for tidying up my own place. If you’re going to watch I suggest you watch it at home, as you tidy, as this has genuinely helped me sort out my belongings, and not only get rid of the things I don’t need or have an attachment to but also how to store them so that I can see everything I own in an organised way.
Dumplin’: Film
I love Jennifer Anniston (I think I’d chose her to play me in a film about my life) so was really keen to watch this film. It’s a Netflix original and wasn’t what I was expecting as typically the main character in films that involve beauty pageants changes themselves in some way to ‘fit the norm’. I was pleasantly surprised that this film does the complete opposite and quite frankly challenges what we see as beautiful.
Jane the Virgin: Season 1
So this is what I have just started watching, I’m two episodes in and I already love the story line. It reminds me of one of my favourite programs growing up, Ugly Betty, due to the American-hispanic close knit family that this series evolves around. I watched the two episodes on a train back from London and genuinely couldn’t stop laughing out load so I’m looking forward to watching the rest of the show which has 4 seasons.
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GABY MENDES 