I’m always a late starter in so many ways. Amongst my friends, I was the last to commit to a mortgage, last to get a mobile phone, resisted signing up to Sky Sports, last to pass my driving test, christ, I’ve still to get married.
So after hearing with little interest about the latest big thing on Netflix, I decided on an impulse to sign up and see what all the fuss was about. I guess at the back of my mind I was thinking of the long winter dark nights and it would be a good time to catch up on what I had missed.
I’ve been subscribed to Nextflix now for a week and I have watched little else than a diverse range of documentaries and dramas. First up was the series every guy seemingly has to watch: Narcos, which was brilliant in so many ways. The mix of archive footage, heavy narration and authentic realism of the drama made it addictive viewing. So this is what Netflix is all about…….
Then I went on to the documentary ‘Get Me Roger Stone’, as I still couldn’t’t work out how Trump gained the presidency of th e United States of America. I had read Hillary Clinton’s book ‘What Happened’ and that shed some light on the Trump phenomenon. But watching this documentary was shocking, revealing and made me fear for what is really possible in today’s world. Talk about the Dark Arts of Politics??!? How the electorate can be led down such a sinister and divisive journey is deeply depressing. This is a must watch documentary.
Next up was ‘Minimalism’. The underlying message in this documentary is simple: Live with less. It will help us both personally and as a society. This would be watched not only for anyone who wants to live a simpler life, but for everyone. I guess I have not been sucked in by many who consume a great deal in their day to day life. But this really made me think about what I need and what physical baggage I need to get rid of. I immediately scoured my flat and got a huge amount of stuff to sell at next weekend’s boot sale. The process was thoroughly therapeutic.
The latest viewing was Season One of ‘Making a murderer’. Now I’ve heard about this series for a long time and boy it didn’t disappoint. We were introduced to Steven Avery, a man who spent 18 years in prison despite being wrongfully convicted of sexual assault. Several years after he was released, he was accused of murder, found guilty and sent back to prison.
It was stunning and disturbing. A masterpiece in documentary making and a warning to us all. It really did make you think about the fundamental and seismic faults within a democratic legal system. You’d never trust another jury after you watch this. I watched this in two sittings. Watch, think, discuss, debate. If television has any value in modern society, this it is.v
I have a long list of art to watch next……Black Mirror, Mindhunter, The Vietnam War, The Staircase, 22 July, Better Call Saul, Fargo, House of Cards…..