One Night

It is so incredibly wonderful to watch stories of womens' lives told by women. Over the past few years I look for these shows. It makes me realise how profoundly accustomed we were to watching stories about women as imagined by men. Another thing I noticed was that the reviews for these shows are filled with men saying how unrealistic the characters are, and how crazy the female characters are. It's so refreshing not to be limited by those points of view, to see ourselves represented in tv drama.

This is the second thing I've watched this week showing women living with a constant threat of intimidation. I grew up as a teenager in the 70's. We had a good life, lots of freedom, but I've been thinking lately about how it was natural for us to have to be so very careful. I sometimes talk to my sister about the ways we had to act and talk and adjust ourselves to stay safe. I'm beginning to notice how much we adapted how we are in the world, and every show like this that I see shifts that dynamic.

This series is so beautifully written, directed, acted. Early on I worried about the pacing, but then a few more threads got woven in and I worried how it could all be resolved in 6 episodes. I used to live a few kilometres from where this is set, just down the road a bit. It is stunning country, and thats obvious in the scenery in this series. Makes me wonder why more tv hasn't been made in the area. The steep bluffs, the ocean, the small villages dotted along the coast, the sea cliff bridge, all create such an atmospheric background.

A couple of things that stuck out for me. All the women were very natural, hair messy, skin blemishes. The older women - the grandmothers - had sun damage, as you do living in that climate. The accents were all excellent. None of the characters were perfect, they all had their flaws which was part of the complexity of the drama. But in the end they managed to come to terms with themselves and each other. There was a lot of very positive messaging without being in any way preachy.

I watched this in 2 sittings and absolutely loved it.

I crave Australian shows because the acting is 10 times better than it is in the US for example. Don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings but aussies seem to have what it takes to make it look natural. Nothing is ever overplayed. By the way I'm French, so...

Although the storyline wasn't that exceptional, I immensely enjoyed watching some of my favourite actresses (Kat Stewart and Nicole Da Silva, Yael Stone) gathered for this occasion. Couldn't dream of a better cast!!

Also, the scenery is really breathtaking.

I definitely want (no, NEED) more of these productions.

Okay I'll go check IMDB now!

Disclaimer: I would give this show a 8.5 or 9/10 but as I can see there is already some review bombing starting (including from people overseas who can't even watch the show legally)... It's getting a 10! This is exactly the kind of Australian content I want to see! A rare show clearly made by women for women but also just a damn fine Australian drama.

It has messy, complicated female characters who are all distinct, interesting to follow and equal parts deeply flawed and sympathetic. I didn't find any of them frustrating to follow in the episodes where they were the focus (each of the main three characters has two episodes focussed on them- as indicated by the titles of the episodes). I also found the relationship/friendship between the three women believably fractured and loaded for what they've been through, filled with subtext, secrets, and differing perspectives. Yet, at the core you can see the deep bond between the three.

It also has a complex and relevant story navigating trauma, friendship, family, memory, justice etc. I feel like just about every woman (and probably a lot of men too) can relate to the major traumatic event of the series and I generally like how it's handled. The show never feels like it is exploiting, glorifying or making a spectacle out of the trauma, and the mystery of what happened is less important than its fallout. It also deals with the justice system, and, once again, it is both infuriating and true to what goes on. Something I also love is how natural most of the dialogue is. The characters sound really unashamedly Australian in how they speak.

It also has a really beautiful Australian setting. It's so great seeing more stunning Australian areas getting featured in shows. Especially regional coastal areas of Australia. Australian film/TV has a big issue with always setting shows/films either in very rural Australian towns (usually drought-stricken, barren) or pockets of very white, coastal city suburbia. Regional coastal Australia especially has been woefully neglected and it's about time that changed.

Then there's the acting, which is top tier. The acting from the leads especially is incredible! It's so good! The three are powerhouses together, and there is never a sense of them trying to figure out the roles. They nail it from the start. All the emotional moments of the show hit so well. It's very satisfying to watch.

And a special kudos to Jodie Whittaker, who manages to pull off one of the best Australian accents out there, and still somehow give an amazing, understated and nuanced performance. Also as an Australian I feel so honoured that Jodie Whittaker picked an Australian show for her first role out of Doctor Who and was apparently willing to cut her maternity leave short and relocate here on the other side of the planet for months to film. That's commitment! Especially as she clearly put the hard yards into her Australian accent. She can come back here and play another Australian any time she likes! Seriously! She's an honorary Australian in my eyes and I'm sure many other Australians for that accent alone.

As for flaws, there are a few things but nothing that major. Some might understandably complain the pacing is slow at points, but I honestly didn't mind because I quite like a slow burn, and this kind of story flourishes in the character drama. I suppose that's personal preference. There were a few minor side characters or plotlines I wasn't as keen on, and a few plotlines/ plot points that felt like they weren't fully resolved or were dropped too quickly or conveniently, but nothing that left me feeling very dissatisfied. There was the rare line of dialogue that was a bit too obvious, and a few shots of the past felt a bit too on-the-nose whimsical. But overall I really enjoyed this miniseries and its attributes far outweighed its flaws! Definitely plan on rewatching it soon and I hope to see more Australian shows like it coming out! I love how many great Australian shows are coming out this year!

The story was captivating and addressed a topic (sexual assault and its aftermath even decades later) that is rarely seen in this kind of depth. The emotions of the characters were so real that you could feel their pain at times, but you had to keep going to find out what happened. I was impressed by how brutally honest the series was regarding how much a single trauma can affect someone for years to come, as well as how it impacts their relationships with others. They also pulled no punches with all the things other people say that are the opposite of helpful and how much pain that causes the victim/survivor. Incredible acting by everyone involved, but Jodie Whittaker is definitely the standout, conveying so much with just her eyes. Amazing performance. I binged the series in two days which I rarely do, and it felt like reading a really absorbing book. Definitely worth the watch. Nice to see a series that is female-driven both on and off screen.

The scenery is beautiful and the actors put their soul into the roles but the overall effect somehow doesn't connect. I don't understand how anyone can have PTSD of a event which they have no memory of, and its never explained in the series. The whole premise is of 3 friends who had a bad experience one night , one of them getting raped when she was unconscious and leaving the town after that. They meet 20 years after and have to relive the events in their mind and life as one of them Simone chooses to publish a book about it.

The younger versions certainly seem to have bonding but I could see no genuine connection between them as adults. And Simone keeps saying it's also her story, no its not because she is the only one who is not in trouble because of the book or the night. Try as hard as I might , I could not empathize with Jodie Whittaker's adult character because the younger version is shown bold and doesn't even have memory of the event.

Frankly "Hat" is the only character whose concerns seemed genuine.

And then there is this token Asian character who is a weasel trying to garner publicity at the expense of the anonymity of the writer.