Now Streaming: TIL DEATH DO US PART, Taiwan Will Tear Us Apart
I need to learn more about Taiwan.
Til Death Do Us Part
Now streaming on Netflix.
Maybe don't binge this one.
Composed of seven episodes that may be watched in any order, this freshly-available anthology series is an intriguing puzzle for those of us who do not live in Taiwan and/or are not familiar with Taiwanese horror stories. Evidently based on stories that were first published on Chinese-language site MirrorFiction, the series features episodes that, as the English-language title suggests, all have to do with couples dealing with death.
In the twisty Hit and Run, a young man is stuck in a time loop that ends in his death by auto at the wheel of a young woman; they are forced together to try and figure a way out of the time loop. The striking-looking Perfectly Spotless follows a young woman who is obsessed with cleaning her seaside apartment and keeps seeing her mate, unwillingly. Tunnel revolves around a forlorn young woman and her brief romance with a hapless young man.
The rather puzzling Big Cat is the rather bizarre tale of a strong woman who dominates her willowy husband without mercy, and involves a tiger. No Pets Allowed is an affecting story about the friendship between two young children and their differing domestic situations. The disturbing Lily Login Trouble is, essentially, a diatribe against the demanding expectations that social-media (and men) place upon young women. Last Stop: Paradise examines the longtime love affair between a married couple and what makes them truly happy.
My ignorance about Taiwan and its mythology is glaring. Naturally, I've seen films by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Tsai Ming-liang, Edward Yang, and Ang Lee, but horror-comedy Mon Mon Mon Monsters (2017) is the only one I've seen in recent years. As far as small-screen series are concerned, I'm aware that Netflix includes a fair number, though I haven't been making time to do anything more than sample a few.
In any event, the series is equal parts fascinating and mystifying to me. I liked some element or another in each of the episodes, which run for 30 minutes or less and tend to be slow-cooking. That feels exactly right for their length. Watching all of them in a single binge-session was maybe not my brightest idea this week. Taken individually, however, I think they will play more effectively.
Summing up: Flavorful morsels of (mostly) muted horror.
Now Streaming covers international and indie genre films and TV shows that are available on legal streaming services.
