You is currently available to stream on Netflix.
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“Hello, you…”
These are the first words we hear Joe Goldberg (played with Ted Bundy-like charm by Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley) say, albeit through VO, to Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) as he stalks her through the bookstore he manages. Before even approaching her, he’s created this relationship with her in his head that is attentive. Coy. Protective even. Yet, to any sane person, it’s also extremely predatory, creepy, and a big, red flag.
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In a time when working through a list of heady, cerebral dramas and multiple-season comedies might feel like a chore, You is an insane erotic thriller that can spice up any queue. Only two seasons and 20 episodes out, with a third season on its way, it’s a show that’s quick, bold, and leaves a lasting impression (like a spice – get it?). It’s hard to talk about how addicting this show is without getting into the spoilers, but all you need to know is that Joe is a delusional man who largely has inner monologues. Like a lot. Just imagine (500) Days of Summer… but with more murder.
Check out the sneak peek of Season 1 of You that IGN debuted back in 2018:
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Adapted from the Caroline Kepnes’ novel of the same name and originally airing on Lifetime (before being canceled and saved by Netflix), You was always going to be a sexy, campy drama. Bringing the show to Netflix gave it the chance to flourish as a legitimate and unpredictable binge-watch, leaning into its absurdity while also carefully tearing down the male gaze from inside the house.
Even though we follow Joe as our “hero,” we don’t actually know if the show wants us to root for Joe, and that’s what makes half the fun of watching. If anything, you root for him to get the girl so that you can root for him to lose her because HE is a loser. This show is the response to all of Hollywood’s portrayals of the male gaze, and does so with truly ridiculous plots and whipsmart pacing. For every noble thought or gesture Joe has or makes, we very clearly see their repercussions and it’s like schadenfreude to watch his knight-in-shining-armor schtick fall apart. Joe spends most of the series struggling to spin several plates on poles while sitting in a car heading for a speeding train with a bomb on the tracks. It’s hard to predict which shoe will drop or which punches the show will pull, but it’s exhilarating from start to finish.
Netflix’s You is ridiculous, popcorn fun. Designed with insane cliffhangers at the end of each segment that’ll leave you scrambling to hit play on the next, the show makes it quite impossible to watch just one episode.
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Binge It! is IGN’s recommendation series. Movies, TV shows, books, comics, music… if you can binge it, we’re here to talk about it. In each installment of Binge It!, we’ll discuss a piece of content we’re passionate about — and why you should check it out.
Source: IGN.com Binge It! Netflix's You Is the Insane Erotic Thriller You Need to Watch