I'm generally meh on toxicity, but I really liked this!
I thought Double Helix was really well done. I generally don't love when people post reviews before finishing a show, but it feels like even more of a crime in a show that takes you on a serious journey with multiple tonal shifts. Part of what makes Double Helix really good is the trip the audience goes on with the characters. It moves from sweet to psychological thriller to a complicated mix of sadness and hope.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS SHOW?
I personally get thrown off by the "romance" label, even in the context of "dark romance," because under that label, I feel like I am expected to find it romantic. But, this is not my brand of romantic, and I do not find non-consent attractive. So, I found it really helpful to think of this more generally as "fiction" (not, specifically, romance). As an exploratory story of what happens when we put these characters together and how things can get really fucked up, I thought it was excellent!
While watching, I kept thinking about how the vibe was a little bit like "Requiem for a Dream," but domestic violence edition, where you can see the descent into their personal hells coming and trace how they got there. So, there's a little bit of me that wanted it to end more messy than it did. I think I may have liked it more with a messier ending, but honestly, the current ending was also very interesting and it gets points from me for being an interesting take.
Based on the Double Helix discourse, I think most (although, not all) of the low scores are from a mismatch between audience expectation and what the show is actually trying to do. So, it's worth going in with aligned expectations.
ACTING
Ayden Sng can really act! It was really fun to watch him do his craft.
CINEMATOGRAPHY AND MUSIC
I am a sucker for beautiful shots that underscore the mood and are well-composed. There were some really excellent cinematography choices. And, I don't usually pay attention to music, but the music choice was really good, both for the story and also just to listen to on its own.
STORY-TELLING
There is a plot, but Double Helix feels to be less about the plot and more about the psyche of these characters. Because I was watching Double Helix as the emotional story of the deterioration of these characters' lives and their attempts to put those pieces back together again, I was okay with it not being super plot-driven. It's more storytelling a "feeling." To that end, I think it did a great job.
WHY NOT 10 STARS?
There was a wee bit too much slow-mo and a wee bit too much cheesy for me.
All in all, I really liked it, I think it's well done, and it's worth watching!
WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS SHOW?
I personally get thrown off by the "romance" label, even in the context of "dark romance," because under that label, I feel like I am expected to find it romantic. But, this is not my brand of romantic, and I do not find non-consent attractive. So, I found it really helpful to think of this more generally as "fiction" (not, specifically, romance). As an exploratory story of what happens when we put these characters together and how things can get really fucked up, I thought it was excellent!
While watching, I kept thinking about how the vibe was a little bit like "Requiem for a Dream," but domestic violence edition, where you can see the descent into their personal hells coming and trace how they got there. So, there's a little bit of me that wanted it to end more messy than it did. I think I may have liked it more with a messier ending, but honestly, the current ending was also very interesting and it gets points from me for being an interesting take.
Based on the Double Helix discourse, I think most (although, not all) of the low scores are from a mismatch between audience expectation and what the show is actually trying to do. So, it's worth going in with aligned expectations.
ACTING
Ayden Sng can really act! It was really fun to watch him do his craft.
CINEMATOGRAPHY AND MUSIC
I am a sucker for beautiful shots that underscore the mood and are well-composed. There were some really excellent cinematography choices. And, I don't usually pay attention to music, but the music choice was really good, both for the story and also just to listen to on its own.
STORY-TELLING
There is a plot, but Double Helix feels to be less about the plot and more about the psyche of these characters. Because I was watching Double Helix as the emotional story of the deterioration of these characters' lives and their attempts to put those pieces back together again, I was okay with it not being super plot-driven. It's more storytelling a "feeling." To that end, I think it did a great job.
WHY NOT 10 STARS?
There was a wee bit too much slow-mo and a wee bit too much cheesy for me.
All in all, I really liked it, I think it's well done, and it's worth watching!
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