Label Volunteer, Maria Petreanu, gives us her review of the Netflix Original Sex Education.
I’m not going to lie, the preview for Sex Education made me incredibly skeptical about whether it would be something I’d enjoy or simply cringe over. However, the concept of sex education being explored through a Netflix show with a Margot Robbie look-alike in a lead role (pretty sure we’ve all thought it was her at some point) seemed intriguing enough to me that I decided to give it a chance. Fifteen minutes into the first episode and a few awkward but incredibly quick-witted jokes later, I was convinced Sex Education was going to be one of the best Netflix originals I had ever watched. And I was right.
Starring the charming Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn, a reserved teenage boy whose mother is a published sex therapist (Gillian Anderson), Sex Education is a fresh, raunchy and effortlessly funny story of what it means to grow up in a sea of completely different people.
The plot unravels as Otis and his best friend, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) befriend high school outcast Maeve Wiley. Emma Mackey gives a sublime performance in this role playing the careless rebel who isn’t bothered at all by the vulgar nicknames people around school call her. Otis, haunted but at the same time inspired by his mother’s occupation, decides to team up with Maeve and offer sex advice to students. On top of running the new school sex clinic, Otis has to deal with his feelings for Maeve, his intense friendship with Eric and his unapologetically curious mother, whilst also trying to overcome his own fear of intimacy.
With plenty of heartfelt moments between the diverse characters, lots of humiliating sexual experiences and mature conversations on important topics such as abortion, homosexuality, family and vulnerability, the show’s soul is in that unavoidable rite of passage called teenage-hood, and the challenge of not losing yourself in the process. Beautifully shot scenes in the British countryside – with the school purposefully American in style – along with a glorious soundtrack and touching but unpredictable writing, makes Sex Education a must-see for binge-watchers for teens.
As the show will undoubtedly make you laugh, cry and worry for the lovable characters, you can rest easy after watching all 8 episodes, as the awkward gang will return for an officially announced second season, with filming commencing this spring.
Featured Image by Omeiza Haruna & Lou Goswell.
