Apple TV’s Roar is created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, who are best known for the comedy-drama- GLOW. The anthology series is based on Cecelia Ahern’s 2018 short story collection of the same name. The cast features Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Merritt Wever, Alison Brie, Judy Davis, Betty Gilpin, Issa Rae, Meera Syal, Fivel Stewart and, Kara Hayward in major roles. Produced by Blossom Films, Made Up Stories, Greenlight Go Productions, Per Capita Productions and Endeavor Content, the show has eight episodes, with each episode having a runtime of 30-40 minutes.
– Apple TV’s Roar Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
Roar: Dark, Funny, Weird Feminist Tales
Apple TV’s Roar does not shy away when it comes to testing the waters on the drama spectrum. The stories go from being utterly weird to hugely satisfyingly and, clinging onto our souls. The anthology series is impactful and strong in being loud enough to tell the tales of eight unique women who seem to never have been heard or understood, which is what most women feel anyway.
Ahern’s book consists of 30 chapters in total but, the series takes only 8 of them. The eight chapters of the series are titled: The Woman Who Disappeared, The Woman Who Ate Photographs, The Woman Who Was Kept on a Shelf, The Woman Who Found Bite Marks on Her Skin, The Woman Who Was Fed By a Duck, The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder, The Woman Who Returned Her Husband and, The Girl Who Loved Horses. They pretty much explain what literally happens in every episode but, the message the show delivers is heavily loaded with metaphor, symbolism and emotions.
Through the lens of magical realism, the audiences get seemingly bizarre stories such as the expression of trophy wife being so literally that a man places his wife on a goddamn shelf to a woman who gains sight of reminiscing and remembering memories after eating up literal photographs! Roar embraces a dark comedy that either charms the audiences or hits a blind spot of emoting no reaction at all. This is what makes this series so special- the stories are as unique as the viewers watching them and relating to them. You might just love all eight of the chapters or hate them, or find something from every page to warm the bittersweet metre of your emotions.
The female-led cast is absolutely thrilling to watch. Nicole Kidman, Alison Brie, Merritt Wever and Issa Rae deliver the most engaging performances, sucking you inside the story. Following up, Davis, Gilpin and others also stand out in their own special moments. The supporting cast sprinkles as much glitter as required not taking away the attention from our unique protagonists, which is what makes the story more women-centric. The cinematography and music work hand in hand to give us a full-fledged experience of walking in the shoes of these eight beautiful and rare women.
Roar: Final Verdict
Overall, Roar is an enjoyable and eye-opening series. But, with that being said, it might not just be everyone’s cup of tea. The series has its light and funny moments but, it also takes dark psychological turns that might make a lot of viewers uncomfortable toppled with out-of-the-box storylines. Much like Netflix’s Black Mirror, Roar is binge-worthy and special in its own ways but, if you can’t take it all together, it is better to steer clear of this eccentric piece of cinema.
You can stream all eight episodes of the anthology series, Roar, now on Apple TV+.