Rent Normal People (2020)

Whilst filled with excellent moments & performances, for me this was never anything more than good - Normal People review by TB

When Normal People was first shown, it was reported as being a cultural zeitgeist. Showered with awards & praise for the different elements (realistic depictions of teenage mental health, sex & the struggles young people face when they go out into the world,) it was something I was aware of, but had no real interest in seeing at that time. But when it popped up on my recommendations, as well as the fact that, in particular, Paul Mescal has now become a hugely revered actor, I rented it. But much like The Responder, another massively revered TV drama, it was quite middle of the road for me.

There are many excellent moments, such as the performances. Daisy Edgar-Jones & Mescal have excellent chemistry, as well as an easy working relationship, in terms of how clearly they trust each other. The other characters, particularly Connor's Mother, are also well written & provide an important balance to the emotion and drama. The locations are also stunning, particularly the beach scenes, showing how beautiful a place Northern Ireland is.

There are also some extremely powerful moments, particularly in the representation of mental illness. One episode, which I won't detail too much/spoil, shows a significant mental health breakdown with honesty, compassion, care & incredible acting. The decision to clearly show the enormous positives that happen by seeking out professional support is vital & hugely welcome for a mainstream series. In this respect, Normal People is to be rightly lauded & hugely praised.

So why the 3 stars, given all I've just said?

Quite simply, there are many elements which just didn't "work" in the sense of the narrative & content. The sex scenes for example, which a huge amount was written about, especially the use of an "intimacy coordinator," were both well-shot but also quite unrealistic, which you factor in how the entire series is supposed to be about depicting as real a relationship as possible between two young people. In Normal People's world, its mostly extremely vanilla with the same couple of acts, but then to really "push out the boat," we get a vague attempt to show more risqué intimacy, which again doesn't work within the context.

With characters, there are also some fairly unrealistic people as well. One guy in particular, considering the nuance & brilliant writing of the main leads, is just depicted as an out-and-out arsehole with no redeemable story arc, mainly to me because the opinions he has the writers didn't like, but had to embellish more so that he could be depicted as some reprehensible figure. Marianne's family also don't get much depth either, particularly the older brother, who again is just a ball of rage & bile.

There was absolutely some monumentally moving scenes, which were deeply affecting, but for me overall the series was just too bitty & uneven. I would still recommend it, but it never reached the grand heights it set itself.