Adam Rose/Netflix
A spoiler-free review of Netflix’s What/If
This past Friday, one of my favorite days of the week, I got a chance to binge Netflix’s newest original series, What/If. I love Fridays not just because it means it’s the weekend, but because Netflix always dazzles us with a new movie or, my personal favorite, a Netflix original series worthy of a binge. They released a 10 hour limited series (I love how they always say limited series, like no, you are definitely going to get people obsessed and ask for more seasons just like you did with Big Little Lies).
The series stars Renee Zellweger (woah! Where has she been hello), who plays an evil venture capitalist named Anne. To be honest, this whole thing reminds me of the movie from 1993, Indecent Proposal.
This series definitely captured my attention. The cast is fun to look at (oh and super talented), and I love anything that even remotely looks like a film-noir 90s flick. Netflix officially calls it a “Neo-noir social thriller”, which is pretty accurate. I will admit, there are some parts that are a little ridiculous and bordering on campy, but I think that is done on purpose. And all the more reason to see how incredible of an actor Renee Zellweger is that she can not only pull all of this off, but make you love and hate her character simultaneously.
The show’s “tagline” if you will, is that it explores “what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things.” You take this couple, Lisa and Sean Donovan (played by Jane Levy and Blake Jenner) who are VERY happily married, and they are both trying to support each others dreams. Lisa is seeking an investment for her startup medical company, Emigen, and Sean is trying to make ends meet as an EMT and eventually join the San Francisco Fire Department.
You see just how much financial trouble they’re in as the series starts off, which leads us to Zellweger coming in to “save the day.” Only she has one requirement: She will give $80 million dollars in startup funding in exchange for one night with Lisa’s husband. Yes, you read that right. Oh, and the best part is we have no idea what she means by that. One night as like her sex slave? One night to just hang out because she’s lonely? One night to go out and murder a bunch of people together? We literally have no idea (well, until you get closer to the end, and even then, we’re confused AF).
Don’t feel guilty about watching this “guilty pleasure” of a show that I still can’t figure out if it’s the best worst show I’ve ever seen, if the writers did this on purpose (I think they did), or if this all makes sense because it goes back to the creators work from his show Revenge.
Take a listen on my podcast page if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts on this soapy yet well done drama! WARNING: The podcast does contain some spoilers! I recommend listening after you’ve already binged the show.