A Mesmeric Mix of Dark Comedy and Thrilling Drama
Bad Sisters tells us the story of the Garvey sisters and life tragedies and toxic relationships put a strain on the sisters. At the center of the story is Gracie, who is entangled in the deluge fabricated by her husband JP, a professional gaslighter and a psychopathic abusive spouse. The show gives a wonderful depiction of the values of protection and loyalty in families and rather mysteriously the sisters are shown fighting for their lives against others.
What it does exceptionally well is to handle the themes of sisterly loyalty, effects of emotional abuse or to be more specific, manipulation and the omnipresence of lies hand in hand with black comedy. The comedy and, the thriller and, the drama blend well in this movie and, the portrayal of a woman’s strength against evil does justice.
The cast consisting of the producers themselves Sharon Horgan and Eva Birthistle, Anne-Marie Duff, Eve Hewson, and Sarah Greene is exceptional. Horgan portrays Gracie as both delicate and powerful at the same time and the rest of the cast has also delivered an impactful performance of the sisters who are tied together by blood and friendship.
The direction by Dearbhla Walsh, Rebecca Gatward, and Josephine Bornebusch is perfect as far as the show is changing its tone from comedy to thriller. They do a great job of portraying the emotional side of the show—making the viewers’ experience even better.
Music score harmonizes with the story quite well and adds dimensional aspects of tension or comedy, while the main background melody depicts the inner emotions of the characters.
Beautiful to watch as a great piece of cinematography, the location depicted in the series loosely conceals Ireland’s reality that is quite the opposite of the characters’ internal struggle. The visual looks contribute to expanding the range of story narration and enhance the elements of atmosphere, and threat.
From a technical point of view the production design is meticulously managed, while grounding the story in a cozy house that is quietly sinister. This is rather appropriate setting for the drama that is about to unfold.
‘Special effects are quiet loud in this regard, giving the show a deserved punch without obliterating the textual theme.’
The editing is tidy; the pace of the series is fast, which makes it interesting even for casual audiences. It simply intercuts comedy and intense scenes in a way that keeps the narrative fresh and free from long stingers.
Thus, the series develops at a right rhythm that helps to focus on the characters’ transformations without getting bored.
The dialogue is intelligent, comedic and very well suited to each individual character. It just builds on the fun with its mix of smart and funny with sad and sometimes post-sad.
In many ways, Bad Sisters excels in terms of storytelling and acting; however, some viewers may find that the show’s approach to certain themes is somewhat clichéd. The dark comedy component may not suit all, it can apparently mask the drama part of the movie.
I can honestly say that watching ‘Bad Sisters’ elicited feelings of joy, suspense and even surprise, and even the emotion of joy is not strong enough to describe some moments of the show. The successful combination of comedy and tragedy accompanied by the high spectacularity of the show’s performance did not leave anyone indifferent. Altogether, this series is a marvelous view at sisterhood and strength.
