Hello friends!
Another intriguing and certainly strange TV show, another one that also deals with nine characters (like the previous one I shared here) but in a different way. And the second season has recently come out, very different from the first, yet united by the same premise and the same leading star. Will there be a third? I don't know, we'll see...
And what TV show am I talking about? This TV show is called Nine Perfect Strangers, created by HULU, and it has been quite popular really on Amazon Prime Video, specially now with the second season. And I would like to share my review with you after watching it completely.
Let's tell something about this TV show. Here my review:
What is this about?
It's about a group of people, specifically, there are nine different and strange people. They don't know each other—well, the couples and family do—but they all attend the same therapy center in a kind of natural resort, with a pool, lake, and natural waterfall, as well as a sauna and a forest. In this setting, all these characters, guided by the center's guru (played by the famous actress Nicole Kidman), undergo psychological therapy to heal some personal plot or problem, but it's all very strange...
First of all, it's worth mentioning that each of the two seasons is different; the setting changes in the second, although the main thread remains the same. The first season had quite a repercussion, and the second is fairly recent but also leaves us in suspense...
First Season
We begin at a nature center called "Tranquillum" (calm in latin I think), where the nine characters decide to spend time together to address psychological issues. But the therapy is quite controversial and strange. At first, we get to know all the characters. Another famous actress, Melissa McCarthy, stands out, albeit in a less comical role. And we gradually become familiar with the rest of them and their situations. It's curious that the one who seems least interesting or least conflictive ends up being... [no SPOILER]
Not only does one character end up spiraling out of control, but the situation itself. The almost mystical therapy has the feel of a group cult, where three assistants also end up in unexpected situations, creating more chaos. But the most controversial aspect is that they use drugs, in low doses to induce a state of disinhibition and total relaxation, but which cause everyone to have crazy visions and push them to the limit. Despite all the madness and a certain amount of manipulation, some end up clearing up pent-up emotions and damaging feelings; some improve their situation with such brutally driven sincerity, while others begin another relationship with each other... No one remains indifferent, nor will they ever be the same again, without a doubt.
Even the protagonist, the master of ceremonies who claims to understand others, who claims her questionable therapy works, seems to have her own ghosts, traumas, or internal issues that surface from the past. Who is she really? Can she trust the nine perfect strangers? How does the situation end? I'll just say it's abrupt, surprising, and somewhat extreme, but it leaves us wondering what's happening to the guru. And we'll find out more in the second season...
Second Season
And suddenly, the scene changes in the second season. She changes her life, but does the same thing, now from a European mountain resort, surrounded by snow, where nine other perfectly strange characters, also with their personal problems, once again come to visit in order to solve those traumas. Rich people, well or former famous people who want a different type of psychological therapy, this time in a sky luxury hotel. But one who appears belatedly from a helicopter stands out in particular. Does he have any connection to the "therapist"?
Once again, the protagonist Masha Dmitrichenko (Nicole Kidman) is certain of her type of therapy, which can cause suspicion among some participants, but in the end, everyone somehow accepts the drug use and mental shock that makes them reach other unleashed states and everything breaks loose. But she still seems strange, somewhat psychopathic at times and sinister, even in her voice, although she has changed her physical appearance and hairstyle, with a look now not so boho, but more sophisticated and cold, like the environment itself.
In the end, the strange and unexpected happens again, because nothing remains under control as it was supposed to, but she returns to her past. Could it be true? Everything changes, and the ending is once again surprising. She remains in charge despite everything, and it seems she will once again know how to survive, reinvent herself, and continue with her strange life... Will we see it again?
The characters
Nicole Kidman & Melissa McCarthy are the two main characters, the first one is the absolute protagonist of the two seasons but in my opinion her characters are somehow always the same, well not, but her face or role play, and the other one usually appears in comic movies so it's interesting to watch her in a different type of shows.
But there are also many others. For example on the second season we see one character of the first season of The White Lotus TV show which has some similarities. A bunch of people on a resort, but on the other series not on therapy just enjoying tropical holidays, but at the end, many unexpected situations are having place out there...
Anything else to comment?
The point to keep in mind is that Masha relies too heavily on the psychedelic substances she makes them take. Is that correct? She says it's how they heal traumas they release when they're completely relaxed; it's a powerful therapy and too radical in some ways. In the second season, she perfects or refines her technique. She also has greater control over her treatment by spending more time indoors, despite having fewer staff members. But you also have to pay attention to the guy who helps her at the ski hotel and the other woman who sometimes shows up at the office and invites her to undergo her therapy (or experiment?) at her mountain hotel, which she inherited from her family.
For many, this whole group approach is almost reminiscent of some kind of cult, although she remains convinced it works. And as we see at the end, some seem to emerge truly different, so in a way, is she right?
I have been telling so much, it's better to enjoy the TV show by yourselves. There are now two seasons of eight episodes each! And who knows if there will be another third one! Take a look!
More information about the TV show and all the shared images here: Original title: Nine Perfect Strangers (2021-Now) - IMDB: Nine Perfect Strangers
Thanks for reading! Have a nice and cool day.
The text is totally mine by ©Duvinca
The images screenshots and some info are from imbd.com and the lead image has been done by me using Canva.com - NO AI -
