Halloween is nearly here which means it’s the perfect time to find a new spooky series to watch and curl up with any hot drink that’s pumpkin spiced. It’s the time of year where the excitement starts to build; there are pumpkins, dressing up, fireworks and before you know it it’s Christmas. It’s a spooky yet magical time and a good excuse to buy some new, ridiculously named, Halloween themed Yankee Candles – who knows what ‘Autumn Glow’ smells like? If you’re not leaving the house this year for Halloween because your plans have been cancelled, there is a great new programme to watch on Netflix so you can have a spooky (yet cosy) night in.
From the moment Sarah Paulson graces our screens in her mint green Ford Coupe dressed head-to-toe in a colour coordinated red and beige ensemble, you know Ratched is going to be colourful and classy. The prequel to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest starring Jack Nicholson, Ratched is a vibrant tale of how nurse Mildred Ratched became the cruel, twisted character we know in the 1975 film. It is a very loose prequel and while it does touch on reasons why Ratched is the way she is, some themes do seem quite far-fetched.
Nurse Ratched has a colourful past and the series certainly shows this from the costumes to the detailed surroundings and the classy hair and make-up. Set in 1947, it follows Nurse Ratched’s career, the twisted secrets within the mental institution, and the real reason she chose to work there.
Aside from all this, there’s also the inclusion of Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon, who plays a vital role, and American Horror Story veteran Finn Wittrock, whose character is a confused tortured soul. Of course, Nixon’s costumes are equally as sophisticated as Paulson’s but slightly more conservative and less New York Fashion Show like she would’ve been used to in her role as Miranda Hobbes. Wittrock’s character, Edmund, is like a Pandora’s Box of emotional turbulence – an exciting, unsteady train wreck where you’re hoping he has a chance at happiness. There’s drama, murder, suspense – all set in the beautiful, peaceful looking Monterey although Paulson’s character is anything but peaceful. Drama seems to follow her but it all becomes clear as the gripping storyline unfolds.
Ratched is by far the most exciting drama to come out of 2020 – the thrilling storyline keeps you hooked, the excellent cinematography makes each scene come alive, it has a perfect cast for the disturbing plot and there are enough episodes to keep you wanting more. A must-watch for 2020 and something that has more unfortunate plotlines than this year; it can’t get much worse, can it?