I May Destroy You | agoodmovietowatch
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I May Destroy You 2020

A personal and timely account of sexual trauma and one of 2020's most extraordinary dramas

Our Take (by Bilal Zouheir)

Arabella is a Twitter-famous writer from London who has one night to submit a draft of her second book. She gives herself an hour’s break that night to go out for a drink with a close friend. When she gets back, she realizes that far more than one hour had passed, that she had blacked out, and that she had bruises all over her body. Like the excellent Chewing Gum, the BBC/HBO miniseries I May Destroy You is a Michaela Coel one-woman show: she is the showrunner, the writer, co-director, and leading actress. And whatever Coel touches, she makes it personal and without compromises. I May Destroy you is based on her experience of being sexually assaulted while making Chewing Gum. To make sure she told this story right, she turned down a $1 million deal from Netflix over creative ownership. It is not only dizzyingly told and brave, but also original and funny. A timely drama if there ever was one!

Notable Critics

"...at its best this show is abrasively psychological; it is, as all good art can be, "triggering," because it sounds and feels and moves the way we do."

— Doreen St. Felix

"A mystery story bubbles beneath the surface, but I May Destroy You excels for refusing to give easy answers to that hazy evening and everything else that follows."

— Emma Fraser

Synopsis

Set in London, where gratification is only an app away, the story centers on Arabella, a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.

Awards

SAG Awards

1 nomination

Nominated: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Spirit Awards

2 wins

Won: Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted SeriesWon: Best New Scripted Series

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About the author

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is US-based and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.