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10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 FEBRUARY 2019 FILM FILM I'VE been a little bit harsh on the feature-length content dished out by the global streaming gi- ant Netflix of late, and my most recent salvo for the paper land- ed straight at the guts of Dan Gilroy's potential-laden but lazily conceived satirical art- world slasher, Velvet Buzzsaw. But although Netflix does not quite seem to have their house in order when it comes to fea- ture films - perhaps they're too eager to just have big names in their stable and are too impa- tient to make way for the right amount of required polish that makes a film really look like a film - the same could thankfully not be said for a healthy chunk of the serialised content they've been offering up over the past season. Thankfully, the new year ap- pears to have begun with a bang for them, with two shows in particular exhibiting a likeability and verve one is unlikely to find in either the multiplex or on the higher-tier, higher-budget end of mainstream TV. Now that it's had some time to percolate - and even con- firm a second season - we can certainly attest to the success of Sex Education, starring Gil- lian Anderson and Asa Butter- field as Jean and Otis Milburn, a mother-son duo with a pen- chant for sex therapy. Only, it's the elder of the two who's the bona fide professional… Otis ends up taking on the role af- ter being goaded into it by his schoolmate and erstwhile love interest Maeve (Emma Mack- ey), while his best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), struggling with his own sexuality, watches in bemused concern. Showrunner Laurie Nunn strikes the perfect balance between cringe-com- edy and poignant observation, making this a series that's per- fect for the young adult crowd keen to identify with our core players, while the setting in- jects a jolt of nostalgia for us older folk. In fact, the setting is something of an odd, if none- theless inspired anomaly in the world of contemporary televi- sion. The series appears to be set in both the contemporary world of woke politics, mobile phones and Instagram, as well as a remote fantasy terrain that melds a British student popula- tion with the mores and rituals of the American high school. A satisfying, resonant and heady blend, crowned by a winning performance from Gillian An- derson - a nosy and overprotec- tive mum of the most uncon- ventional variety. Though running on similarly spirited energy and an equally observant approach to con- temporary social mores, Rus- sian Doll is a far more high- concept affair, and very much set in New York where Sex Education is gleefully cavalier about its geographical loca- tion. Starring and co-written by Natasha Lyonne (American Pie, Orange is the New Black), along with fellow comedi- enne Amy Pohler (Parks and Recreation) and writer Les- lye Headland (Bachelorette, Sleeping With Other People), the show posits a Groundhog Day-like scenario where Nadia Vulvokov (Lyonne) is caught in a death-and-rebirth cycle on the night of her 36th birthday. While this speculative element is somewhat rationalised away as the story begins to reach its well-earned climax, it is thank- fully never allowed to over- whelm the emotional contours of the drama. Lyonne is abso- lutely on top form, rocking this partly-autobiographical story like it could not be anything other than her own. Her raspy voice of oh-so-New York de- meanour make her a compel- lingly watchable presence. A video game programmer with a clear drinking problem, Na- dia is also nursing a heavy bout of unresolved human trauma, which she's finally forced to confront by the wholly unique situation that she finds herself in. The beauty of the show is that there is no abrupt tonal shift between the 'funny' and the 'serious'; it's hinted at pretty early that Nadia's jokey, cynical demeanour is noth- ing but armour, and Lyonne doesn't miss a beat in por- traying this lovable neurotic anti-hero of ours, who further down the line is joined by the far more ramrod-straight but equally damaged Alan (Char- lie Barnett), who appears to be locked into the same cycle. Netf lix lands a double- whammy with Sex Education and Russian Doll - eight- episode series that grip you with a perfect hook and deliver a zany journey NETFLIX REX NETFLIX & CHILL NETFLIX NETFLIX & SPILL BUFFERING ERROR ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The verdict WITH a quirky concept matched by its offbeat set- ting, Sex Education squeezes plenty of laughs and a dash of well-earned pathos out of its satisfying eight-episode run. And while that show has Gil- lian Anderson on top latter- day form, the spikier and weirder Russian Doll gives the unapologetically urbane presence of Natasha Lyonne a meaty role that finally matches the full range of her talents. All in all, it's been a good season of lighthearted streaming-TV. Here's hoping we can expect more eight-episode goodness from the streaming giant in the months to come. Sex Education and Russian Doll are currently streaming on Netflix High concept goes delectably bite-sized Teodor Reljic New York, New York: Natasha Lyonne is on top form in Russian Doll Birds and the bees: Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield are an endearingly awkward mother- son duo in Sex Education ★ ★ ★ ★ S E X E D U C AT I O N ( 16 + ) ★ ★ ★ ★ R U S S I A N D O L L ( 16 + )