The Decameron Review: Amusing Characters Leave You Entertained

For those of us who love dark comedies set in olden times, Netflix’s The Decameron is here to tickle our funny bones while showcasing the difficult times during the Black Death. Set in 1348, the series takes place in the Italian countryside where a bunch of nobles and their servants, in order to escape the viciousness of the pandemic, escape to a luxurious villa where civility soon leaves the table as the struggle for survival becomes all too real for the inhabitants. Fuelled by wine and sex, what awaits these outrageous and cunning noblemen?

Netflix’s newest medieval dark comedy is an entertaining affair – one that lulls you into a comfort that is both comfortable and relatable. Showcasing what happens when a group of rich people and their maids get together during a pandemic, The Decameron leave us chuckling with its uncomfortable humour that sometimes reminds us of My Lady Jane, another excellent medieval comedy series on Amazon Prime Video.

The series, with 8 long episodes, doesn’t spend too much time giving us an overview of the situation that the characters are dealing with and sets the scene for where the rest of the episodes will take place. We meet most of this eclectic cast in the first episode and are well-versed in the characters and their habits, thus being very aware of who is acting how and why from early on. A look at the disparity between the two castes in the castle, the series is oftentimes very emotionally resonant and suddenly hits home before one can realise it. The delightful secrets that the characters harbour make for some really salacious drama that makes for a spicy watch.

However, the sheer length of these episodes starts to weigh down on the series for the very reason for which they were thoroughly delightful. The humour, which is really great at first, gets a bit repetitive and makes the runtime feel sluggish after a while they don’t feel funny after 5 hours. I think the dry humour has its moments and it does tickle your funny bone but maybe a shorter runtime would’ve done this series more service and would’ve left viewers more amused than sitting for ~8 hours with it.

That being said, it’s the moments without the humour that surprisingly create a lasting impression. The characters and their relationships, although filled with pure contempt at first, showcase moments of sincerity and depth as the episodes move on. You peek behind the curtain and realise the pain, suffering and heartbreak that everyone seemingly goes through, making them feel real and relatable.

The series looks great as well and is acted exceptionally. All the characters have their own quirks and as they settle into this new normal of their lives, the actors portray these characters with exceptional clarity, so much so that you can see and feel their various emotions. Among them, Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Misia steals the show in every frame but the others are delightfully unhinged as well. It’s the performances that truly save this series because the plot can go up and down at times, considering the runtime and all.

The Decameron Review: Final Thoughts

The Decameron‘s dry humour is definitely entertaining and amusing in many different ways. The human stories are enchanting and relatable and add depth to the story which would otherwise have been quite slow and bare. It’s the characters and the actors who create a difference in this show and makes it an entertaining watch.

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