Tis Me Michelle

I had been looking for something new to watch. Then I saw some posts on Instagram on how there was a crazy new show based on a true story and I was intrigued. I headed straight to Netflix… And I really didn’t move for several hours.

This is the creator of the show’s true story, Richard Gadd, who happens to play a version of himself in the show. The premise of the show ultimately follows the story of a woman who becomes obsessive and stalks this man. However, that is just one layer of the trauma Donny, the main character, goes through. It is a heavy topic but done in a way that is both thrilling and has some levity.

I always love originality. I find it super hard to come by these days. But I feel like there are so many people who have the drive and the creativity that are just waiting for their stories to be found. And I’m glad this one made its way. I appreciated it because as much as Gadd is a victim in this story, he acknowledges his complicity in some cases, as well as offers us an understanding of this woman who infiltrated his life. Some of the other traumas that he experienced are also explored, and I thought it was explored in a very honest and insightful way. There were times when I felt like I could feel what Donny was feeling at the moment, especially the anxiety and fear of what people may think. It was very interesting to me that when it came to his love life he was so concerned, but that fear didn’t penetrate into his comedy acts at all.

The actual direction and cinematography of the show was fantastic. In episode 4, we learn of some of Donny’s previous traumas. His school days were bright and airy, and then moments he was with a ‘mentor’ had a red overlay. Done in a way that wasn’t obvious or out of place, but hitting that cinematic expectation of the use of color. The overall feel of the show has a great gritty vibe but also balances its tone of being a drama and comedy so well.

Honestly, the way it ended was the only thing that was super on the nose for me. I thought it was a good ending, but I was left curious. Obviously, the real-life Richard went on to make this story into a play and now show… But it is interesting that the majority of his life post this situation is basically reliving it. In the show we explore how he himself became obsessed with the details of what happened, so I am genuinely curious about his mental well-being.

I have seen quite a bit of reporting that people are deep-diving to find out who the real-life characters are. That to me seems a bit counteractive to this story, which is truly about invading someone’s privacy and livelihood. People should be held accountable for their actions but in the correct way. What I do love is that people are invested and really paying attention to an original story.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ✨