Normal People

Normal People

A drop-dead gorgeous romantic drama too nuanced to fit into a plot description

The Very Best

9.1

TV Show

Ireland
English
Romance
2020
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal

The take

The author of the much-loved New York Times bestseller, Sally Rooney, is among the writers of this TV dramatisation, directed by Irish compatriot and indie director Lenny Abrahamson. Abrahamson, who also gave us Frank and the film adaptation of Emma Donoghue's Room, builds on Rooney's fantastic source material and an evocative soundtrack to create an intense, atmospheric drama about the vitality and violence of young love.

Initially set in rural Ireland, Normal People follows Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) as they are figuring out themselves, their connection, and impending adulthood. And that is all I am going to say at this point, because I feel that it is best to know as little as possible going in.

Every detail of every scene feels studied, laying bare the raw emotion of the two main characters. The dialogue is sharp and funny. The acting is flawless. One thing is certain, if you like modern drama that is as much about how and what is said as about what is actually happening, you will have to watch Normal People!

Comments

Devastating. Redeeming. True.
Anyone who refuses to give in to groupthink; anyone who considers others carefully. Anyone who has been treated shabbily; anyone who has treated someone they love shabbily. Anyone who loves beauty; anyone who fears being misunderstood. This is glorious.

This might be the most beautiful show about human beings I’ve ever seen. I never imagined a tv show with 30 minute episodes could elicit such a strong emotional response from me. It’s a shame to confine it to a genre like romance, where people might miss this gem.

I think, this series might have changed my life forever. It’s about love and depression, everything in this is so well written, performed and executed that it seems so raw and real.

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