The latest Netflix original series Easy is
a refreshing take on modern relationships, life and the human condition.
Featuring a cast of familiar actors, such as Michael Chernus (that guy who plays Piper’s brother
from OITNB), Dave Franco and Orlando Bloom to name a few. Written and directed
by Joe Swanberg.
Each episode is a snippet of the lives of
these characters who live in Chicago, mostly focusing on an individual or a
couple’s relationships. Naturally we see a range of ups and downs between the
characters and themselves as they live their lives, whether they’re a married
couple with children, single or dating, they all share one thing in common:
they’re people dealing with what life throws at them.
There’s an honesty with all the characters
as you get personal with them throughout their episodes, so you gradually pick
up on what values and morals they hold. You get to know them very quickly in
such a short space of time with each episode being no longer than 30 minutes
and even though their situations might not be your own, you feel that you can
relate to them regardless.
One episode that stood out to me features a
middle-aged graphic novelist, who writes from his own experiences and meets a
photography student who gives him a taste of his own medicine. This explores a
notion I’ve always thought about when writing something auto-biographical; how
would others feel about it, starring in a published story of your life depicted
in ways they may not want. You can also relate to some of the frustrations of
the character throughout the episode as he tries to deal with the modern world
that he feels somewhat excluded in. Suitably it features a cameo of cartoonist
Chris Ware at the end of the episode.
Two of the episodes cover two brothers who reconnect
over a love of brewing beer. One brother becomes reinvigorated as it breaks the
mold of his routine and the other is edging him on, encouraging him to enjoy
life, telling him his own unhappiness is his own doing. Out of the series,
these two episodes hold the most substance and it perfectly ties up the end of
the series as we see how these brothers almost switch places in life.
Easy feels like a very believable take on
real people, it could almost be a fly on the wall documentary. Thankfully it
isn’t and it’s been produced with finesse. There’s a number intimate scenes
possibly bordering on gratuitous on opinion but it’s all in context. We see a
very intimate perspective of the characters with no distractions, conversations
look and feel real as there’s often very little use of non-diegetic music.
Although when it is used it’s adding to the scenes, giving a slight stray away
from reality into fantasy, adding some comedy into the drama, but at the same
time it feels very natural.
I could see Easy coming back for a second
season, it could return to some of the key characters such as the two brothers
but at the same time each character’s story was set out and tied up by the end
of each episode. You feel satisfied that you can predict what kind of life
they’ll live in the afterlife of their spotlight. It’s early days yet but I
would see it would work best with a new set of characters, possibly still in
Chicago with some tie ins with the established characters or it could even work
in a new location entirely as it’s not about the location, it’s about life and
relationships.
Easy is insightful, relatable and another refreshing and original Netflix series.
All 8 episodes are available to watch as
from the 22nd September 2016, and it’s definitely one of the Netflix
Originals that you can watch all in one sitting.
