Comedy-thrillers are hybrids that are typically unheard of, but they are always worth the watch. On April 11, Hulu released “Am I Being Unreasonable?” — a six-part British series that creates a combination of psychological thriller and cringe comedy for viewers to enjoy.
The series begins with a flashback of Nic (Daisy May Cooper) with Alex (David Fynn) at a train station. After Alex pretends to kiss Nic, the train doors close, catching onto his jacket in the process. Characters question why Nic never wants to talk about that night, but as the series goes on, viewers learn Nic was having an affair with Alex, her husband Dan’s (Dustin Demri-Burns) younger brother.
Episode one hooks viewers immediately as it begins with Nic bantering with her son Ollie (Lenny Rush), a comical child who is enthusiastic about stop-motion. While dropping off Ollie, Nic meets Jen (Selin Hizli) at the locked school gate. Nic then gives the impression of being detached and nonchalant as she gives Jen the school code without knowing her. Later on, Jen and Nic interact more after Nic admits that she is not fond of the other mothers. Jen agrees and Nic befriends her. The two become closer than ever — or so Nic thinks.
“Do you know what I really miss? The one thing that I’m lacking in my life is like real, intense kind of passion and you know like when you’re a teenager,” Nic drunkenly admits to Jen.
Throughout the series, Jen’s behavior transitions from suspicious to creepy as she slowly becomes infatuated with Nic’s romantic life. But Nic remains oblivious to this, seeing Jen as a new friend she can lean on. Episodes four and five dive deeper into Jen’s motives from previous episodes. These episodes will cause viewers to remain apprehensive about Jen, but they will also become more understanding of why she reacts the way she does.
Later on, viewers are introduced to Dan’s friend Suzie (Amanda Wilkin), Alex’s significant other. Once she and Nic are alone, Suzie tells her, “When you used to hang out with him you made me so uncomfortable,” referring to Alex. While Suzie was never directly told of the affair, it is noticeable that she indirectly knew about it since she and Nic used to have a good relationship.
Audiences will become unsure whether they should support or dislike Nic since the choices she has made are revealed to be questionable. At the end of the sixth episode, the viewer’s opinion will become clear on whether or not Nic was making the right choices. Other characters’ decisions also become questionable, such as Dan and surprisingly Ollie, who makes a choice that is caught by his stop-motion camera and will leave viewers a bit mortified.
The six-part series ends with Alex’s anniversary memorial service where Nic is seen having an intense panic attack with flashbacks of Alex and hallucinations of passengers that were on the train. With episode six, the show perfectly ties up loose ends that were left unanswered with an appalling ending. The chemistry between the characters, paired with amusing dialogue, is unlike any other film. “Am I Being Unreasonable?” can be finished in a day, but viewers will be kept on their toes and drawn into the plot.
Rating: 5/5