**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“I believe there are worse things to feel than simply feeling nothing…”

Ratched is a new television series from Ryan Murphy based on the character of Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The series acts as a sort of prequel, peeling back the layers behind one of the most notorious female villains in cinema history. Ratched stars Sarah Paulson, Finn Wittrock, Cynthia Nixon, Judy Davis, and Sharon Stone. The Netflix series premiered on September 18th 2020 with eight episodes (approximately 50 minutes in length).

Set in 1947, Nurse Mildred Ratched arrives at Lucia State Hospital seeking employment, but it’s clear from the start that a lot is about to unravel beneath the surface of her image of perfection.

Here is the trailer:

Ratched has everything it needs to be a disturbingly compelling watch, but does every villain truly need a backstory? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Sarah Paulson is perfection.

It should come as no surprise that AHS alum Sarah Paulson would be brilliant as Nurse Ratched. She embraces this role without holding back, revealing a darker, methodical side, which really lit up the screen.

The entire cast is phenomenal and the acting was truly outstanding.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Incredible fashion and visually stunning.

I have not been this blown away by a character’s wardrobe since Villanelle’s in Killing Eve and Sarah Paulson pulls off every single look effortlessly. The colors used are vivid and bright, transporting us seamlessly back into the 1940’s.

Every setting used was truly magnificent as well.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Disturbing and chilling gore.

Fans of American Horror Story will appreciate the familiar tone of violence and gore sprinkled in. In a lot of ways, this almost felt like another season of the show or perhaps an alternate version of AHS: Aslyum.

The opening minutes of the pilot episode are extremely violent and gory and some of the medical procedures shown are even more disturbing to witness. This isn’t for everyone, but if you are a fan of Ryan Murphy shows, you will feel right at home.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Very slow moving at times and…boring.

The first episode ran for 56 minutes, but it felt like I was watching it for almost three hours. The pacing in this series is extremely slow, which didn’t work to its advantage in my opinion.

I was also really bored a lot of the time. I wanted so much more from this show and I feel like Sarah Paulson’s incredible performance was wasted in a lot of ways.

That being said, there are glimmers throughout the show of brilliance and there is enough happening at the end of each episode to draw you in for more. However, I just wish that we didn’t have to wait so long during an episode for something to actually happen…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m about 50/50 on this one.

I am a huge fan of Ryan Murphy shows and it was fun to see a few familiar faces from AHS on this show. Sarah Paulson was perfection and I really thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself into the scenery and fashion.

However, there was just something missing for me. The show really had everything it needed to be something beyond brilliant and it fell flat because of the slower pace. 

That being said, fans of Sarah Paulson and AHS will find a lot to appreciate and I think it’s worth a watch. However, if you are looking for something fast paced and binge-watch worthy, I’m not sure that this is the pick you are hoping for.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Ratched in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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