A girl being chased through a snow-covered forest is suddenly impaled by falling into a hole filled with large, sharp sticks. Fast forward 25 years and a journalist asks, “what really happened out there?” This is the enticing and foreboding opening of Showtime’s Yellowjackets, the network’s latest outstanding contribution to Sunday night TV. It just completed its 10-episode first season run on January 16th (now available to stream on Showtime.com or adding the Showtime channel to your Hulu or Amazon accounts).
In 1996, a girls soccer team flies to Seattle for a national tournament and their plane crashes into the Canadian wilderness. They are left on their own for 19 months. The series depicts their descent into madness and cannibalism and toggles back and forth from survival in the forest and the current lives of those that made it home. In 2021, the survivors are receiving mysterious postcards that could expose the long-held secrets about what they had to do to survive.
The right cast is essential for a show portraying the same people a quarter century apart. The cast of Yellowjackets is spot on, both the young and older actors. The 2021 survivors are haunted by their experience, despite some initial suggestions of a happy family life or successful career. The decisions they had to make in 1996 still distort their actions today. Melanie Lynskey (Togetherness), plays Shauna, a suburban Mom with a husband who she thinks is cheating on her and a rebellious daughter. She lives her own secret life re-connecting with fellow survivors to find out who is blackmailing them. It leads to deadly consequences which don’t seem to faze her too much. Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable) plays Taissa, a State Senator running for re-election, who sleepwalks herself right back into the wilderness and dines on dirt (you’ll see). Christina Ricci (The Addams Family) is unrecognizable as Misty, who on the plane appears sweet, but a little odd. In the forest, she single-handedly takes everyone’s fate into her hands, and in 2021, is basically a sociopath. Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers) is Natalie, an angry substance abuser guided by revenge. Yes, Ricci and Lewis together. It’s a treat watching them tear each other apart as they have very different ideas on how to pursue their mission.
As great as the adult cast is, it’s the young ensemble that really pulls you in. They are teenage dead ringers for their older counterparts, particularly Shauna (played by Sophie Nelisse) and Misty (played by (Sammi Hanratty). They goof around, hunt and forage, find some shelter, and embark on scouting missions to seek help. The attempt to find civilization in episode eight, led by Laura Lee and her belief in God, is both hopeless and awe-inspiring. The girls (there are three guys, as well) embody the evolving emotions of being stranded: carefree at first, assuming they’ll be rescued shortly, to the gut-wrenching realization that help is not on the way, to facing starvation with the Canadian winter approaching. This is the situation when Season One ends. It’s going to get very dark. (There will be a Season Two, and likely more).
The soundtrack is a rocking composite of the 1980s and ’90s. The songs accompany quieter moments, suspenseful action scenes, and violence: Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Hole, PJ Harvey, Ultravox, Jane’s Addiction, Dinosaur Jr., Love and Rockets, and more. Even the rousing one hit from Republica, “Ready to Go.” Come on, we can hear it now, “Baby, I’m ready to go, I’m back, I’m ready to go, From the rooftops shout it out, Shout it out.”
Yellowjackets could be viewed as a blend of Lord of the Flies, Alive, and Lost. While it undoubtedly contains similar elements, it’s two compelling timelines move the story forward, as opposed to the side-trip backstories of Lost. It may have progressed a little slowly, but each week sets up tension and anticipation for what’s to come. It gets better each episode, culminating in a riotous finale which begs the question: Are the girls starting to go insane or is there something supernatural going on? Or both? In the words of the marooned girls, ” I’m starting to think something out there has other ideas.” And, “I have no idea what is right or wrong out here.” I’m ready for the second season.
D² Rating ◼◼◼◩☐
Trivia: Christina Ricci had her film debut at nine years old as Cher’s daughter in this 1990 film?
Answer: Mermaids
Trivia: Juliette Lewis was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at 18 years old for her role in this 1991 Martin Scorsese remake?
Answer: Cape Fear
Comments
4 responses to “Yellowjackets Review: A Horrific Experience Haunts a Girls Soccer Team”
Yes! This was a great first season! Music, story and suspense! CANNOT wait.
Thanks for commenting, Karen!
Yowzer. I’m intrigued, but afraid I won’t be able to sleep at night. FWIW – might sound odd, but I’ve been turned off about this show by that cringe-worthy promo graphic with a woman and a yellow jacket on her face.
Thanks for your comment, Barcelona 1. I hadn’t really noticed that promo. I took a closer look at it and that is a poor choice of graphics to get people interested in your show. Hopefully, it doesn’t prevent you from checking out at least the first episode.