Summary
An addictive binge-watch, Clickbait takes the audience on a journey that blends our online and real-life identities; and the dangers faced when it all goes wrong.
This review of Netflix limited series Clickbait does not contain spoilers.
Father. Husband. Brother. Liar? That’s the initial question asked by Clickbait, but the more the audience will watch, the more questions that will arise.
Clickbait begins as Nick Brewer (played by Adrian Grenier; The Devil Wears Prada and Entourage) suddenly and mysteriously disappears before appearing in a sinister online video that quickly goes viral. With the use of today’s technology, one of Clickbait‘s main selling points, Nick appears in the online video, heavily beaten up whilst holding a card that reads, “I abuse women. At 5 million views, I die.”
From there, after an initial slow(ish) start, Clickbait becomes obsessive and is destined to be one of the summer’s binge-worthy shows. Due to the modern influences from today’s social media, the Netflix series will lead the audience to question their own online presence. Do we share too much? Are we putting too much information out there?
As a show, Clickbait is much more than a whodunit. There’ll be plenty of moments that you’ll find the reason you’re watching isn’t to find out who is behind Nick’s kidnapping but to find out what the events were that led to and following his disappearance.
The creator of the series, Tony Ayres has stated that he believes the show should act as a warning to the audience! Be careful what you do online, you never know who you’re speaking to. Whilst creating the show, Ayres watched Catfish as a way to help translate the dangers of online behavior.
Tony Ayres also created the critically acclaimed shows Stateless and Glitch. As for Glitch, if you haven’t seen it (currently streaming on Netflix), you definitely should. Glitch is a show worthy of five stars. As Clickbait is a miniseries, it has a natural and fulfilling end. Although, I personally did not expect it to unfold in the way it did, which adds to the enjoyment as a whole.
It has to be said, with this series, Hit & Run and Brand New Cherry Flavor, Netflix is throwing out binge-able thrillers like they’re going out of fashion. Bonus Point: While this series is set in America, it was actually filmed in Melbourne, Australia.
What do you think of Netflix limited series Clickbait? Comment below.
