Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are mothers at war in this new mini-series.
Hulu
Hulu
We’ve been spoiled for choice this month, with new shows such as Normal People and Hollywood keeping us pre-occupied during quarantine. Now ready to steal your TV screens is gritty American drama Little Fires Everywhere. Based on the 2017 best-selling Celeste Ng novel, Scandal’s Kerry Washington and Big Little Lies’s Reese Witherspoon co-produce and star in this highly addictive mini-series – following the intertwined lives of two mothers in a squeaky clean American neighbourhood. The thought-provoking drama explores a range of themes such as racism, motherhood and how the grass isn’t always greener on the other side…
Check out our review below…
WHAT: Set in the picture-perfect town Shaker Heights, Ohio, Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon) is the all-American mom married to Bill (Joshua Jackson) with little to no worries. After relegating her career as a journalist to be a good mother to her four teenage children, Lexie, Trip, Moody and Izzy, Elena’s world is rocked when the enigmatic Mia (Kerry Washington) and her daughter Pearl move to town under great suspicion. The series opens with Elena watching her stunning big house burn to the ground and leaving us with the question: who would do such a thing to the innocent Richardsons?
WHERE: If small picturesque towns have taught us anything, it’s to look very closely because there is more than meets the eye between those white picket fences. Set in the real town of Shaker Heights, we are thrown back in time to the 1990s with The Real World being on TV and classic cassette tapes abound.
STAR OF THE SHOW: Reese Witherspoon takes inspiration from her character Madeline in Big Little Lies, while playing the picture-perfect Stepford wife in a placid progressive suburb. Diving into smug liberalism and nit-picking motherhood, Witherspoon embodies the role perfectly as she unravels the layers of a controlling mother. While the writers juggle a kaleidoscope lens to explore each character, Elena takes all of our attention and Witherspoon’s performance leaves us more than emotional.
Hulu
Hulu
WHO TO WATCH IT WITH: Concentration is key if you want the ending to have maximum effect. With subtle clues and explosive revelations, tune out from the world and tune in to this thriller by yourself.
STAND OUT SCENE: The explosive confrontation scene in episode four between Mia and Elena brings together the differences between growing up in a white middle-class family to that of a poor immigrant family. Washington and Witherspoon going back and forth on the choices people have, bringing themes of racial indifference, poverty and psychopathic behaviour towards the forefront. Expect a real emotional rollercoaster.
WATCH IF: You’re a fan of Big Little Lies. You’ll love this.
DON’T WATCH IF: There are a lot of themes that run throughout the show: abortion, racism, motherhood and poverty are showcased heavily. So if you’re sensitive to this, best to avoid.
