Inspired by Caroline Kepnes’s novel written in 2014, You is a ten-part series that has become one of Netflix’s biggest recent highlights by addressing current and serious issues in a flawless (and cleverly far from simplistic) way. The plot introduces us to Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a bookstore manager who meets the young writer Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), and goes far beyond all boundaries to get close to her. He is in fact an obsessive stalker and a man who shows disturbingly controlling.
The series builds a structure that goes from the absurd to the profound, achieving success in both its form and its content: in form, because it innovates and differs from other productions made by the platform, once it is narrated by the protagonist – a resource that gives us access to his inner thoughts and desires, providing clues to his dubious character from the very beginning to the end. And the content is so fresh and good that it allows us to think a lot about how we are currently living, focusing especially on our recent (and still unsuccessful) connection to social media.
Image Source: IMDB
Joe is apparently a caring and loving guy who does everything to make his beloved one happy. He encourages Beck’s career and creates affection for his neighbor’s son, who is suffering from the abuse of his mother’s new boyfriend. At one point, you can even hope for the happiness of the couple and really think the bad guy can become a good person. And obviously there is chemistry between the two.
But the truth is that throughout the chapters, the protagonist’s jealousy and obsessive control only increase in exponent proportions. He interferes in his girlfriend’s friendships by excluding some people from her life and manipulating situations in a completely extremist way, based on his own conclusions and also always with the excuse that he is acting that way only for Beck’s sake.
In addition, one of the main triumphs of the script was to create a story in which the relationship was completely forced by a man who searched the whole life of a person on the internet and began to follow all hers steps. Soon he already knew where Beck lived, the places she frequented, her hobbies, who were her best friends. And from that, he demonstrates frighteningly compulsive behavior, even observes her from the window across the street, secretly invades her home, steals her cell phone and has access to all her online conversations.
Image Source: IMDB
Obviously, the internet has its benefits, and we are already used to delight in accompanying the lives of others through Facebook and Instagram stories. This need not necessarily needs to be bad. But the fact is that we are exposing ourselves, our relationships, our family and friends in a network that disseminates information to the whole world and is accessible in the palm of our hands. And the series brings this question to the surface used as the starting point of the narrative.
The show becomes irresistible also for evidencing that Joe’s controlling behaviors have a long history and presents his past relationships that had equally tragic ends. It is a creepy psychological thriller with many facets and, above all, alerts. Plus: You has been renewed for a second season, so prepare yourself, because there will be new stories and discoveries about the mind and life of this disconcerting young man.