Big Little Lies

HBO delivered one of the sharpest psychological murder mysteries of the decade back in 2017 with an all star adaptation that completely redefined prestige television. You follow Madeline Martha Mackenzie, played with razor sharp ferocity by Reese Witherspoon, and Celeste Wright, portrayed in a devastating performance by Nicole Kidman, as they navigate the cutthroat social battlefield of an affluent beachfront public school. Co starring Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz, this miniseries effortlessly pulls back the curtain on wealthy suburban perfection to reveal deep emotional trauma and physical abuse. I always tell anyone interested in modern drama that this series is an absolute must watch purely for the brilliant direction by Jean Marc Vallée. It throws you right into the foggy cliffs of Northern California while exploring how easily dark secrets fester behind multi million dollar floor to ceiling glass windows. Looking beneath the opulent wine nights and passive aggressive school drop offs exposes the actual mechanics of the script. A structural analysis reveals that every seemingly spontaneous argument between the wealthy mothers is carefully timed to mirror their deeply rooted, inescapable similarities.

For the visual aesthetic, cinematographer Yves Bélanger completely abandons traditional television lighting rigs in favor of natural light and fluid handheld camera movements. You instantly notice how the relentless Pacific ocean waves crash against the rocks in muted blues and chilly gray tones, visually echoing the stormy inner lives of these women. I do have to admit that the lighting choices become genuinely frustrating during the evening beach party sequences. Hiding the characters in overly murky shadows makes those crucial indoor conversations look a bit too muddy instead of properly dramatic. Stepping back out onto the sunlit seaside balconies thankfully restores a striking, vibrant visual clarity. Visually softening the brutal reality of domestic violence, the dreamy sunset color grading also reflects a desperate wish to maintain the illusion of a picture perfect family life.

Pay close attention to the set design and you will see how the physical environments are built to completely isolate the characters within their own status symbols. The chaotic interior of Jane's modest rented bungalow feels incredibly authentic because the cramped kitchen and simple furniture stand in stark contrast to the surrounding mega mansions. Visiting the stunning cliffside estate belonging to Celeste and Perry leaves a completely different impression entirely, as those perfectly aligned glass walls come off almost like a gorgeous but terrifying cage. My biggest complaint actually centers on the trendy seaside coffee shop because the pristine wooden tables look a bit too staged for a bustling daily cafe. Still, forcing these wildly competitive mothers to constantly bump elbows in tight school hallways makes their mounting social paranoia feel very tangible.

To truly understand the psychological weight of this mystery, you have to listen to the incredibly dense layers of diegetic music woven right into the characters' daily routines. My ears constantly pick up the sudden roar of ocean waves and the sharp click of high heels blending right into the soulful tracks playing through a child's iPod. Throughout the most intense domestic confrontations, the editing moves at a bizarrely unpredictable pace that heavily abuses sudden sensory flashbacks and flashes of police interrogations. The curated soundtrack featuring Michael Kiwanuka and Alabama Shakes is undeniably breathtaking, yet it occasionally threatens to make the dramatic emotional breakdowns feel a little too much like an artistic music video. Hearing the heavy metallic clink of a wine glass slammed onto a marble counter actually grounds the terrifying reality of these toxic relationships.

Before we get to the final rating, let us clear up some common mysteries surrounding this award winning drama.

Is Big Little Lies based on a true story or a book? The series is adapted from the bestselling novel written by Australian author Liane Moriarty, although the television adaptation wisely moved the setting from suburban Sydney to Monterey, California.

Where were the massive mansions actually filmed? While the exterior driving scenes highlight the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge in Monterey, several of the opulent homes used for filming were actually located further south in Malibu and Pasadena.

Will there ever be a third season? Both Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon have repeatedly stated in interviews that a third season is in active development, aiming to reunite the cast once a strong script is completed.

The incredible ensemble performances and the hypnotic visual rhythm keep me completely hooked, but I cannot ignore how the pacing occasionally stalls during the repetitive school committee arguments in the middle episodes. Certain town gossip montages feel so artificially drawn out that you practically have to strain your patience to get back to the gripping central mystery.

Fans of a challenging trivia game will definitely appreciate the subtle visual clues scattered throughout these luxurious coastal homes. If you think you have the eye to spot the vintage lighter at the trivia night fundraiser in our daily movie guessing game or simply want to guess the game based on visual clues then test your skills at Flickle, which serves as a premier framed alternative for television lovers. You can also jump into our daily tv shows guessing game to prove your ultimate pop culture knowledge.