Amazon shows don’t seem to stop the world turning like a big Netflix release, so it falls on me to let you know about Undone – a wonderful, funny and beautiful show on Prime.
From the creator of BoJack Horseman, this trippy and touching series takes animation for adults to a new level. It ditches the sitcom format but keeps the lovable cynicism in the shape of protagonist Alma (Rosa Salzar), who gives a vivid performance that shines through the rotoscope-style technique.
If you’ve seen Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly you’ll have an idea of how it looks and, to some extent, feels – though this is funnier and not as tedious, I mean – er… meandering. The hyper-normal look of the style seems to work with these kind of stories, where the lead character’s perception of reality is inexorably altered as the story progresses.
The show has a touch of the Russian Doll around it, but here it’s a car crash, not drugs that sets off the protagonist’s meta-spiral. While in a coma, Alma is visited by her long-dead father (Bob Odenkirk doing his thing – which is never a bad thing) and is sent on a journey that challenges her perception of reality, time and what it means to be truly connected with the people around you.
I really cannot rate it enough – it’s funny, cerebral, touching and has an unforgettable and brilliantly realised lead.
Zander Grinfeld is director of Venn Creative a brand, design and web studio based in Cornwall.
@venncreative