You Need to Binge-Watch Sex Education on Netflix
Before season 4 is released
Whether you’ve watched it or not, this review may be a bit late to the party. But, with a season 4 on the way, it seemed like a perfect time to write this review. Sex Education is a Netflix original series set in a fictional town called Moordale, somewhere in England. It follows a diverse ensemble cast of young teens as they try to navigate their newfound sexuality and interpersonal relationships.
Yes, it does sound a lot like every other teen drama on television, but Sex Education executes it’s story in a way that’s as unique as it is reminiscent. The shows’ visual aesthetic is akin to something like Stranger Things, as the kids ride their bikes to school in a rural town donning 80’s-esque attire, but it is set in the present day. The show is engineered to appeal to adult viewers, allowing them to relive early adolescent experiences, rather than to young teens interested in drama.
The overall cinematography is extremely artistic, filled with an array of visually stimulating shots carefully executed to elicit the emotions of its viewers. From its creative establishing shots to its dramatically angled closeups, the world the characters in Sex Education navigate is fleshed out and vivid. Visually, the show is very stimulating, even while devoid of flashy special effects. As it leans heavily into the psychology of visual storytelling, the viewer is able to experience an enhanced connection to the characters. While the cinematography is incredibly artsy and stylized, the storytelling takes a more campy approach.
The show begins with Otis Milbourn (played by Asa Butterfield), a shy teen whose mother is a sex therapist. We are introduced to him when a man in a bathrobe enters his room attempting to find the bathroom. It is later revealed this is a common occurrence in the household, as his mother is single and rather promiscuous. The story centers around Otis as the main character with the other characters being introduced later on.
One thing exceedingly interesting about Sex Education is nearly every character who is introduced ends up getting some sort of narrative or storyline. Without context, it sounds like it could be overwhelming, but it is done extremely well. Every character with a narrative arc feels important and complete. These are not hollow caricatures with no motivations other than to advance the plot of the main characters, no; these are fully formed people who are motivated by history and circumstance and the audience gets to explore it all. The storytelling gives off a ‘everyone is a main character because everyone has a perspective’ sort of energy.
As Otis and his best friend Eric Effiong (played by Ncuti Gatwa), a gay femme icon with a radiant personality, enter 6th form (equivalent to junior year in high school) they quickly discover the majority of their peers have sex on the brain in one way or another. Otis and Eric are shown entering the school campus with their bikes while a series of well-timed edits cut to teens shagging in the bushes or ferociously making out. Eric comments to Otis about how this is the year he needs to come out of his sexual shell, referencing Otis’ problem of not being comfortable enough to masturbate.
While there are many characters to follow in the show, the show’s main characters are Otis, Eric and Maeve. Enter Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey): a young girl, whose actress bears a striking resemblance to Margot Robbie, who fully embodies the often seen ‘I’m not like other girls trope’. And she really isn’t. Maeve is introduced as a rebellious troubled youth. Labeled the “cock-biter” by her peers, the pink-haired 16-year old rocks a nose ring, heavy eyeliner, and a perpetual scowl on her face. She is typically alone, but is soon revealed to be secretly friends with one of the popular girls, Aimee Gibbs (Aimee Lou Wood).
Maeve and Otis come together in an unexpected plot twist and end up forming a secret sex clinic, where Otis offers sex advice to his peers in exchange for cash while Maeve procures the clients. The two loners form a bond and relationship tension is teased throughout. While this storyline is the backbone of the show, it is by no means the most important. Every character introduced is accompanied by fears, insecurities, and personal flaws to overcome.
The characters are written so earnestly and with such compassion so the viewer experiences may recognize their experiences as their own. The characters learn from the mistakes at their own pace, as any person would, and often repeat the same ones. Their feelings of joy are triumphant, and their feelings of grief are devastating, yet it all feels necessary. While watching this show, one is reminded of the volatility and the difficulty of navigating identity, sex, relationships and life in general as a young person, yet also instills a sense of adult wisdom. Their negative experiences feel worthwhile, rather than inflicted on the characters for drama or plot, and seem necessary for the growth of the character.
Even when the show is profoundly devastating, somehow it manages to feel worthwhile. The show has an consistent undercurrent of hope. From the storytelling, to the writing, to the actors performances, the characters learn to value themselves and those around them. As a viewer, you’re rooting for them to win; to find joy, to experience love, passion, and peace. But Sex Education intends to remind you those experiences often come along with pain, heartache and disarray. At its core, Sex Education explores the human condition. It suggests every person has value and is deserving of love. In the wake of 2021, that’s a solid message for a television show to promote.
Check out Sex Education on Netflix, and see for yourself!
