"Clickbait" is an eight-episode miniseries that probably should have been a movie
A man named Nick — a beloved husband, father, brother, and member of the community — is kidnapped and appears on live video on the internet. He holds up signs that say things like, “I abuse women,” “I murdered a woman,” and “At 5 million views, I die.” Did he really do these things? Who’s the kidnapper? Can his family find him in time?
This all sounds like the basis for a not-great-but-fun-enough-to-watch thriller film, right? Welp, too bad, because it’s an eight-episode miniseries. At least two of the episodes could have been cut, but in all honestly, this should have been a two-hour popcorn movie at most.
But first, a quick aside…
I’m so grateful that you’re reading my newsletter, and I’d really appreciate if you’d think about getting a paid subscription. It helps support the work I put into it, AND you’ll get bonus stuff! This week’s bonus issue will be about a horror movie called Aftermath, starring former Twilight-er Ashley Greene. Click below if you want in!
And now, Clickbait…
Now, don’t get me wrong — when it comes to twists and red herrings, Clickbait really does keep you guessing until the end, even when you think you’ve figured out what’s really happening. As a mystery, the series has that down better than most. The real issue is everything other than the mystery.
Each episode of Clickbait focuses on a different person in Nick’s life and is titled as such — “The Wife,” “The Brother,” “The Son,” etc. etc. But it’s when the show reaaaallly stretches that conceit that it feels like the show is treading water. I don’t care about the personal life of the detective investigating the case, especially when it has no bearing on the rest of the series. Same with the reporter trying to get an exclusive interview — do I care about his romantic problems with his partner? Not particularly! Yes, there are clues to the mystery that are revealed through those characters, but it’s among a bunch more unnecessary information that makes the show seem to drag in the middle.
That said, there are some very good performances here — Zoe Kazan is very good as Nick’s sister (even though her very blunt bob is just awful), as is Betty Gabriel as Nick’s wife. Nick is played by Adrian Grenier, who is decent, and if you enjoy watching someone from Entourage get beat up and tortured, hey, this is for you. The final showdown is a little bit contrived, but no more than any other mystery show.
And like I said above, the mystery itself is very well plotted, with the resolution being surprising without feeling like a cheat, which isn’t easy to do. If you enjoy mysteries, you’ll probably enjoy Clickbait; just be aware that you’re gonna get a lot of unnecessary backstory as well.
That’s all for me today, gorgeous! Talk to you soon.
Love,
Kat