Pieces of Her 

First episode Mar. 4, 2022

Produced by Toni Collette

Created by Charlotte Stoudt

Based on the 2018 novel by Karin Slaughter

Starring Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, and Omari Hardwick

Available on Netflix

Plot: A woman pieces together her mother’s dark past after a violent attack in their small town brings hidden threats and deadly secrets to light.

Why I Started Watching It 

I was drawn into it by the trailer. It took me in completely. In fact, I can’t remember when I’ve seen a better one.

You can watch it here.

Why I’ve Kept Watching 

Episode 1 did not disappoint. It includes a bicycle-riding scene the equal of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a diner scene as good as Natural Born Killers, and a toilet scene equal to my own film, Across the Rails.

What I Like About It 

* Title: tight, inviting

* Music: additive, restrained, and emotionally appropriate

* Sound effects: crisp and effective

* Cinematography: appropriate throughout

* Editing: particularly the close-ups and the cuts

* Set designs and lighting: effective

* Believable girl power

What I Don’t Like 

Nothing so far.

Critical Reception 

* “Pieces of Her is a thriller with an outstanding, can’t-take-your-eyes-away performance in the main role.” (John Doyle, IndieWire)

* “[A] relatively modest (in this case, eight-episode) commitment. Pieces of Her proves reasonably compelling on that level and those terms, but as such series go, still feels as if it adds up to less than the sum of its parts.” (Brian Lowry, CNN)

* “The series coasts on several genuinely shocking and well-executed twists, which do indeed puncture the haze of passive-watching we’re so used to. And maybe that adrenaline hit is enough.” (Annabel Nugent, Independent, UK)