Swarm

This is what pushing the limits of television looks like. Concept, execution and aesthetics, 10 out of 10.

Fishback should be crowned Queen B herself for the acting master class she's pulled off. Legendary.

***Swarm*** is a hard look at toxic fandom, what obsession can lead to and a cautionary tale on fanaticism. It also has strong themes on grief. We take a road trip with Dre as she descends into madness and defends her idol at any cost. Anything goes, she will attack verbally, physically and socially to protect the hive. The series is dark, disturbing and sometimes repulsive but I couldn't help but binge it. The performances are what's so good about it, Dominique Fishback is phenomenal her character is unhinged and complex. Every episode features new interesting characters and performances. Billie Eilish was amazing and the episode she was in was my favorite. The violence is brutal and bloody, love the aspect ratio, beautiful aesthetics, cool music choices and I like the pacing every episode felt different and short. I'm not quite sure if this is really based on true events but "Queen B" is Beyoncé so Ni'Jah could be an analogy for her.

2023 TV Shows Ranked list on my profile --> https://trakt.tv/users/justinnumerick/lists/2023-tv-shows-ranked?sort=rank,asc


Review:
I'm having a hard time rating this one because in some ways this is phenomenal television, but in other ways some things didn't quite work for me, and some things took me a bit to adjust to. Regarding that last point, I'm really just talking about the nudity. I've seen plenty of shows with nudity in it, but this was a bit more than I'm used to so it came as a surprise at first until I could adjust. I did enjoy how it helped make everything feel incredibly raw and grounded, though. As for what I did love about this, it starts with Dominique Fishback, who was nothing short of phenomenal. She pulled off this character so well and the entire series felt like a showcase for her to flex her acting skills, and I was loving it. From her perfect line delivery to her awkward and very unsettling movement, it all worked great. I also thought the couple of supporting characters were great, Billie Eilish especially surprising me with how good she was. I also really loved the style they pulled off in the direction and cinematography. I'm not smart enough to know the technical terms for how they do this, but they did that thing that makes the shots look super grainy and cheap, which I really enjoyed here because it added to the incredibly grounded feel. Almost like we were watching these things play out for real on hidden cameras and seeing things we weren't supposed to be seeing. Beyond that, the shot selection was perfect for supporting the grounded feel and there were some standout shots regarding cinematography with lighting and colors. Another strong point is the themes the show goes for in regard to toxic fandom. I thought it was a very interesting exploration of that topic through the lens of a single character study, with lots of connections to real life that made it feel realistic but like a heightened and exaggerated reality. All together that thematic richness was very enjoyable. The main thing holding this back for me is that I don't think it did enough to make me feel for Dre, personally. They do provide a backstory and I enjoy how we get that information slowly hinted at and revealed later in the series, but I had a difficult time feeling sympathy or empathy for Dre as a character. I didn't particularly like her at all, and therefore found myself rooting against her rather than for her. So when she continues to get away with everything, I'm left with feelings of frustration more than anything, and she came across as very immature and annoying. I get that this was sort of the point, but I've seen a lot of other people comment on how she was sympathetic and likable which made her someone to root for despite her obvious issues, while I just didn't have that same experience and therefore I didn't have as much of an appreciation for the character. This takes absolutely nothing away from Dominique Fishback, though, whose performance is still the absolute best part of the show. Overall, some things didn't fully land but on a technical and performance level this was one of the best shows I've watched so far this year, and the themes it explored were genuinely intriguing. Beyond that, it's an incredibly quick watch yet nothing felt too rushed, which I found very refreshing.

8.1/10 -- Great

This was an interesting look at how someone outside of a fandom sees it’s fans.

The writing and acting were on point and it touched on some good issues, but I think it could have been elevated if it went deeper. We should have seen more of the why she loves this artist not just the reasons she gave when asked. It was just a bit too surface level but I still enjoyed it.

I did have to pause the show at some points because it became a bit cringe watching Dre spiral.

Overall I would be okay with this becoming an anthology series and we see how another fan try to see their person. Perhaps a bit more realistic with scamming and less murder. Even a call back to this and saying how they’d never be that crazy before the mayhem

[Prime Video] Posing as a fiction that directly reflects reality (#whobitbeyonce?), it is a very suggestive and somewhat naughty reflection on the obsessions of fans and the feedback from social media groups, which prevent them from leaving the bubble. Leaning on a powerful performance by Dominique Fishback, who can be vulnerable even when she's being psychopathic, it uses sound design reflecting the character's complex personality, though dealing with mental health is too subservient to the needs of suspense.

A journey into the dark folds of the human mind and, between one stage and another, horror, madness and weird characters. But nothing special.

In this limited series, viewers are taken on a bizarre journey into the dark underbelly of toxic fandom, drawing inspiration from the infamous BeyHive. The mood is unique and captivating, enriched by dreamy sequences and poignant metacommentary. While the plot is utterly ridiculous and may require a significant suspension of disbelief, it’s this audaciousness that contributes to the charm of the series. The filth and squalor depicted on screen are simultaneously mesmerizing and compelling, particularly thanks to the meticulous direction and Dominique Fishback’s performance.

My body is ready for a Loretta Greene spinoff series.

Show and season 1 rated a 7

This was good, but...it felt like a really, really, really, long episode of black mirror with a helplessly on the spot plot.
I actually enjoyed bits of this, but not enough for me to recommend this to anyone.