A luxurious spa, somewhere in California. Despite the high cost of a stay at “Tranquillum”, applications are numerous, and Masha, who manages the spa, selects them with great care. She’s careful to create a group of strangers who complement each other.
What these guests have in common is a trauma they can’t overcome. The loss of a son and brother for the Marconi family, a shattered life for Tony, a cruel scam and a faltering career for Frances… Nine people find themselves cut off from the rest of the world in this serene dreamland. Masha has promised them a transformative experience, and transformation there will be, including for Masha herself….
Dying to be reborn
The series is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty. In a choral film, casting is the key to success. And overall, the actors live up to their complex characters: excellent. I particularly fell for the unlikely couple Frances & Tony. I was annoyed by Napoleon’s stammering elocution and Carmel’s excessive self-pity. In between, all the other characters moved me. We all experience tragedy. Yet we are rarely taught to let our emotions flow. The result is emotional knots and crippling blockages.
Masha, the smiling gurun unties these knots with hallucinogenic smoothies. At first, everything is under control. But things quickly get out of hand, and get worse, until they culminate in a series of disasters. The characters’ backstories, along with this increasingly tense narrative, keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
The splendid settings of season 1, whose calm contrasts with the emotional state of the protagonists, contribute to the pleasure of watching the series. Season 2’s chilly (and ugly) hotel, on the other hand, is less appealing.
A series full of emotions and twists and turns.
2 seasons, 16 episodes (45 mn), 2021 – , on Hulu & Amazon Prime Video
WITH : Nicole Kidman as Masha Dmitrichenko
- Season 1 : Melissa McCarthy as Frances Welty, Bobby Cannavale as Tony Hogburn, Michael Shannon as Napoleon Marconi, Asher Keddie as Heather Marconi, Grace Van Patten as Zoe Marconi, Luke Evans as Lars Lee, Samara Weaving as Jessica Chandler, Melvin Gregg as Ben Chandler, Tiffany Boone as Delilah, Manny Jacinto (seen in the Acolyte) as Yao, Zoe Terakes as Glory, Regina Hall as Carmel Schneider, Hal Cumpston as Zach Marconi, Ben Falcone as Paul Drabble
- Season 2 : Christine Baranski as Victoria O’Clair, Annie Murphy as Imogen O’Clair, Henry Golding as Peter Sharpe, Mark Strong as David Sharpe, Murray Bartlett as Brian Tumkin, Aras Aydın as Matteo, Dolly de Leon as Sister Agnes, Lucas Englander as Martin Siebmacher, Lena Olin as Helena von Falkenberg, King Princess as Tina, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Wolfie
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