When you hear the word love, you think about warmth, hugs, kisses and relationships, whereas, when you hear the word anarchy you connect it with revolution, lawlessness, rebellion etc. Although it seems like the two words don’t go together, Love and Anarchy is the perfect title for the new Netflix series.
Love and Anarchy begins with the routine of a seemingly normal family getting ready for work and school. However, this idyllic scene changes suddenly when the mother starts masturbating in the bathroom. That is where the show begins to rebel by not showing a mother who is only worried about her family but also keeps in mind her own sexual needs.
After that, we can see that she is serious about her work and after she is forced to go on lunch with the IT guy, she starts enjoying the adrenaline that she can feel in her veins. They both start to play a game where they constantly keep challenging each other. This is the central idea of the show.
These two people not only play games but also start growing as people while exploring new things which eventually makes them fall for each other. But even though they are the main characters, the writers have clearly shown the incidents that take place with other characters and how they are also affected by this game.
Love and Anarchy‘s characters, from time to time, raise serious issues around feminism, the demerits of technology, capitalism and difficult relationships. But they never get too serious or give any unnecessary speeches. The dilemmas are limited to personal conversations which makes it more relatable. This also explains the reason that you are hooked to the story because no scene or conversation is dragged in the series – with only 8 half-an-hour long episodes, the series flows seamlessly.
The actors have done a brilliant job and you can totally distinguish one character from the other. Each of them has some special qualities and their behaviours are also explained along the way. The direction is kept simple and you can see the director’s talent in a dream sequence shown in the second to last episode. The art direction is also convenient according to the script. From time to time, the lead, Ida Engvoll, will seem to you like a Swedish version of Margot Robbie.
Although it talks about a lot of things that seem progressive, the show has no take on cheating. They have just shown the life of the characters and has neither declared the cheating wrong nor right, although they have shown the husband (Johan) as a toxic and controlling person due to which his wife (Sophie) cannot be herself. However, if we swap genders, then it will be a story of a bad and selfish husband and no one would like to see that.
But even if these thoughts cross your mind, you will still be rooting for Sophie and Max to be together. This is the beauty of the show that makes you feel for the characters. While seeing the trailer you might feel that this is going to be like every other rom-com you have seen before. But in reality, it proves you wrong.
Even in a few simple scenes, it gets unpredictable and you find it more and more interesting with each episode. Somehow you will also feel comfortable with your body because the actors don’t shy away to present themselves as they are. Costume design is also simple and their regular clothes help you to relate to their characters more.
Overall: Love and Anarchy
Love and Anarchy is a simple, light-hearted show that does not take itself too seriously. Its various themes and characters are fleshed out and relatable, which makes the series an easy-breezy watch.
Love and Anarchy is currently streaming on Netflix.
Read our other reviews here.
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