(NO SPOILERS / SHOW HAS VIOLENCE (GORE, BLOOD), LANGUAGE, SUGGESTIVE CONTENT, ETC.)
Currently #1 trending in the U.S. today, Ratched is a Netflix original series created by Ryan Murphy. This show recently started streaming on Netflix on September 18th. Starring a very familiar actress in the world of Ryan Murphy, Sarah Paulson takes the lead as Mildred Ratched. If you aren’t familiar with Ryan Murphy, you might have heard about his other works such as American Horror Story, Hollywood, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and The Politician.
This story follows Nurse Mildred Ratched (Sarah Paulson), joining an asylum in Northern California in the late 1940s shortly after World War II on her mission to hunt down Edmund Tolleson (Finn Wittrock). As always, Murphy's work is based on some sort of event or an already existing story. Ratched takes inspiration from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as the show serves as a prequel to the Oscar-winning film. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Ken Kesey published in 1962. After further investigation, I found that the show’s storyline takes place 16 years before the film is set. Similar to Ratched, the movie stars the scary asylum nurse of the same name - Mildred Ratched, who became a well-known villain.
At its finest, this show can be described as “camp” (out of date or overly exaggerated) which is something I really enjoyed. I loved how colors were commonly used throughout the show, from pastel blues to yellow hints. The beautiful shots of the Monterey area made me feel as if I were there. The show gave me American Horror Story meets Alfred Hitchcock as there were some suspenseful elements and moments included. Alfred Hitchcock is known for being "the Master of Suspense" as he constantly builds up tension, his films had straightforward plots to follow, and they made the audience question the plot.
The cast was phenomenal, starring; Sarah Paulson as Nurse Mildred Ratched. Finn Wittrock as Edmund Tolleson (Mildred’s murderous and mentally unstable foster brother who is an inmate at Lucia State Hospital). Cynthia Nixon as Gwendolyn Briggs who is Governor Willburn's press secretary, campaign manager, and Ratched's love interest. Jon Jon Briones as Dr. Richard Hanover / Dr. Manuel Bañaga, the director of Lucia State Hospital. Charlie Carver as Huck Finnigan, an orderly at Lucia State Hospital whose face is badly disfigured from fighting in the war. Judy Davis as Nurse Betsy Bucket, head nurse at Lucia State Hospital and a rival of Ratched's. And lastly, Sharon Stone as Lenore Osgood, a wealthy heiress who hires a hitman.
After watching this show, I personally didn't like it. This felt like a duller version of another season of American Horror Story without the well-known actors from that show. I think that there could have been more to this show than what we were given. I am a huge Murphy fan, and I've been a fan of his series such as Pose and Glee, but this show just did not have the same Murphy “touch” as I was accustomed to. I felt that both the plot and the characters in this show were very confusing. This show felt like it was one of Murphy’s drafts that were done very last minute. Comparably, it seemed as if I were watching the sixth season of Glee.
Overall, this show needs more flavor. Netflix renewed Ratched for another season, so I hope it is better than the first season. This show is a 6/10. The script needs work, the acting was terrific, but the storyline was confusing.
Pictures From:
1) Bloody Disgusting
2) What’s on Netflix
3) Indie Wire
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