I May Destroy You (TV Series 2020) Poster

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9/10
Brilliant, bittersweet and dark humour - A must watch
WhateverIWant2922 June 2020
Loved it! As a young British woman from London it's very relatable, from language to interactions. Some hard hitting scenes mixed in with Michaela Coel style dark humour. It's not meant to be girlfriends or SATC and it doesn't pretend to be. It's not a sitcom or light comedy, it's devastating at times, yet humorous. It's witty and real, covers some of the darker life scenes that aren't ordinarily placed on the screen. Think more of skins/euphoria etc... better yet don't compare it to anything at all... yes, people get wasted, do drugs and shock, horror they talk to their friends when on the loo. I'm confused by the lower scores claiming it should be a thriller or that the characters are one dimensional when we see the depth in their nuanced facial expressions and fleeting moments of raw honesty between friends. I can only say that those people appear to have completely missed the story being told. They didn't understand that it's not meant to be a whodunnit or sanitised portrayal of sexual assault according to how society expects victims to behave. It's about consent, the shades of grey, the acceptance/lack of it, how we understand it and how it's interpreted by the aggressor and victim...How sexual assault survivors cope with the aftermath and then have to exist with daily life. It's brilliant and has left me excited for Coel's next project.
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9/10
It took me a long time to find the courage to review this title - this is why
azanti00295 November 2020
There's a small list of films and television shows that have profoundly affected me either because they have created an awareness on a subject I was previously completed misinformed on (Hillsborough) or have impacted me so deeply I became an activist (And the Band Played On) while others have just connected with me on an emotional level for more personal reasons and in the case of IMDY, it was certainly the latter and partly about timing.

I May Destroy You follows the life of London blogger Arabella (Cole) propelled to sudden fame by a hit best seller, she's trying to find something relevant to say for the difficult second album. While trying to live up the expectations of both her agent & publicist, who are trying to define her image for her, rather than her organically discovering it on her own. As she struggles to focus on work she finds herself dealing with a sea of overwhelming emotions after a night out that she only remembers through nightmarish flashbacks, which leads to her recollecting images of a serious sexual assault. These events cause her life to slowly unravel as she tries to discover what happened on that fateful night but neglects her own friends issues in the process, often with dire consequences.

If Cole had focused on Arabella alone, it might have been hard for the audience to stay with her on this journey, but equal perspective is given to best friends Terry and Kwame (Opia & Essiedu both SUPERB) whose lives are impacted by some of Arabella's poorer choices, but may themselves have also played their part in the circumstances which led to Arabella being sexually assaulted. There's no good guys or bad guys in this show, only people, real characters, defined by their actions.

Just when the show starts to feel in comfortable territory MC will throw a hand grenade into an already complex subject and the issue of sexual consent is something which is under constant examination throughout the show and rarely has it been tackled as well, nor honestly, as it has here. Frequent flashbacks to Arabella school years give the present narrative some clever twists and unique contexts, especially to old school mate Theodora (Webb, just excellent) who now runs a support group for victims of assault, someone who is probably the most ill suited person on the planet to do so.

I am sure I still would have thought as highly of this show, as I do, had I not been the victim of a serious sexual assault during its broadcast, something which, for someone of my age, was not only extremely difficult to deal with, as it was to discuss with even my closest friends. This show became my support group. This show helped me on the road to healing from that awful experience and for that Ms Cole, I truly hope, one day, I get to thank you in person. Who would have thought it would serve such a role in my life.

There is so much more I could say about this show and while its not flawless and there were a couple of moments (walking into the sea in Italy) which risked borderline on the ridicule and felt like I was suddenly in a different show, fortunately these were few and the its positives far outweighed those moments.

Michaela Cole is an actress I have been aware of before even Chewing Gum, as I had my Casting Director offer her a role in a small indy we were involved with (Which she gratefully declined as CG was happening at the time) but I always remembered her, due to the uncanny similar energy and physical presence she had to someone I knew once whom sadly is no longer with us. Thus I followed her work with interest.

MC is one of those few individuals that once in a while comes along and rocks the industry to its core, refusing to be bullied by its worn mechanisms nor defined into purely ticking a diversity a box. She has a remarkable grasp on not only her own culture, but how it fits in the narrative of modern society and has defined her own struggles. Yet it is to her credit that she finds completely unique ways to explore the subjects she tackles with a unique narrative tapestry that is both relatable and obtainable to its audience. Her work has a vein of reality which gives a truthful voice to subjects that are difficult to digest, yet refuses, like real life, to give us easy and simple answers. Avoiding cliches of portraying Arabella as simply a victim nor labelling characters who behave reprehensibly, as black and white villains. These insights are invaluable in not only engaging the audience but starting conversations about the issues she chooses to explore and few writers and directors can make this claim about their work.

She is quite simply, one of the most exciting talents the UK has ever produced and long may this continue. Needless to say, I highly recommend this show, you might not like everything you see, but that, is often the reality of life, is it not?
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9/10
Coel is brilliant
dpoland-765898 March 2021
Some people on here are twisting this to "hopping on trends". Discussions about abuse and assault can never be considered as such and is insensitive. The topic is heavy, gritty and each person will have a unique reaction to the stories. This is Michaela Coels' take on it, thorough her lens. She's brilliant and I enjoy the fact that she's not focused on making the characters "likeable." Being likeable or not is irrelevant.

Well acted, well produced drama. Worth the hype
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10/10
Perfection
StevieBaby0913 July 2020
I want to delve into Michaela Coal's mind. Unbelievably talented. This show is hard, cry funny, heartwarming and brutal. Sexual assault story has never been told this way before. Groundbreaking stuff. A must see.
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10/10
Breathtakingly real.
altowbes27 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a survivor. Between the realistic portrayal of assault and the deconstruction of the "perfect victim" paradigm, watching Michaela Cole's "Arabella" process her experience was incredibly moving. Accurate, poignant, both heartfelt and irreverent, I loved this show. It's definitely a hard show to watch but worth every moment. Love seeing a largely Black cast in a big network series too. MORE OF THIS PLEASE.
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10/10
To dislike this show is to dislike the truth.
tosinmurana23 June 2020
What an incredible watch. I binge watched the whole season although it was not an 'easy' watch per say - it was raw and extremely needed.

It was excellently executed and I felt every single emotion. Michaela Coel is nothing short from phenomenal. The acting in this show was fantastic; as a Londoner, I love how true this show felt to reality. The soundtrack was equally fantastic. The throwback in Theo's segment was much appreciated nostalgia, although again, it was raw but needed.

I have learnt so much from this show and will recommend it to everyone I love.

There are lessons here that need to be learnt; this show is the truth. The experiences highlighted are what many of us go through and the world needs to see it - we must see it. We must see ourselves in both the victims and the villains, because you never know what side you may end up on; we must LEARN.

In order to move forward, we must listen to the stories of others and learn from them.

To dislike this show, is to dislike the truth.

Thank you so much Michaela, you're making big waves.
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10/10
Amazing leading actress
thomasautumn8 June 2020
Just Finnished watching the first two episodes and they have completely drawn me in. I love the awareness that this series is raising plus the contagious ways off the leading actress. She is the perfect role for this character and I'm so glad to see her pop up on my screens again I've been waiting since chewing gum !
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10/10
Real life
sperkinz12 July 2020
I don't know when I have seen a show that depicted real life so accurately.
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9/10
The final episode is sheer perfection
Esc-key-lime-tree30 July 2020
I May Destroy You is not for your average viewer. It is uncomfortable, disturbing, sometimes gross. But isn't that part of life-the good, the bad, AND the ugly?

I've seen many foreign movies that are graphic, gratuitous, and grotesque, so watching this fast paced drama series (with darkly humorous moments) was not shocking or offensive.

Some reviewers are saying cruel things about the characters, or blowing them off as unlikable. I challenge the viewer to see these as real human beings-immature, reckless and careless. Haven't we all been there on some level? And aren't we ALL worth saving? Aren't we all worthy of empathy and love, even when-no, especially when-we're at our worst?

If you take that into consideration and go in with an open mind, you will find that this show is a master class in writing. The pacing moves at lightning speed. The plot is razor sharp focused. The themes are strong and relevant. The characters experience trauma and grow and evolve over the episodes. Especially the main character, Arabella.

Without spoiling it, by the final episode (which is SO cleverly meta in terms of writing about writing), she is able to come to terms with her trauma in one of the best final episodes I've seen in a dramedy show. It's sheer perfection: fully resolves everything, funny, violent, shocking, thought provoking and smartly written and executed. It would be perfect if this was all there was. Not sure how a second season would fare or what it would focus on.

One last and very important thing: Americans need to watch this with subtitles! I had no clue what they were saying in the first three minutes. Once the subtitles were on, it was smooth sailing.
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6/10
A bit too chaotic for my taste
cristhak22 August 2020
Very good cast and acting. It kept jumping around though and finally left me with gaps and question marks. Too chaotic for my taste.
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10/10
Not groundbreaking, glass ceiling smashing!
reece289119 June 2020
Loving this, it feels so different and raw, so rare
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7/10
Entertaining and well-acted show... Held back by confusing intention/messaging
fshardlow1 July 2020
I watched the whole show today, so my review is about the entire show in general.

The positives:
  • Michaela Coel as the leading actor does a really great job. Also big props for writing and producing the show as well.
  • There are several different intertwining story lines with different and well- constructed supporting characters.
  • The whole cast are actually all pretty good, and I think it's refreshing and important how diverse the cast is.. I'm so used to white washed casts that this show felt unique in terms of representation. The more positive representation the better in my opinion.


The negatives:
  • I feel like although I found the show interesting and liked how it focused on different characters and different issues, I found the plot a bit thin or even neglected. Such as the most central story line of the show, focusing around sexual assault, sort of fading into the background. I just found the plot a bit wavering at times.
  • I also don't think I saw much character progression from any of the main characters. I was expecting them to sort of go through a change and come out the other side, but I don't really think any of them came out much better than they were at the start? It kind of just felt a bit anti-climactic.
  • I think the show suffered from showcasing too many story lines, social issues and politics. I really like a show that isn't afraid to be honest and political, however I thought that there was quite a lot going on, when maybe It would've been more effective if Cole had just focused on a smaller amount of issues but with more depth. I don't know, it's just how I'm feeling..


Good show though- I mean clearly, I watched the whole thing in a day!
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5/10
It All Makes Sense Now
btvcorp11 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I really wanted to like this show. I love Michaela Coel, the casting was great (both in terms of talent and POC representation), the topic is real, raw, and its depiction was gritty and unforgiving, but there was just something about the storytelling that made it hard to watch. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the whole season felt like a jumble of ideas forced into a narrative that didn't give them proper room or time to develop. Story-lines and characters take center stage and then just trail-off while the focus shifts to another topic.

Then I watched the Colbert Show and saw Coel explain that she had to search "How to Write a TV Show" before creating the series. It all makes sense now: she's a new writer.

Why do story-lines trail-off? Because she isn't sure how to integrate them all into the overarching narrative.

How does Arabella suffer two sexual assaults, plunge deep into denial, and indulge her immaturity, but then meticulously publicly shame an abuser with little intervening development? Because Coel wants to capture the radical transformation from a vulnerable girl into a wise resistance leader, but she doesn't know how to spend time with the character during the transformation part, so she just jumps from one to the other.

I really don't mean to neg Coel. She's super talented and she put herself out there with this project--both personally and professionally. That takes guts and talent. Still, this project definitely would have benefited from guidance by experienced writers to focus the storytelling, develop the characters, and transition from scene to scene (and episode to episode) with a stronger sense of purpose.
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10/10
Of course this is great
iheartson-5596614 June 2020
Michaela is truly a rare talent, fantastic and eerie first ep. Can't wait to see where this goes. Reviews on here so far are just silly, this is quality
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10/10
Absolutely perfect
cooklinsasha9 June 2020
This is television for NOW. We are lucky to have people like Michaela Coel share their creative genius with us. Flawless script, performances and production.
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10/10
Stunning
gareth-8316520 June 2020
Post modern drama brilliantly covering gender and sexual assault. Lead actress breath taking performance. Engrossing characterization, script and themes throughout. Must watch.
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10/10
An uncensored, truthful and nuanced piece of work, finally!!!
graceryan-7971226 June 2020
I cannot stress enough how important this series is, I literally cannot get it out of my mind. Michaela Coel has to be one of the most important story tellers of recent times. The mainstream is flooded with mis-informed and contrived narratives of growing up in London, and it has been painful to watch. As a Londoner, growing up in East London at exactly the same time as the show is set I cannot say enough how close to reality it is - from the nuance of the characters, the music and the decisions that shape the characters - it is stirring, powerful and evokes self reflection like nothing before. The acting is sensational, the script is beyond brilliant, every tiny bit of nuance Michaela includes, provides huge insight, bravely pushed to the forefront with no air brushing or rounded assumptions. This won't be for everyone, however - make no mistake this is completely ground breaking, truthful and stark - couldn't have come soon enough! Keep going Michaela!
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10/10
Michaela is back
reggieeeexx9 June 2020
The negative reviews I've seen are all negative on the basis that the cast are all black which is ridiculous. It's refreshing to finally see a cast that look like me on my screen but every time I do, there are always people complaining of all black cast and I'm tired. The show is great, I love Michaela Coel and will be definitely be watching the rest of the show to see what happens. Ignore the negative reviews and give it a chance.
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10/10
Necessary and real
theknownames11 July 2020
This show is hard to watch yet so entertaining , the relationship ships between the characters is pure , their plights universal yet specific , the subject matter is intense yet the characters make it bearable and even enjoyable as they tackle such important matters , ones that we even don't want to consider in our own lives but must It's brave and necessary . I applaud hbo for their ability to stay current and explore all matter of topics.
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7/10
Not your typical sexual assault survival drama
paul-allaer16 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"I May Destroy You" (2020 release; 12 episodes of about 30 min. each) brings the story of Arabella. As Episode 1 opens, it is "Ostia, Italy" and Arabella is saying goodbye to her Italian boyfriend and getting ready to return to London. We are then in "Hackney, London" and Arabella, an up-and-coming writer, is struggling with her new writing project, despite the coaching of her agents. Arabella decides to give herself a break and goes out for drinks with some friends. Next morning she wakes up with a flashback that something went very wrong...

Couple of comments: "I May Destroy You" is a labor of love from British (and award winning) actress Michaela Coel ("Chewing Gum"). She writes, produces, co-directs and of course stars in this left-of-center (and very British) TV mini-series about the aftermath of sexual assault (which Coel has admitted in interviews as being based on her own real life experience of same). I have now seen the first 2 episodes of this, and let me be very clear: this is not your typical sexual assault survival drama, not by a mile or two (or ten). The first episode really just sets the stage and the series doesn't find its real footing until Episode 2, where the Arabella character now fully realizes that indeed someone had spiked her drink the night before and that she was assaulted at some point. Now comes the question: who is responsible for this, and how will Arabella deal with the fallout? Apart from the British setting, I must admit that I had at times trouble following the dialogue due to the very British accents of the characters.

"I May Destroy You" is now airing on HBO (and available on HBO On Demand), with new episodes airing late Sunday evenings. If you are in the mood for something quite different from your regular TV fare (even for HBO standards), I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
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10/10
Raw, real and incredibly powerful
kjaney17 July 2020
This show has hit me like a ton of bricks. It has got to me in the same way Fleabag did in that both shows have absolutely pushed back boundaries for women on screen. Finally we see real women, doing real women things, coping with real life issues. Not some airbrushed, polished, fabricated, pretend version of women men usually like to watch. Michaela Cole is an absolute genius, and this show is a triumph. Huge congratulations to everyone involved. I'm 5 episodes in and I do not want it to end.
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7/10
Good beginning, disappointing ending
saadgkhan8 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I May Destroy You - B+ (Memorable)

The show is definitely one of a kind show, which is not afraid to portray what's really happening in clubs and dating scene. All characters are flawed and unapologetic in their own way which you don't see much on TV. After the rape, the show focuses on different scenarios of complacency more than investigating the rapist. Eventhough, it is hard to watch, I still believed the message Michaela Coel is trying to convey is powerful.

However, towards the end I felt the show was trying to cramp all scenarios about consent, no-consent, friends being complicit or not etc etc everything into one season. The ending was like someone popped an acid and went rampant. The ending brings the biggest loophole of the show that how come Police didn't question people she was partying in the club. David was doing shots with her, who was her friend Simon's friend. The only White guy in the group, how come she doesn't say what about that White guy doing shots with us?!? Also after 2nd rape she gets viral and her family still doesn't know what happened to her till the very end?

In the end you get three dream like scenarios where that David is the rapist but is he really or she just believed he was and then thought of three scenarios of dealing with it? The show deals with hard hitting subject of rape and trauma but not about whether justice should be served or not. Shouldn't you report a rapist so he doesn't do that again do your part right. If you know a rapist but don't report isn't that complacency?

I believed show started off as bringing awareness to different types of rapes among viewers and to engage the viewers it was investigating the rapist but towards the end they just focused on first part and not the investigative part of the show. I really enjoyed the show till the last episode because it doesn't give any answers instead it turned into this acid trip with three endings just for a shock value.
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4/10
Well acted series about a bunch of narcissists
caeevans1 August 2020
This series has received such high praise that I have stuck with it in the hope that I could understand why, but I still don't. The characters are shallow, narcissistic and just not likeable, though the show does do a good job of reinforcing the negative stereotyping of millennials.

I have no issue with the drugs, sex etc and there's always that one friend who always gets trashed, so I even understand the situation that led to the assault. And yet, because there is no depth to the characters, I just have no sympathy for any of them on their self-destructive paths.
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9/10
Great first episode
nathaliegershwin8 June 2020
I live in France so I only could watch the first episode. I found it great. What exactly happened to her? I want to know !
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9/10
Fantastic so far...
flapjackgt9 June 2020
Such great characters. I'm really interested in their stories. Really interesting topic, one which I cannot empathise with but sympathise with. Hope those are the right words.
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