Summary
Imagine The Masked Singer meets First Dates, then add a little more cringe.
This review of the Netflix reality dating series Sexy Beasts season 2 does not contain spoilers.
Netflix’s British reality dating show Sexy Beasts is back with its second season. This show will either make you laugh out loud or make you so awkwardly uncomfortable you might wish you could quickly change the channel. Sexy Beasts season 2 has six episodes, and each one runs about half an hour long.
If you’re new to this series (read our season 1 review) it’s a dating show where each singleton, competing to win the heart of an eligible bachelor, is dressed up to be made unrecognizable on their date. Wearing animal masks made from prosthetic materials, the costumes are creative, some are quirky, quack and others are downright terrifying. The classic cliches of ‘love is blind’ and ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ are what have sparked this creative dating technique. Trying to show how we can fall for a personality and not how someone looks is the behind-the-scenes reason for this series. Does it work? Not really for me. It does make for an entertaining watch, but it is also very creepy and awkward. I don’t think the cheesy American commentator helps either. For example in the first episode where he makes the joke about a woman who is dressed as a hammerhead shark, “the shark wants to go deep” — no. It is funny, but it comes across as so sickly and cringe.
Whilst the concept is fun it is also ridiculously silly. Almost as silly as Channel 4’s Naked Attraction, but I think If I had a choice, I’d rather go on a dating program wearing a fake face than wearing nothing at all. Whilst these series have funny moments, and in some scenes, we might even sense a spark, they always finish feeling incomplete. The series becomes more of a parody rather than a serious dating show.
The beasts on the show include an Armadillo, buck-toothed cat, a hairy pig creature, and a zombie-like figure with its brain on display. I know I’d be too freaked out to stay on these dates. However, I will give the creative team their credit. These costumes are awesome to look at. The one big positive I did notice is the usual shyness isn’t there. Maybe the masks give them more confidence to feel as if they can be themselves because their real self isn’t being judged. (or maybe they’ve just selected the best bits)
I’d watch this for the laugh factor. However, don’t set your expectations too high. This show has a premise that sounds unique, fun, and entertaining, but it wears thin after a while. I’d give it a try if you’re into your dating shows, reality shows, or want a random laugh. If they make a 3rd season, I’d be tempted to google the costumes, then fast forward to how they react at the end when the masks are off, and then I’d watch something else.
What did you think of Netflix’s Sexy Beasts season 2? Comment below.
