Television should be more than just a distraction. The idea of the box in the corner of the room that creates a background noise is nice but shouldn't we want more? Television should challenge us, it should educate us, it should show us things that we don't expect and force us to see things in a different way.
While there is a huge demand for ‘cozy’ television there are also a lot of people out there who want more. The good thing about this is that there are still a lot of shows out there that are happy to push boundaries and leave us on edge and uncomfortable.
Here are 3 examples of shows that grip us but at the same time leave us feeling a bit off.
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is director Ryan Murphy’s take on the serial killer genre. It focuses on the early 90s killings of 17 young men around the Milwaukee area and the eponymous man responsible.
The show brings us Dahmer’s childhood, his unstable home life, repressed sexuality, and the struggle to contain his urges. It also highlights the barely concealed issues seemingly ignored by parents, police, educators, and literally anyone who came into contact with him.
Well produced, directed and scripted, it brings the hard-to-watch life of one of America's most notorious serial killers to the screen in a way that's rarely been seen before. It deals well with Dahmer's history, while correctly not glamourising the actual physical killings – something that's not as easy as it sounds.
There's no doubt that the watch will leave you unsettled, but it's essential viewing nonetheless.
The Fall
This 2013 serial killer story is based in Belfast and should be the very model of a simple, by-the-numbers police drama. However, it's far from that.
What you get are outstanding performances from Gillian Anderson, as a dedicated and yet troubled detective, and Jamie Dornan as a manipulative, intelligent, charming and seemingly ordinary killer, leaving the show miles ahead of peers in terms of tone and delivery.
The Fall is intriguing, leaving you with dichotic reactions to the killer. There is no doubt that he is both sadistic and psychotic, but due to the performance and Dornan's obvious good looks, it's hard to side against him. His actions leave you constantly uncomfortable and on edge, but you can't help but hope he escapes capture.
It's absolutely worth a watch... just be prepared.
Baby Reindeer
Without any kind of spoilers (important for a show like this), the multi-award winning Baby Reindeer is a true crime drama based on the real life experiences of UK comedian Richard Gadd, who also stars.
It's a story of obsession, abuse, loneliness and perceived masculinity, and was originally created by Gadd as his one man Edinburgh fringe show. Now it's one of the most viewed shows on all of the Netflix platforms, worldwide.
The word "problematic" is used a lot these days and in most cases incorrectly, but here we do have a case. The antagonist of the show, the stalker Martha, was outed very publicly (not least by her own appearance on a chat show) and Netflix and Gadd were both embroiled in a tricky legal battle she filed.
But despite this, there is no doubt that Baby Reindeer is one of the finest pieces of TV available on streaming services today. Even if you might need a stiff drink once you've finished it.
