So whole mess of months back I saw a trailer on ABC for a show that looked interesting. The concept was a simple one: a man slaps a child that does not belong to him. The consequences… enormous.
I thought “Wow! I NEED to see this show!” So imagine my delight when I found out that it was apparently on Netflix as of June! Well, the reason being this (as ABC shows are few and far between on Netflix) that The Slap that is on Netflix is actually a completely different show than the one I previously saw advertised. It is an Australian miniseries based off of a novel by Christos Tsiolkas of the same name. So again, the US felt the need to remake something to eliminate that pesky cultural diversity that airing a foreign show comes with. First with films like Let The Right One In and then The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (among other films) so I suppose it makes sense that television would be the next target.
This show expects you to be patient. Fucking Damn it Richie… This show expects you to be DAMN patient. For starters each episode expects you to intimately get to know a different character, establish a bond with them, THEN see how they contribute to the main plot. Fortunately, the series is only Eight Episodes; you can marathon this one and consume it like a huge movie if you want to. Stylistically, the show is consistent, despite multiple directors, showing a clear vision, no doubt provided by the Novel of the same name.
Man does the plot of this show kick ass. While it covers many different topics, they all go back to some kind of abuse. Abuse of alcohol, physical, emotionally, abuse of power, social abuse, this show covers it all. The vignettes we get to see does a lot of justice to characters you never thought you’d care about. Trust me, EVERY character at that barbeque gets some kind of spotlight, and none of it is disappointing.
The acting of the show is quality. It’s all Australian actors so not many of the names will appear familiar, but playing the core family of Hector and Anouk are Jonathan LaPaglia and Essie Davis. The teen leads of the show, Connie and Richie are played by Sophie Lowe and Blake Davis, just to name a few. Bottom line, the show is brilliantly acted, reflecting the heaviness and dark tone of the situation. The directing is awesome, and feels just fresh enough (possibly thanks to its foreign local and origin) to intrigue, but not so foreign as to push you away. This show is gripping.
This is a solid Four Star show. It’s on Netflix still, so you have no excuse to check out The Slap.
Hop to it, because you are missing out right now.