Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Created by Lucy Prebble & Billie Piper

Broadcast: Sky Atlantic
Concludes: From 27th August 2020, all episodes are available on Sky on Demand
Synopsis: When her phone is hacked and images surface that point to her infidelity, fading celebrity Suzie Pickles deals with the fall out that takes a toll on her marriage, her career and most importantly, herself.
Cast: Billie Piper, Leila Farzad, Daniel Ings, Nathaniel Martello-White
Episodes: Eight

Singer turned actress turned domestic country home dweller, Suzie Pickles is in over her head when pictures from her phone are leaked on line. These photos show her various sexual positions with a man that is clearly not her husband. Her life slowly implodes and Suzie only just manages to keep it together.

Thankfully she has on her side best friend and agent Naomi (Leila Farzad) who manages the scandal whilst battling her own thoughts of identity and a closing window on motherhood.

It’s rarely a dull moment.

I managed the first two episodes before I stopped and considered giving up on the series altogether. I asked on Twitter if it was worth continuing and was prompted that it got better – which it definitely did.

There is actually quite a lot to unpack with this series which may at first come across as a surreal comedy with gross humour. However quite surprisingly and refreshingly, I Hate Suzie. delves deep into themes of expectation, want, sexuality and female.

Either reflecting, distorting or adding to the five stages of grief, each episode embodies a specific emotion, and the journey Suzie goes on as her life either falls apart or… continues to fall apart.

Three things I believe the series handles incredibly well is its crudeness, discomfort and chaos. The first is something that feels brazen in ways that it shouldn’t; drugs, an episode dedicated to masturbation and, and a scene on the toilet that leaves nothing to the imagination. But perhaps it is so cringing or shocking because it’s done from a females perspective.

Discomfort and chaos seemed to be the theme of Suzie’s life and on screen this was portrayed incredibly well. A prime example from the first episode: you could feel the rising panic and claustrophobia as all these strangers are in Suzie’s house asking questions, moving things and taking up space. All the while Suzie is trying to keep her husband from looking at his phone and discovering the leaked photos, and she must do it all with a forced smile on her face, acting as if everything is rosy.

Interestingly it’s not the sort of show I thought would stick with me for so long after I had finished it (it’s been about three days at this point). Yet I keep peeling back at its layers and slowly understanding – what I think – the show is trying to show through its characterisations.

I Hate Suzie. is a mess and it might not be your cup of tea at all. In fact it shouldn’t really be mine. However there’s a level of enthralment to it as it accurately shines a light on the fact that human beings, their lives, their problems and their individual situations are not perfect.

It reminds us that the perfection on television we try to emulate is false. It shakes us out of our distorted haze and shows us a version of how it is.

Trailer Below….