The Netflix series Wellmania, adapted from journalist Brigid Delaney’s memoir of the same name, attempts to show the hardships of adulthood and people’s battle with wellness. By wellness, the show explains that it isn’t limited to physical aspects but is interlinked with emotional and social aspects. The series is directed by Benjamin Law and has 8 episodes, each with 30 minutes runtime.
The official Netflix description reads,
When a health crisis forces a successful food writer to rethink her hard-partying ways, she jumps into a journey to get well — even if it kills her. Aussie actor-comedian Celeste Barber stars in this raunchy, freewheeling dramedy based on the book by Brigid Delaney.
The main cast includes Celeste Barber as Liv, Rowan Witt as Jesse, Alexander Hodge as Isaac Huang, Remy Hii as Dalbert Tan, Lachlan Buchanan as Gaz Healy, Virginie Laverdure as Valerie Jones, Anthony Phelan as Dr. Price, Leah Vandenberg as Dr. Priyanka Singh, JJ Fong as Amy Kwan, Felix Williamson as Damien, Gabrielle Chan as Ning, Guy Edmonds as Chad, Johnny Carr as Doug Henderson, Genevieve Mooy as Lorraine Healy, Nicola Parry as Diane and several other characters.
– Wellmania Review Contains No Spoilers –
The first episode starts with the main character Liv in an ambulance fighting with the paramedics. Then we’re taken back two days, where Liv is having sex with someone, followed by the next few events, that is, she’s partying and having loads of fun. Hence, we get the picture that Liv is a party starter, a single woman who loves to live her life to the fullest but is also a complete mess.
Fast forward, Liv loses her green card to the United States, where she works as a journalist. Now that she is stuck in Australia, the authorities tell her that she will get a green card only if her cholesterol levels and other health-related aspects are fulfilled. Liv challenges that she’ll return with a healthy body in just four weeks— now that’s where the chaotic journey starts.
The series takes the viewers on wellness and how it’s been commercialised. Through the lens of Liv, we get to see the different types of health-related activities realistically. On social media, we often see fitness gurus exercising, looking flawless and sexy. But in reality, when someone tends to work out, they’ll look sweaty and almost half-dead (sort of).
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Benjamin Law indeed portrayed in this series how taking care of one’s body will be pretty crampy. Liv can be seen vomiting, fainting, enduring various workout pressure, going to a therapist naked, cutting down her drug and alcohol use, etc. Through Liv, we get to live and witness the side effects of drugs and their potential haphazard. We also learn that reducing one’s body weight or increasing it isn’t an overnight event, but it takes time and effort.
Returning to wellness, Liv isn’t mocked for her weight; rather, the term focuses on her lifestyle. She is pretty distant from her family, a party-lover, selfish, and detached from real things. Hence, through her wellness journey, she fixes her flaws and realises the meaning of life and what she has missed so far. She connects with people and finds herself physically improving and mentally becoming strong.
Wellmania: Final Thoughts
Overall the series is a great watch because, irrespective of its theme heavily placed on health, the dialogues are so funny, and the actors have executed crude humour fantastically. Certain scenes will throw you off because Celeste nailed them naturally. Apart from the comedy, there are immense take-home messages related to lifestyle, friendships, workspace, family, etc.
If you haven’t watched Wellmania yet, it is now streaming on Netflix. Check it out and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.