The basic premise of “Normal People” doesn't offer much to appeal to a wider audience, beyond those who like romantic dramas. The series follows Marien (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescall), two Irish teenagers from different social backgrounds from the same town, and their turbulent relationship that is repeatedly broken and renewed during their high school and college days. Based on this description and the offered trailer, no one could be blamed for thinking that this is just another in a series of titles about teenage love. Even the initial episodes of this series only confirm that, showing the beginning of a relationship between two high school students, the euphoria of first love, but also the problems they face.
But those who stay longer with Marijen and Conel, lulled to sleep by the belief that they can guess in advance how the story will unfold, "Normal People" will wake up from lethargy with a sharp slap and show that it offers much, much more, it will pierce their hearts with its dark moments and excite the unexpected complications and the depth and layering of the relationship it portrays.
Hulu's series based on Sally Rooney's best-selling book (which many said was impossible to make a screen version of) was on practically every list of the best series of the year. The basic setting is simple, but the beauty of this production is hidden in the poetry of touch, in intimate close-ups, "close-ups", an exceptional soundtrack and a perfectly blended and effective visual style, and the special way in which it deals not only with issues of teenage love, its ecstasy and brutality, but also class, mental problems, human relationships and small town life. At the same time, it is very important that this production, unlike some others, does not condescend to its viewers or pretend to be smarter than them.
Essentially, this is a simple love story that is not much different from all those famous loves from books, movies and series, completely focused only on two lovers, but this simplicity only works in its favor. Some elements of the series "Normal People" are comparable to the most famous romantic story of all time, that of Romeo and Juliet - about lovers whose stars coincided, and who come from families of different classes and social groups, who therefore hide their relationship. With its simplicity, "Normal People" allows the audience to, instead of dealing with exposition, think about the choice of words and decisions that Marijen and Conel undertake, the smallest details of which can have major consequences. Or about the meaning of their looks and facial expressions, each of which is a story in itself and can be interpreted like a picture in a gallery.
Among other things, this series also talks about human connection, how difficult it is to achieve a true connection with another person, how often we miss those points of connection and understanding - sometimes we are so close and yet so far, how some details can bring us closer and/or distance us and how things that are implied, the meaning of words and gestures, are actually interpreted differently by each of us according to our experience, culture and environment.
"Normal People" deals with the themes of class, social relations, and mental issues in a way that feels more honest and realistic than many other titles that deal with the same topics. Here, for example, we have an interesting inversion, because while in other teenage films and series the rich kids are also the ones who are accepted, the most popular one is not Marijen, but Conel, whose mother is a cleaner in Marijen's house. And while members of the lower classes on screen often have turbulent family events and are shunned by society, Connell's home life seems quite peaceful, and his mother full of support and love, although there is no mention of an absent father. Marijen is the one who experiences hell both at home and at school.
The Hulu series takes us to the heights of ecstasy of teenage love, only to bring us down to earth with difficult moments when we lull, showing how complicated these relationships can be. Even the very end of the series is the opposite of the kind of fulfillment that Hollywood has accustomed us to, putting three points instead of one on this story.
The soundtrack, which received special praise, is dominated by nostalgic and melancholic, mostly indie rock and folk, but also some teenage pop tracks that are lyrically often in line with the theme of the series, combined with the music of Irish artists, to further emphasize the location and atmosphere. . The authors of the soundtrack explained that they decided on that step precisely because they wanted to maintain authenticity, so that the episodes would not look like a series of music videos.
Visually, "Normal People" is part stylized, part raw, often using angles from which you can't see everything that's happening, leaving the viewer to guess. Close-up shots give us an insight into the mental state of the main characters, while montage reinforces their separation by showing the variety of situations in which they find themselves and the impact of their separation on the psyche. Shots that show the main characters from behind as they make their way through school, college, and the people around them are especially praised, which allows viewers to identify with them, to explore and admire the world around them together, but also to experience that feeling of loneliness and smallness in to him.
The viewer is intimately involved in the events from the start, especially thanks to the aforementioned style with a lot of close-up shots, which makes it feel almost like a voyeur. Because of this, some scenes are almost uncomfortable because we feel as if we are there, as if we are sharing space with the main characters, and as if we should not be there, as if we are eavesdropping on a conversation that is not for our ears, we are witnessing the special relationship that they have built within from which things emerge that remain hidden everywhere else.
And the sex scenes (and there are really many of them in this series) are intentionally long and raw, sometimes showing a passion that we can be jealous of, but often make the viewers feel uncomfortable for the already mentioned reasons, and no matter how relaxed the characters are, the sex is always at least for a moment it seems unusual, a bit twisted. It is precisely these sexual scenes that serve as a mirror for the main characters, in front of which they are completely naked, fully revealing their psychological state. Each sex scene is different, fueled by current events and emotions, and always with a strong dose of intimacy. As viewers, we feel like intruders precisely because the relationship between Marijen and Konel seems so real to us, as if we were watching a real couple.
Although the news was met with skepticism at first, in the end the decision to split the series into 12 half-hour episodes, instead of the traditional six one-hour episodes for the British, was praised, which greatly helped the pace of the story. It is also interesting that there are almost no side plots in the series, the story is completely focused on the two main characters, and all the others are just in passing and are only there to spice up the main narrative. With that, we are even more involved in the love story of Marijen and Konela.
Everything culminates in a dark narrative, which begins to unfold lightly and with teenage naivety, but becomes more difficult over time, illuminating the euphoria but also the heartbreaking sadness of first loves and showing how complex and deep these relationships can be. "Normal People" is a story in which every broken heart will be found, everyone who at least once in their life believed in love and decided to let it carry them like a flower in a river, everyone who understands how important and rare it is to have in their to the life of someone who understands you and who is there to share both sunny and dark moments, to be a shoulder to cry on, but also a comrade with whom joint victories are celebrated. It is a title that is not only among the best this year, but also one of the best romantic achievements on the small and big screens in recent years.
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