Reviews

These are the kind of teen movies we're here for. Centering healthy female friendships and intersectional feminism, with good acting and a very enjoyable plot.

Kill the patriarchy!!

Good acting. Beautiful setting. Some cliché tropes that are actually used in an original way, and some twist and turns I definitely did not see coming. The characters are believable, they have depth and weaknesses and aren't adults doing adult things while telling the viewer they really are sixteen (unlike shows like Gossip Girl). I loved the European groundedness of it, there's a realism to this show American teen shows never seem to possess. I've been surprised plenty of times, I'd definetely recommend, also for the older viewer who likes a good murder mystery.

First of all, if you're not from India, please do not watch the dubbed version, it's not necessary at all. Subtitles will do fine, and the unfamiliar tones of languages spoken in India only add to the amazing feeling of the show. I've heard people say the show is confusing and they couldn't follow the plot - try a little harder. Map out the characters if you must, replay a scene if you didn't understand. Most likely you were unable to understand because (sadly) western people are not used to Indian names or faces: it takes a little more effort to remember who is who. Take that effort. It's more than worth it. After a few episodes, I had no trouble following the storyline. I hope Netflix will create more shows from places all over the world, and that in time, this won't be an issue anymore.

Some reviewers say Sacred Games can't be compared to Narcos. I think it can. Enough twists and turns, just the right amount of violence, engaging, political, touching... Characters are not good or bad, they're in between, and you're not sure whether to love or hate them. I truly cared about some of them, which I can't really say about the characters of Narcos. Gaitonde is a man who killed more people than you can believe, but the show still makes you love him, all credit going to the great actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

I didn't rate it a 10/10 for three reasons:

• I did not always find Anjali Mathur's performance convincing
• Kukoo's story was dragged out too long in my opinion
• The final episode seemed rushed, although I'm glad they gave us somewhat of an answer

This show had me hooked from the get go, not because it was particularly suspenseful (which it did get later on), but because the characters are so very believable. They actually behave like teenagers from the start, instead of being high school stereotypes. I love all three main characters, and how they are taken seriously and don't act overly stupid. These are the kind of characters I've always wished for in teenage drama. I hope it'll set a trend. A pity the episodes are so short though.