Review: YOU Netflix Original

I recently watched the new Netflix Original series - YOU. It's been a couple days since I watched it and I honestly just cannot stop thinking about it. It takes a lot for a film or TV show to cause a reaction like this with me. Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers in this review.

I had seen the show advertised on Netflix and also on TV and I was immediately attracted to it. You could tell it would be some sort of thriller or horror, and I'm all about that! The show was first shown on Lifetime in September, but was then moved over to Netflix which is where the show will continue to run - I believe a second series is already in the works. The show has gained heaps of positive reviews and feedback from critics and fans. Rotten Tomatoes gave it over 90%, which is amazing. Check out the trailer below:

Based on a novel of the same name by Caroline Kepnes, Joe (Penn Badgley) is a bookstore manager who develops an immediate attraction and obsession with a writing student called Beck (Elizabeth Lail). He stalks her and eventually the two end up dating, much to the dismay of Becks' friend, Peach (Shay Mitchell).

This ten episode series was so addictive to watch, I was hooked! I binge watched the whole show in one day and I'm really considering rewatching it again right now, I bet there are loads of hints and clues I missed the first time around. Although I will say, I do think it seemed a little slow in some places, almost like they were trying to drag it out for the ten episodes. But I only felt this way for maybe one or two episodes, as it really picked up before the end. So if you start to feel a bit bored or tired of it, please stick it out, it really manages to get back on the right track - it's so worth it.
Penn Badgley gives a really creepy and clever performance as Joe Goldberg. After seeing him in Gossip Girl (which I've watched about a million times), I'm not sure I was expecting to enjoy his performance as much as I did. I love Gossip Girl, don't get me wrong, but Dan Humphries is basically the worst character ever written. I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I actually rooted for him - which is weird because he's supposed to be the bad guy. All of the performances by all of the wonderful actors included in this show were spectacular. I cannot fault any of them. Shay Mitchell, who played Peach Salinger, really went all out and gave such a fantastic show.

The last episode of the season was so amazing! I was on the edge of my seat for the whole thing. So many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. We're left with such a cliffhanger, too. I mean, I just have to know what happens next; I have so many questions.

Penn Badgley and Elizabeth Lail as Joe and Beck in YOU, a Netflix Original. Courtesy of Netflix.com

I'm trying to get my Mum to watch it because I know she'll really enjoy it. I don't normally watch things that are so new, but I was so intrigued after watching the trailer. I usually like to wait until more people have seen it, preferably my friends or family, so I can talk to people about it and share my thoughts with them. So this is me telling you to watch it so I can talk to you about it and all of the surprises it brought, I'm so desperate to talk theories with people!

The show raises questions about how open we are with the world on social media. Joe basically finds everything out about Beck through her public accounts, and that's pretty scary. I recently changed a lot of my privacy settings on Facebook and Twitter - before I watched the show - and I'm so glad I did. It can be a rather scary world out there and not everyone should be trusted, so we have to protect ourselves as best as possible and social media makes it so easy for information to be found. Also, no one in this show has any curtains, so maybe invest in some curtains, too.

I'm for sure going to read the novel, because the book is always better than the film/TV show and I'm not sure how much better you can get than what I've just watched, so I'm pretty damn excited for that. I'll let you know how I get on, I'll write a post about it.

If you have watched the show already, please comment your opinions on it! I am so curious to see what other people have to say.
Bren.