Clickbait, an American-Australian crime thriller starring Adrian Grenier, Betty Gabriel, Zoe Kazan, Phoenix Raei, Jessie Collins, Jaylin Fletcher, Cameron Engels, Ian Meadows, and Elizabeth Alexander, is now out. Created by Tony Ayres and Christian White, the series has eight episodes of 45-50 minutes each.
The synopsis reads:
When family man Nick Brewer is abducted in a crime with a sinister online twist, those closest to him race to uncover who is behind it and why.
– Netflix’s Clickbait Review Contains No Spoilers –
Clickbait on Netflix is about the Brewer family and how their lives take an ugly turn because of one video. A video of Nick Brewer (Adrian Grenier) gets uploaded online in which he is holding a placard that reads ‘I abuse women’. If the video gets 5 million views, Nick will die. The video shatters his sister Pia Brewer (Zoe Kazan) and wife Sophie Brewer (Betty Gabriel).
The Brewers seek help from the cops to find Nick and whoever is behind the video. The cop in focus here is Detective Roshan Amir (Phoenix Amir), who builds a bond with Pia during the investigation. From the Brewers asking for help to becoming the suspects, the eight episodes are packed with drama, thrills, and twists until the end. Is Nick alive, or did someone kill him? Why did someone release such a disturbing video of him? You’ll get the answers as the story proceeds.
Every episode of Clickbait is dedicated to a major character in Nick’s story. For example, the Sister, The Detective, and The Wife are the titles of the first three episodes. These three episodes do an excellent job of immersing you in the plot. However, starting with the fourth episode, the story keeps circling back to the same plot, making you impatient. Without revealing any names, I think episodes four and five should be combined. It would have accelerated the story’s pace while maintaining the suspense factor.
The series also explores the advantages and disadvantages of having social media in our life. The internet was really helpful in uncovering certain information on Nick Brewer, but it also ruined his life. The final episode is titled The Answer, and it is here that we discover the truth about everything. The twist is startling, yet it falls flat. If the story hadn’t been stretched with the reporter drama in one of the episodes, I believe the effect would have been better.
The finale is a perfect match for the title Clickbait, which means you’re promised something but instead get something else, and you feel tricked. In this scenario, I feel a little cheated. I wish the revelation and motivation were more compelling.
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Talking about performances, Zoe Kazan and Betty Gabriel have carried the entire show on their shoulders as Pia and Sophie. From not standing each other to standing up for each other during the tough times, their characters are brilliantly written. Actor Adrian Grenier looks dreamy as Nick Brewer, and I wish the series had more of his scenes. Actors Phoenix Raei, Jaylin Fletcher and Cameron Engels played their parts well as detective Amir, Kai Brewer and Ethan Brewer.
Netflix’s Clickbait Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, the whodunit series on Netflix is gripping. Who kidnapped or, worse, who killed Nick Brewer in Clickbait? Will he reunite with his family in the end? To find out the answers, you’ll have to see the show before the internet leaks spoilers.
Clickbait is now streaming on Netflix.