Expats Review: Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo’s Grief-Stricken Tale is Many Shades of Watchable

There’s an undertone of tension as we start Expats. In this drama series, we follow a close-knit expatriate community where a tragedy has ravaged a family and their neighbours take immense joy in their pain as no one gives up a chance to gossip.

Expats is more of a story about a tremendous loss that a family goes through and how it affects everyone around them – it’s a devastating look at the tragedy that a group of people collectively go through and how it slowly spreads and ruins everyone’s lives. It’s also a story about resilience and finding the will to live again and move on in some way despite the tragedy trying to eat you whole.

Nicole Kidman’s newest tale about grief and how it spreads its deadly wings to people all around them could’ve taken place anywhere. It’s a story that is very relatable in different ways and is mostly about women in the apparently progressive but actually regressive community and how they have to work in such a way to keep a balance in whichever direction they venture out on. It’s not just about the richer ones in society, the storyline also encompasses the trials and tribulations of those in a more vulnerable class and paints their feelings and emotions in vivid colours.

You relate to Margaret’s pains while also understanding Mercy’s feelings. In the meantime, your heart reaches out to Essie’s problems as well. Although it’s Margaret’s pain that is the highlight of the story, what with losing a son in a busy market and all, the way that grief fans out and gets a hold of everyone around her feels realistic and heartbreaking. As mentioned previously, this story could’ve taken place anywhere. Thus, I was left to question why we were set in Hong Kong and nowhere else and why the protests for a democratic society were showcased briefly without diving into it deeper.

That being said, those who like tragic family dramas will enjoy this heartbreaking showcase of pain, not just about the lost child, but also about the subtle and nuanced unfair treatment that women have to go through anywhere so as not to disturb the status quo. While you feel for Margaret’s need for answers and her grief, you feel also for Hilary’s quest to understand why she must be a mother for her life to feel fulfilling. Meanwhile, Mercy, who has unfortunately been in the midst of this horrible tragedy, tries her best to run away from taking any responsibility by putting all the blame on superstitions.

All of these characters are written extremely well and Expats does an excellent job of bringing their relationships with different people beautifully. It also brings the heartbreaking class distinctions to the surface wherein even when you call their househelp your family, there’s still a clear distinction there that you can never get rid of. It’s quite emotional to watch people know the truth behind their employer’s words and still go along with it. Even when some of the characters mention that their employees are their family, they know nothing about them or are too self-absorbed to know that they are human beings. Once the night’s over and the emotions have had a chance to run amock, there’s not much left in the relationship and you’re back to being practically strangers.

It’s the performances that set the series apart and Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo and Sarayu Blue do a fantastic job bringing out the emotions in their “doomed” lives. Kidman brings out a raw grief throughout the runtime that will hold you hostage while Yoo’s directionless life, constantly looking for a purpose outside that she will never find, feels extremely relatable. Lastly, Blue’s challenges are a smidge different but despite some of her questionable behaviours, she’s also someone who is trying to come to terms with her past and move forward and be happy; it’s both inspirational and rewarding in the end.

The show’s cinematography, showcasing the bustling and expansive beauty of Hong Kong and its myriad beautiful streets, plays an active role in the storyline. It’s as if the city itself is a character and a mystery. You feel lonely on its busy roads and things feel impersonal sometimes. However, there are moments where the series doesn’t hesitate to showcase how much life there is once you zoom in from on top of the highrises and the normalcy of everyday life can be oddly comforting for viewers.

Expats Review: Conclusion

This drama series is an emotional watch that does get to you sometimes. I didn’t find myself bored at any point and was constantly looking for clues to know whether there was any end to the misery of the women. Although drama shows aren’t always everyone’s cup of tea, this series is an interesting look at the lives of families with different, relatable problems. All in all, definitely an enjoyable and interesting show that gives you food for thought.

Expats will stream on Amazon Prime Video on January 26, 2024.

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