Hidden Gems of Netflix's Watch Instantly

It kinda seems like the current trend with mystery box shows is to not open the box at all, a la Russian Doll.

Oddly, my wife is watching and enjoying The OA right now. That isn't her typical cup of tea(much more a British murder mystery fan) but she is liking s1.

Mystery boxes are basically origin stories. Whatever is in the box is the origin of the story. And as we all know, there's (almost) no such thing as a good origin story.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I've been slowly picking at the first season of The OA. These mystery box shows fascinate me, because they put so much effort into trying to tease viewers with that question of what's in the box, and I just don't care. What's in the box is never, ever as interesting as the box itself, and opening the box to show what's inside will only make people mad. It makes for an odd viewing experience as the show is teasing me with mysteries, and my response is to not care one wit what the resolution is, but the oddity itself is kinda fun. Although so far there's nothing as amusing as a smoke monster or a polar bear on a tropical island.

Well, this is different, in that the creators worked specifically not to make the Lost mistake. They are willing to let the viewer wonder what it all means, but, they know exactly what is in the box.

The reason The OA worked for my wife and I, and she absolutely hates Lost and mystery box shows, is that the mystery was so locked down that they were able to use it tell a better and more meaningful story about isolation and connection. While Season 2 seems to head in a more adventurous direction, they were still able to maintain the themes and character arcs as the most interesting part of the story because, like good scifi, the weird stuff is only there to help provide context for the deeper stuff the story is about.

When the buzz about season 2 was so positive, it nudged me to check out the first season, which we just never got to before. I thought it was odd that Teresa wanted to try it after watching the trailer. Then we finished both seasons in about a week and half, and it became one of our most discussed TV series. It's kind of a master class in how to do a mystery box show. Mainly, while you don't have to explain or show what is in the box, the writers need to know exactly what is in the box and how it works so that the foundation is set, which allows for the narrative to evolve consistent with the rules of the mystery. Even if they are not explained, those rules still govern what can a cannot happen, which gives the characters plenty to play off of.

While our natural curiosity makes mystery box shows something that can get our attention, if actual the goal of the writers is to eventually reveal what is in the box, it's not going to be an awfully interesting story. Lost told a lot of interesting stories about the characters, and those character grew and evolved. But because the heart of the story was never real, it renders the story inconsequential. Seasons of Lost were as related to each other as episodes Twilight Zone are related to each other. But Twilight Zone episodes revolve, while Lost just added more fodder each season.

Jayhawker wrote:

Well, this is different, in that the creators worked specifically not to make the Lost mistake. They are willing to let the viewer wonder what it all means, but, they know exactly what is in the box.

That sounds a lot less interesting, to be honest. I don't care what's in the box, and I don't care if the writers don't care what's in the box.

I've been disappointed by mystery boxes since I was three:

I'm very much like a three-year-old with these things. Don't care what the gift is. Much more interested in the wrapping paper.

It was an orange, Clock

Quintin_Stone wrote:

It was an orange, Clock

Don't ruin the fun.

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/ECtuHAGUrcITK/giphy.gif)

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I've been slowly picking at the first season of The OA. These mystery box shows fascinate me, because they put so much effort into trying to tease viewers with that question of what's in the box, and I just don't care. What's in the box is never, ever as interesting as the box itself, and opening the box to show what's inside will only make people mad. It makes for an odd viewing experience as the show is teasing me with mysteries, and my response is to not care one wit what the resolution is, but the oddity itself is kinda fun.

I get the feeling that if you stick with the OA you will be happy with the result. You may be misinterpreting what appears to be teasing. The show is much more of a journey than a destination.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

It was an orange, Clock

Don't ruin the fun.

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/ECtuHAGUrcITK/giphy.gif)

I can also spoil The Monster at the End of This Book.

When you read it, Quintin, the monster is in every word.

Rat Boy wrote:

I've been disappointed by mystery boxes since I was three:

Well yeah. That had better comic timing than anything in Lost. I can see how it ruined you for the genre.

As for the OA, I refuse to watch it because I don't want to know that it isn't a Boy Scouts BSA reference.

Vargen wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

I've been disappointed by mystery boxes since I was three:

Well yeah. That had better comic timing than anything in Lost. I can see how it ruined you for the genre.

As for the OA, I refuse to watch it because I don't want to know that it isn't a Boy Scouts BSA reference.

"Arrivederci, frog!"

S2 Sabrina: I can't stop "Oh, Jeffery"-ing and giggling to myself repeatedly.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

S2 Sabrina: I can't stop "Oh, Jeffery"-ing and giggling to myself repeatedly.

Internet High-Five!

ClockworkHouse wrote:

These mystery box shows fascinate me, because they put so much effort into trying to tease viewers with that question of what's in the box, and I just don't care. What's in the box is never, ever as interesting as the box itself, and opening the box to show what's inside will only make people mad.

I'm with you totally as I'm sure you are aware. It's why I wish Stranger Things just went with a completely new premise for each season because the more they are explaining how their universe built on a house of 80s nostalgia works the less interesting it is becoming to me. It's also something I'm worried about with the second season of The OA when I get to it.

But I would say the problem is always that an equal number of people get mad when you don't show what's in the box. (Example: The response to anything David Lynch does.) It seems to be an innate human trait where we expect answers and conclusions and then are usually disappointed by the ones we get.

Best case scenario is where there is at least one plausible explanation that the viewer can imagine. It can be based in reality or based in a reality plus one fantastical element. The premise doesn't have to be stated outright the story, but the authors have to know what it is, because it informs what is possible in this narrative world.

If your story can only make sense if ghosts are real and time travel has been invented and the protagonist lands in multiple, astronomically unlikely coincidences, that's called dumb. If your premise is that this is all a dream or limbo or whatever, and there are no rules, that is dumb. Like listening to a five-year-old tell a story. Just a series of "and then" 's. I don't care what happens next because it has no internal consistency. The unpredictability should either come from missing information that is compatible with the hypothetical world, or from characters because people are erratic.

2001 premise: E.T.'s seeded human advancement at at least two stages.
On screen: Bonkers sh*t that doesn't make much sense at first.

With Stranger Things I can kind of see the desire for a new premise for season 2, because the old one is played out. I think a second premise would be stronger if they got a whole new cast. That or just don't have a second season.

Well, The OA nails how to expand on the premise, adding some characters, subtracting others, and then expanding on the logical consequences of said premise. The second season feels different on many levels, but the center holds because the premise is firmly developed offscreen.

It avoids the Stranger Things issue by moving the premise to a new setting. The new setting put several story elements into motion, which provided a better way to explore the characters' discovery of what the mystery is and what it means to them.

Danjo Olivaw wrote:

Like listening to a five-year-old tell a story. Just a series of "and then" 's.

Sometimes those are the best stories...

Stele wrote:
Danjo Olivaw wrote:

Like listening to a five-year-old tell a story. Just a series of "and then" 's.

Sometimes those are the best stories...

That's what the CW is for.

Jayhawker wrote:

Well, The OA nails how to expand on the premise, adding some characters, subtracting others, and then expanding on the logical consequences of said premise. The second season feels different on many levels, but the center holds because the premise is firmly developed offscreen.

It avoids the Stranger Things issue by moving the premise to a new setting. The new setting put several story elements into motion, which provided a better way to explore the characters' discovery of what the mystery is and what it means to them.

I definitely put The OA in the camp of "sh*t just happens". If for no reason an OA character stated they could float around instead of walking or shoot lasers from their ear holes, sure whatever. There's no premise. The writers can never paint themselves into a corner for the same reason the X-Men cannot - there are no bounds to what might occur.

I've been absolutely loving Most Beautiful Thing. It's a Brazilian TV show about a woman who gets screwed over by her husband and decides to open up a music club in Rio. "Hijinks" ensue.

Edit: There are a lot of crappy humans on the show that get what's coming to them. It's very satisfying if you can put up with the inhuman humans for a bit.

Finished up Black Summer, which is another show about zombies - the fast running kind.

The first three episodes were not great. In particular the first two episodes I found a bit jarring to watch due to how they decided to edit it. Every 5-10 minutes a scene would come to an end and it would switch to a new character. The new character would cover some of the same scene you just saw but from a different perspective. Each character would inch the overall episode along before the next switch. The technique turned out more annoying than enjoyable to watch. Thankfully by episode 3 that slowed down as the show stuck with two core groups to cover.

Episode 4 ('Alone') however was the turning point for the series. The episode focused on a single character being pursued by a zombie almost the entire time. The guy being chased is kinda an oaf and not athletic at all so I spent the entire episode yelling at him for doing stupid stuff. It was great. The episode has almost no dialogue and completely worked.

Likewise Episode 6 ('Heist') and the final episode have almost no dialogue and are just fantastic to watch. The last episode in particular was great as things go from a nice calm, ratchet up to intense, then goes all out chaotic.

The show seems to be getting some poor ratings and I can certainly see that if people stopped watching after the initial episode or two. Its hard to latch on to any characters with all the jumping around - I had my ipad out and was checking that more than I should have during the first three episodes. But Black Summer turned out to be the odd show where when you think it's peaked (Episode 4) it surprises you and continues to get better as it goes along.

Oh wow. I strongly disagree on Black Summer. It’s set in the same universe as Z Nation but there’s absolutely nothing in common. Don’t go in expecting humor or lightness. It’s just another bleak zombie show. Except this one is trying to be arty, with vignettes, barely an dialog at all at time, hamfisted attempts at mystery (wow, look at this character who never ever speaks and ends up just walking off without a word!) and heavy handed use of music.
I watched the whole thing and some of it makes absolutely no sense (can’t go into it without spoilers). There’s also some sexual assault, and that’s definitely enough to turn my stomach.
The characters are also just... not great. Aside from the above mentioned oaf, who couldn’t even grab a weapon when it’s staring at him, it’s baffling that some characters have survived this long (it’s set a few weeks into the Zombocalypse, so early days by Z Nation standards, but still. Some of these people are still completely clueless. And the characters just aren’t well defined, you don’t always get to know what their motivations are, or those motivations are just ridiculous (spend gas to get gas?!). There’s chaos and mayhem, which is par for the course of a zombie apocalypse but none of it make any sense, especially if you compare and contrast with others similar films or series (take Fear the Walking Dead, for example).
I just can’t recommend it. At all. Go watch Z Nation instead.

What I do recommend, however, is Unicorn Store. It’s a bit hard to get into, because when it starts off, it takes a good 15-20 min to take off, but it’s a delightful story, a fable almost. Brie Larson is amazing as Kit, the main character, and as an Aspergirl, I found her incredibly relatable. There’s been very little talk about this, I only found a couple of posts on Reddit, but I’m certain Kit is on the spectrum. There’s echolalia, observing typicals to mimic social behavior, intense interest in unicorns, taking things literally. The story is delightful and well worth seeing. And Samuel L Jackson is hilarious in a sort of “fairy godmother” role, and do much fun.

OMG The OA Part 2 Chapter 4. The one in the nightclub. No details to avoid spoilers, but wow. My brain fell out of my head and is now jiggling on the floor. But... in a good way.

BadKen wrote:
Spoiler:

OMG the spoiler

The OA season 2. No details to avoid spoilers, but wow. My brain fell out of my head and is now jiggling on the floor. But... in a good way.

Please spoiler that...

Baron Of Hell wrote:
RnRClown wrote:

Unicorn Store

I would call it a better person movie. At the start of the movie we have this character that is down on herself and by the end she is proud of herself. There was a minor moment in the movie where she makes a mistake regarding her friend. She recognizes the mistakes, corrects the mistake and they move on forging a stronger friendship. We don't see much of her past experiences but it is clear that before she would have probably just covered the friendship in oil and lit it on fire. I think I liked this so much because most of the time shows will only have external problems to overcome, this problem was internal.

Yes. I adored most every interaction between Kit and Virgil. I especially liked when they disagreed and how. They listened. They navigated through. They became better versions of themselves through understanding and communication. It was bliss. That's my dream world!

Baron Of Hell wrote:

I will say the movie is adorable and a refreshing escape from the mass murders, cops killing BLM protesters, and all the other madness of the world.

Absolutely. I was so thankful for something so different, so positive.

I just finished The Mechanism.

It's a Brazilian crime drama loosely based on Operation Car Wash, a small money laundering investigation that revealed a massive corruption and bribery scandal involving politicians, public officials, businesses, and the wealthy. The show's basically the first season of The Wire crossed with a telenovela. It's written by José Padilha, who produced and directed Narcos (along with Elite Squad and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within and the RoboCop remake).

It's a quick eight episodes, with more coming in early May. Just stick it out past the first episode, which did a pretty awkward and rough job setting up the rest of the story.

Eleima wrote:

Oh wow. I strongly disagree on Black Summer. It’s set in the same universe as Z Nation but there’s absolutely nothing in common. Don’t go in expecting humor or lightness. It’s just another bleak zombie show. Except this one is trying to be arty, with vignettes, barely an dialog at all at time, hamfisted attempts at mystery (wow, look at this character who never ever speaks and ends up just walking off without a word!) and heavy handed use of music.
I watched the whole thing and some of it makes absolutely no sense (can’t go into it without spoilers). There’s also some sexual assault, and that’s definitely enough to turn my stomach.
The characters are also just... not great. Aside from the above mentioned oaf, who couldn’t even grab a weapon when it’s staring at him, it’s baffling that some characters have survived this long (it’s set a few weeks into the Zombocalypse, so early days by Z Nation standards, but still. Some of these people are still completely clueless. And the characters just aren’t well defined, you don’t always get to know what their motivations are, or those motivations are just ridiculous (spend gas to get gas?!). There’s chaos and mayhem, which is par for the course of a zombie apocalypse but none of it make any sense, especially if you compare and contrast with others similar films or series (take Fear the Walking Dead, for example).
I just can’t recommend it. At all. Go watch Z Nation instead.

This show is obviously going to be a different strokes for different folks kind of a thing (I've noticed the reviews also seem to be all over the place). I've watched the first 3 episodes and am very much digging it. I actually liked the short vignettes of the first episode and seeing the same scene from multiple perspectives. They are doing the dark and creepy quite well and these are World War Z type zombies (turn fast and run fast) although so far not huge packs of them but still plenty scary. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a dark, grim zombie show without any happiness or laughs and so far this is it. This is like junk food, not gonna eat it all the time and not real memorable but when you're in the mood, it hits the spot.