8 series on social topics worth watching
Last year, several good series were released on topics that were not previously raised in cinema - incurable diseases, death, disability, violence. This is not about documentaries, but about viewers with bright characters. We decided to tell you about some of them in our selection.
1. "Call DiCaprio"
Director: Zhora Kryzhovnikov
Starring: Alexander Petrov, Andrei Burkovsky, Julia Alexandrova
"Call DiCaprio" critics called the best Russian series of 2018. Moreover, the central theme of the film was previously taboo in cinema - the protagonist of HIV. The finale of the eight-episode film aired on December 1, World AIDS Day. And more powerful social advertising of HIV prevention than the artistic "Call DiCaprio" is yet to be found. The series was shot by the author of "Bitter!" and "The Best Day" by Zhora Kryzhovnikov. "Call DiCaprio" in contrast to the director’s previous comedy projects is a drama, although there are funny moments in the series, as well as brilliant casting and colorful characters.
Blue-eyed actor Yegor Rumyantsev (Alexander Petrov) - the star of the medical soap opera "First City", lovelas, reveler and drunkard. He smashes cars, disrupts filming, rebels against a producer in love with him. He is rapidly changing his mistress, but has a special weakness for the make-up artist, with whom he had a short affair during the filming. Yegor has a half-brother, Lev (Andriy Burkovsky), a modest intellectual and family man, who hosts a program about needlework on the Murakha TV channel, where salaries have not been paid for a long time. One day, Yegor learns that one of his random friends has died of AIDS. The actor’s test soon shows that he is HIV-positive. And the world around him turns upside down - after a quarrel with him over treason, the producer kicks him out of his luxury home, fees are burned in a dubious business, rumors creep into the movie theater, colleagues refuse to shoot with him. Kar ’ the era of Leo suddenly begins to adjust. He is taken to the "First City", the new hero is made the main one, money finally appears in the family. But as the virus destroys the body, so Yegor’s disease will be a disaster for all involved in his life.
2. "The Good Doctor"
Author of the idea: David Shore
Starring: Freddie Highmore
After the fabulous success of "Doctor House", showrunner David Shore decided to return to medical topics and shoot another series about the doctor. The Good Doctor is a remake of the 2013 Korean series. In the original, a young man with autism was shown a talent for "seeing through" the patient, so he was sent to work in the pediatric surgery department.
The American version tells of a young surgeon Sean Murphy (Freddie Highmore) with autism and savant syndrome. Savantism is a disease in which people with developmental disabilities have outstanding abilities in some area of knowledge (for example, the prototype of the hero Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man" - Savant). Sean gets a job in the surgical department of San Bonaventure Hospital in San Jose. Despite the fact that the unusual behavior of a young man scares and angers colleagues, he shows himself a brilliant doctor.
For the young Freddie Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Arthur and the Miniputs"), "The Good Doctor" became the second successful drama series after "Motel Bates".
3. "Orange - the hit of the season"
Author of the idea: Jenny Cohen
Starring: Taylor Schilling.
A social drama about life in a women’s colony, the most successful series in the history of Netflix.
Piper, a young girl from a decent family, stupidly gets involved in a criminal scam, because of which she is sent to prison for many years. At first, the heroine seems quite dark, who will die in a women’s colony, but with each new season, she becomes more and more crazy. For example, one day she organized a prison gang that sewed comfortable women’s panties. However, in the five seasons that have come out, the center of the plot is no longer the main character’s struggle for survival, but the dismantling of numerous colorful factions of the colony. Among them are security staff, a kitchen headed by a Russian grandmother, a caste of Latinos, Piper herself with her accomplices and many others.
"Orange - the hit of the season" is the easiest to describe as a pseudo-documentary reality show in an unusual location. There is no central storyline as such, but in each series the heroines solve new pressing issues. The series is partly dramatic, it raises current social issues: feminism, transphobia, racism, sexual violence. This successful combination of genres has attracted a very large audience: the series is so popular that last year Netflix extended it for three seasons.
4. "Red Bracelets"
Directors: Natalia Meshchaninova, Sergei Sentsov Starring: Philip Yershov, Gleb Kalyuzhny, Denis Paramonov, Anna Mikhalkova, Daria Moroz, Eugene Tsyganov, Maria Shalayeva, Andrei Kazakov, Eugene Sity.
The 2011 Spanish TV series about the lives of teenagers in the hospital was so successful that the remake was later shot in the United States and Russia. "Red Bracelets" was written by Albert Espinoza based on his childhood memories of his days in hospital. The focus is on six pediatric patients who find the strength not to lose heart, but to make friends, fall in love and try to live. The Russian version of the Red Bracelets was shot by Natalia Meshchaninova. The main characters were played by young actors, and in secondary roles appear Anna Mikhalkova, Daria Moroz and Eugene Tsyganov.
The action takes place in a hospital for seriously ill adolescents by the sea. The focus is on several young people - Oleg and Dima with shin cancer, Anton with fractures after a car accident, Elijah with heart disease, Christina with anorexia and Roma in a coma. Despite the difficult situation, children find an opportunity to paint the hospital, discuss the girls, and try to find an opportunity to somehow lift the spirits of those who are even worse. Friends call the new "gang" "Red Bracelets".
5. "257 reasons to live"
Director: Maxim Sveshnikov
Starring: Polina Maksimova, Anna Nevskaya, Sergei Godin
In 2018, she showed two drama series that raise the topic of cancer patients - "257 reasons to live" and "Red Bracelets". And both with an interesting story and interesting characters, well played by young actors.
"257 reasons to live" still exists only in the form of a pilot, which was shown at the Rukh film festival. The focus is on the girl Zhenya Kovrova (Polina Maksimova), who was able to recover from cancer, but found that in a normal life no one needs her. The sister secretly earned money at a charity meeting in favor of Zhenya, which ended in recovery. The groom stayed around only out of pity, and he long ago fell in love with another girl. At work, colleagues unceremoniously ask if it is contagious or cancer, and the boss asks to buy a wig so as not to scare customers. Now Zhenya has to start living anew in this reality.
According to the producers of "257 Reasons to Live", they wanted to make a series that would subtly balance between drama and comedy, and not mix the accents in either direction.
6. "13 Reasons Why"
Development and adaptation: Brian York
Starring: Dylan Minnett, Catherine Langford, Christian Navarro, Alicia Bo, Brandon Flynn and others.
An adult and scary story about a teenage suicide.
Hannah Baker, 17, lays her hands on herself, opening her veins in the bathroom. From this moment, her story is just beginning: different people receive parcels with cassettes on which the girl recorded audio diaries of thirteen parts. Each is addressed to Hannah’s acquaintances, whom she accuses of suicide. The girl recounts key episodes of the last months of life, and thus the viewer gradually learns who and how pushed the heroine to suicide. At first it looks like a normal teenage whining, but later the reasons become more convincing and scary.
The showrunners honestly admitted that they shot "13 Reasons Why" as a social series that draws attention to the problem of teenage suicide and convinces teenagers to be more attentive and kind to each other. The authors even had the courage to include gruesome scenes of rape and cutting veins, so shocking that we had to add a separate warning. Opinions about the series are divided: some think that it helps to understand the suffering of adolescents, while others believe that the "Causes" almost romanticize suicide. At least, this series prompted teenagers to discuss with their parents the problems that some foolishly talk about only in the death note.
7. "Everything is difficult"
Directors: Anton Utkin and Nata Pokrovskaya Starring: Irina Starshenbaum, Rinal Mukhametov, Chulpan Khamatova, Elena Babenko.
Educational film about HIV, made by the portal "Taki spravy" and the fund "Need help". The creators wanted to change society’s attitude to HIV, to show what mistakes about diseases still exist. The image of the main character is based on 30 interviews and documentary stories of real people. The main roles in the film were played by Irina Starshenbaum, Rinal Mukhametov, Chulpan Khamatova, Elena Babenko. All actors were filmed for free.
"Everything is difficult" - an interactive film in which viewers choose how the plot will develop. The main heroine of the film is a girl Katya, who has HIV status since birth. Viewers should learn what people say about HIV-positive people behind their backs, how outsiders react to the medication their parents have to take, and the main stereotypes about HIV and virus transmission. "Everything is difficult" consists of 12 episodes, in each of which the viewer must make a choice that will affect the fate of Katya and her "Happiness Meter", ie the quality of life of a person with HIV status.
8. "The End of the ***** World" Directors: Jonathan Entvistle
, Lucy Chernyak
Starring: Alex Lauter, Jessica Barden
There is at least one reason to watch this series - to understand what teenagers are watching today. The main character James is a high school student with a mental disorder who dreams of going from killing small animals to killing people. And here in his school there is a new - rebel Alyssa. Together, they flee the city to find the girl’s father, although this is still Alice’s goal, James’ goal is still murder.
On British and American television, The End of the World has become a small pop culture sensation. Critics note the play of charismatic characters and, of course, the author’s style of writing and directing, which in principle is typical of British series. It is difficult to describe the genre of the series, there is romance, and personal crises, and violence, and humor. Rather, The End is a black social comedy. But whether to spend two and a half hours watching eight series is up to you.
Enjoy your viewing, friends!
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1. "Call DiCaprio"
Director: Zhora Kryzhovnikov
Starring: Alexander Petrov, Andrei Burkovsky, Julia Alexandrova
"Call DiCaprio" critics called the best Russian series of 2018. Moreover, the central theme of the film was previously taboo in cinema - the protagonist of HIV. The finale of the eight-episode film aired on December 1, World AIDS Day. And more powerful social advertising of HIV prevention than the artistic "Call DiCaprio" is yet to be found. The series was shot by the author of "Bitter!" and "The Best Day" by Zhora Kryzhovnikov. "Call DiCaprio" in contrast to the director’s previous comedy projects is a drama, although there are funny moments in the series, as well as brilliant casting and colorful characters.Blue-eyed actor Yegor Rumyantsev (Alexander Petrov) - the star of the medical soap opera "First City", lovelas, reveler and drunkard. He smashes cars, disrupts filming, rebels against a producer in love with him. He is rapidly changing his mistress, but has a special weakness for the make-up artist, with whom he had a short affair during the filming. Yegor has a half-brother, Lev (Andriy Burkovsky), a modest intellectual and family man, who hosts a program about needlework on the Murakha TV channel, where salaries have not been paid for a long time. One day, Yegor learns that one of his random friends has died of AIDS. The actor’s test soon shows that he is HIV-positive. And the world around him turns upside down - after a quarrel with him over treason, the producer kicks him out of his luxury home, fees are burned in a dubious business, rumors creep into the movie theater, colleagues refuse to shoot with him. Kar ’ the era of Leo suddenly begins to adjust. He is taken to the "First City", the new hero is made the main one, money finally appears in the family. But as the virus destroys the body, so Yegor’s disease will be a disaster for all involved in his life.
2. "The Good Doctor"
Author of the idea: David Shore
Starring: Freddie Highmore
After the fabulous success of "Doctor House", showrunner David Shore decided to return to medical topics and shoot another series about the doctor. The Good Doctor is a remake of the 2013 Korean series. In the original, a young man with autism was shown a talent for "seeing through" the patient, so he was sent to work in the pediatric surgery department.The American version tells of a young surgeon Sean Murphy (Freddie Highmore) with autism and savant syndrome. Savantism is a disease in which people with developmental disabilities have outstanding abilities in some area of knowledge (for example, the prototype of the hero Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man" - Savant). Sean gets a job in the surgical department of San Bonaventure Hospital in San Jose. Despite the fact that the unusual behavior of a young man scares and angers colleagues, he shows himself a brilliant doctor.
For the young Freddie Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Arthur and the Miniputs"), "The Good Doctor" became the second successful drama series after "Motel Bates".
3. "Orange - the hit of the season"
Author of the idea: Jenny Cohen
Starring: Taylor Schilling.
A social drama about life in a women’s colony, the most successful series in the history of Netflix. Piper, a young girl from a decent family, stupidly gets involved in a criminal scam, because of which she is sent to prison for many years. At first, the heroine seems quite dark, who will die in a women’s colony, but with each new season, she becomes more and more crazy. For example, one day she organized a prison gang that sewed comfortable women’s panties. However, in the five seasons that have come out, the center of the plot is no longer the main character’s struggle for survival, but the dismantling of numerous colorful factions of the colony. Among them are security staff, a kitchen headed by a Russian grandmother, a caste of Latinos, Piper herself with her accomplices and many others.
"Orange - the hit of the season" is the easiest to describe as a pseudo-documentary reality show in an unusual location. There is no central storyline as such, but in each series the heroines solve new pressing issues. The series is partly dramatic, it raises current social issues: feminism, transphobia, racism, sexual violence. This successful combination of genres has attracted a very large audience: the series is so popular that last year Netflix extended it for three seasons.
4. "Red Bracelets"
Directors: Natalia Meshchaninova, Sergei Sentsov Starring: Philip Yershov, Gleb Kalyuzhny, Denis Paramonov, Anna Mikhalkova, Daria Moroz, Eugene Tsyganov, Maria Shalayeva, Andrei Kazakov, Eugene Sity.
The 2011 Spanish TV series about the lives of teenagers in the hospital was so successful that the remake was later shot in the United States and Russia. "Red Bracelets" was written by Albert Espinoza based on his childhood memories of his days in hospital. The focus is on six pediatric patients who find the strength not to lose heart, but to make friends, fall in love and try to live. The Russian version of the Red Bracelets was shot by Natalia Meshchaninova. The main characters were played by young actors, and in secondary roles appear Anna Mikhalkova, Daria Moroz and Eugene Tsyganov.The action takes place in a hospital for seriously ill adolescents by the sea. The focus is on several young people - Oleg and Dima with shin cancer, Anton with fractures after a car accident, Elijah with heart disease, Christina with anorexia and Roma in a coma. Despite the difficult situation, children find an opportunity to paint the hospital, discuss the girls, and try to find an opportunity to somehow lift the spirits of those who are even worse. Friends call the new "gang" "Red Bracelets".
5. "257 reasons to live"
Director: Maxim Sveshnikov
Starring: Polina Maksimova, Anna Nevskaya, Sergei Godin
In 2018, she showed two drama series that raise the topic of cancer patients - "257 reasons to live" and "Red Bracelets". And both with an interesting story and interesting characters, well played by young actors.
"257 reasons to live" still exists only in the form of a pilot, which was shown at the Rukh film festival. The focus is on the girl Zhenya Kovrova (Polina Maksimova), who was able to recover from cancer, but found that in a normal life no one needs her. The sister secretly earned money at a charity meeting in favor of Zhenya, which ended in recovery. The groom stayed around only out of pity, and he long ago fell in love with another girl. At work, colleagues unceremoniously ask if it is contagious or cancer, and the boss asks to buy a wig so as not to scare customers. Now Zhenya has to start living anew in this reality.
According to the producers of "257 Reasons to Live", they wanted to make a series that would subtly balance between drama and comedy, and not mix the accents in either direction.
6. "13 Reasons Why"
Development and adaptation: Brian York
Starring: Dylan Minnett, Catherine Langford, Christian Navarro, Alicia Bo, Brandon Flynn and others.
An adult and scary story about a teenage suicide. Hannah Baker, 17, lays her hands on herself, opening her veins in the bathroom. From this moment, her story is just beginning: different people receive parcels with cassettes on which the girl recorded audio diaries of thirteen parts. Each is addressed to Hannah’s acquaintances, whom she accuses of suicide. The girl recounts key episodes of the last months of life, and thus the viewer gradually learns who and how pushed the heroine to suicide. At first it looks like a normal teenage whining, but later the reasons become more convincing and scary.
The showrunners honestly admitted that they shot "13 Reasons Why" as a social series that draws attention to the problem of teenage suicide and convinces teenagers to be more attentive and kind to each other. The authors even had the courage to include gruesome scenes of rape and cutting veins, so shocking that we had to add a separate warning. Opinions about the series are divided: some think that it helps to understand the suffering of adolescents, while others believe that the "Causes" almost romanticize suicide. At least, this series prompted teenagers to discuss with their parents the problems that some foolishly talk about only in the death note.
7. "Everything is difficult"
Directors: Anton Utkin and Nata Pokrovskaya Starring: Irina Starshenbaum, Rinal Mukhametov, Chulpan Khamatova, Elena Babenko.
Educational film about HIV, made by the portal "Taki spravy" and the fund "Need help". The creators wanted to change society’s attitude to HIV, to show what mistakes about diseases still exist. The image of the main character is based on 30 interviews and documentary stories of real people. The main roles in the film were played by Irina Starshenbaum, Rinal Mukhametov, Chulpan Khamatova, Elena Babenko. All actors were filmed for free."Everything is difficult" - an interactive film in which viewers choose how the plot will develop. The main heroine of the film is a girl Katya, who has HIV status since birth. Viewers should learn what people say about HIV-positive people behind their backs, how outsiders react to the medication their parents have to take, and the main stereotypes about HIV and virus transmission. "Everything is difficult" consists of 12 episodes, in each of which the viewer must make a choice that will affect the fate of Katya and her "Happiness Meter", ie the quality of life of a person with HIV status.
8. "The End of the ***** World" Directors: Jonathan Entvistle
, Lucy Chernyak
Starring: Alex Lauter, Jessica Barden
There is at least one reason to watch this series - to understand what teenagers are watching today. The main character James is a high school student with a mental disorder who dreams of going from killing small animals to killing people. And here in his school there is a new - rebel Alyssa. Together, they flee the city to find the girl’s father, although this is still Alice’s goal, James’ goal is still murder.On British and American television, The End of the World has become a small pop culture sensation. Critics note the play of charismatic characters and, of course, the author’s style of writing and directing, which in principle is typical of British series. It is difficult to describe the genre of the series, there is romance, and personal crises, and violence, and humor. Rather, The End is a black social comedy. But whether to spend two and a half hours watching eight series is up to you.
Enjoy your viewing, friends!
DONATE