A review of Netflix's groundbreaking psychological thriller on Astral travel, Behind her eyes

photo credit: Netflix

 Friends of a private Facebook group which I belong to raved for days about this supposed limited tv series. Members wrote posts upon posts about how incredibly good the plot twist was and then when I realized that it bothered on astral travel and lucid dreams, two phenomena I often experienced as a child but had no name for until much later into adulthood, I knew I’d been had. I was going to see this. 

The English series stars the incredibly talented Simona Brown, Tom Bateman, Robert Aramayo and Eve Hewson as the major characters, Louise, David and Rob/Adele which this psychological/supernatural adultery themed thriller revolves around.  

The series begins with a very beautiful, black, single mother of a 7yr old boy named Adam as she prepares for a date. She gets to the venue of the date, a bar and after realizing she’s been stood up, makes a move to leave but bumps into a tall handsome hunk of a man with a Scottish accent. They make small talk and spend the rest of the evening getting acquainted with each other. The both of them are strongly attracted to each other that before they part ways for the night, they kiss outside in front of the bar where the man whom we’d later discover to be David, freaks out, apologizes and leaves a stunned Louise wondering what all that was about. 

photo credit: Netflix

We’d soon realize that David is a psychologist who’d soon be revealed as Louise’s new boss in her 3days-a-week job where she’s his secretary. He’s also in a 10yr old marriage he’s gravely unhappy about but somehow can’t seem to leave. Rather than calling it quits with the man, Louise, a quite shy and also very lonely, young woman inadvertently begins a steamy sexual relationship with him instead. Only to one day, run into this man’s equally stunning wife, Adele, on one of her morning trips to school with her son as the woman tries to befriend her, much to Louise’s chagrin. 

Louise would later on ease into the relationship after Adele spoils her with a free spa and gym session and proceed to sell the lonely, misunderstood, unloved rich wife story to her. It is here, that Loiuse's problems begin especially when she still refuses to terminate her sexual relationship with her boss after going on to befriending his wife, keeping both relationships in her head, a secret to the seemingly unsuspecting partners until her story finally concludes heartbreakingly. 

photo credit: Netflix

What I really love about this series asides the incredible set designs that are gotten straight out from the book it's based on and the incredible acting performances of all the actors involved including the child star, Tyler Howitt who plays Adam whose story doesn't end well, is the character development. 

Every single action Louise carries out stems from the fact that she's incredibly lonely and has a shy personality. Throughout the series, Louise is revealed to be unhappily divorced, and has just one friend who she often meets with at home.

There's a sweet middle aged woman who babysits Adam, but we find out she's just a next door neighbour whom Louise is merely cordial with. The only other friend Louise gets acquainted with turns out to be Adele and it is Adele who approaches her first. It is also quite worrisome that Louise isn't shown to have any other black person in her life besides her ex husband. this leaves one wondering if Louise's introverted nature is the reason why she never tries to broaden her relationship circles or could it be that the character was originally written to be white? 

The tension between her and her only true friend whenever they disagree feels organic and typical of the recent rising sensitivity among certain cliques of people in black and white relationships in the diaspora where there's usually the hesitation to dabble much into one another's private situation when offering advice to avoid further tension and friction that might rise. The almighty incredible twists and how they are done, if you follow the camera angles and shots from the beginning and Adele's strange behavioral patterns, and how the use of science or spirituality (depending on the viewer) is applied to project the power of the human mind rather than opting to use religion to explain away the not too popular topics of astral projection and lucid dreaming are also done quite intelligently. However, a little more suspension of disbelief would be required to take all of it in hook, line and sinker as it appears that the writer took a few liberties with Louise's actions as well even after the scenes from the coffee shop . 

photo credit: Netflix

As an aside, It is true that there have been articles written regarding the vilification of queer characters in film because of the constant troping in times past but this series was made, thank God, in a time when the world has evolved to be more enlightened and have become aware of the fact that queer people are very much normal and there have been wonderful films like, Booksmart, Uncle Frank, Milk, The Prom and a host of others that highlights this. So, it'll be quite disingenuous to try to sell the narrative that this series is perpetuating negative harmful stereotypes when it's simply a well told story whose villain just happens to be queer. People who still hold archaic views regarding queer people clearly do not fuel their biases through the lens of certain portrayals they've seen on fictional tv shows so, they should be held solely responsible for their thoughts and actions. It'll be unfortunate that allies and identifying members as well, continue to be discouraged from enjoying this very well made series, purely for this reason. 

photo credit: Netflix

If you've seen this, I'd love to read your thoughts. pls share them below.

                                                                                Written by God'sownM