The problem is that there really isn't much to look back at...she had a manic depressive mum and a sick dad (sob) but now she's grown up and honestly just not likable.
She works in a boring money oriented job (securities lawyer) and she beyond rude and even abusive to everyone she meets (colleagues, doctor, pediatrician)
And her BF came across as more than a little bit desperate and manipulative.
So why are we supposed to care what happens to her? And I didn't...
(The scene where she tries to lift a makeshift pot of boiling water with her bare hands, burns herself, and then decides to PUT OUT THE FIRE to let it cool down astounded me. Use your shirt as a makeshift oven-mitt, woman!! I mean she could've at least tried that first. Man, that one's gonna be bugging me for months. XD)
That being said, I think it's a pretty beautifully told story of a young woman going through some serious sh-t, gets stranded alone, is forced to face her inner demons, and finds a new perspective on life. If you stop expecting this series to be like an actual, accurate survival-guide and instead just go with the flow, you might rather enjoy it. I think the acting's overall pretty good (though some characters could use a bit more personality imo) and while some of the survival-methods she employs had me raising my eyebrow in scepticism, it's still pretty exciting watching her struggle and find "solutions" (regardless of how fathomable they are). I'm definitely rooting for her.
To sum up: I think it's pretty decent! It's not going to challenge your intellect or lead to any major epiphanies, but it's engaging enough. I started watching last night and was pretty excited to keep watching this afternoon when I got back from work. :) Good show for a cozy Friday night in.
A survival show with flashbacks that are so boring, I just want to jump out the window and end my misery, but I live in the first floor.
Netflix is over. Done.
I'd love to change the channel, but I know when my wife wakes up, she'll want a recap of what happened.
I hate this show so much.
The survival elements are mostly completely unrealistic and hair-raising. Many details are so outrageous that one wonders who writes such screenplays without blushing... Lots of boring flashbacks are used to fill the running time and inflate the thin story.
First it's about being tough.
Then it's about finally freeing yourself of the pain you hang on to.
And also: The videography and scenery are beautiful. The music on point. It was a gorgeous show that deserves more than the low reviews. Don't be afraid to watch it- you might cry like I did at the end.
This movie got my attention for for the plane crash/survival angle. But as the story unfolded, I began appreciating the backstory of who Liv is. The things that make her personal life a shambles are the things that equip her to survive in the wild. Not because of skills, but rather because of her will.
The storytellers do a great job of weaving the supporting characters into the survival scenes, appearing as alter-egos for Liv's conscience. Some of it is wry (dead plane passenger Sam), poignant (her father), manic (her mother), and romantic (Danny).
I can understand why this series would disappoint many viewers. Some of the survival stuff is unrealistic, and the flashback storytelling is over-the-top at times.
Overall, I found it engaging and entertaining. Masterpiece? No. But worth the time, if your expectations are reasonable.
This had potential, but i have fast-forward through more than I have watched at this point. Just when you think its going somewhere good, you get slammed with pointless backstory; which innevitably won't make any sense until 'the true story is revealed' at the end.
Effffff this nonsense. I can't believe Warner Brothers produced this crap. Its not edgy, dark or cool. Its Inate, annoying and boring AF.
I feel bad that the lead actress does a good job, really does, and it goes absolutely nowhere. What incredible drivel.
Don't bother watching this unless you are a masochist. You've been warned.
Overall 4/10 Entertainment Value 2.5/10 - The extra .5 is because the lead does a really good job, thus far (as of episode 4, not sure I can stomach the rest, we'll see).
The series alternates between her increasingly desperate attempts at surviving the wilderness and her past life, both as a child and as a professional. Some will find the numerous flashbacks as annoying, but they are key in understanding Liz's character.
The acting by all is excellent, as is the cinematography and the beauty of the location. It would have been better done, however, as a two hour movie.
It turned out to not a survival story as expecting , as that part just didnt seem real , more like walt disney movie
Its flasbacks where annoying FYI i dont like flashbacks unless they absolutley neccessary but this was a story in flashbacks which is the worst kind..
But i disagree with thse who gave it 8 & 9 that liked it . The flashbacks werent about dealing with life , they were about a woman whose mother was crazy and her daughter (protagonist) was struggling not to be the same.
If i wanted to watch that sort of crap drama i would have chosen a different movie.
1. The whole series is filled (and I mean like 80%) with pointless flashbacks that add NOTHING to the story.
2. From what I see, the main character is a professional diver and can hold her breath for more than 3 minutes. Wow!
3. Since the whole series is a flashback galore, the show tries to make us feel bad for her after being stranded. The main character is highly unlike able and unbelievably boring. How am I supposed to show any sympathy towards her?
4. Every single character (there's like 5) in the show are a snooze fest. Especially the boyfriend.
5. The whole dialog consists of the main character dropping the F bomb for no reason at all.
6. The show also has dead people talking to the main character. Come on now.
7. The main character finds something extremely valuable and then decides to use it to help make a fire, despite there being millions of sticks around her.
8. The main character should have died from hypothermia in ep 1/2.
9. I still don't understand why she couldn't wait for the next flight at the start of ep 1. The reasoning didn't seem to be urgent.
10. The main character should have died in ep 4/5. The fact that she just got up perfectly fine was baffling to me. Her bones should be crushed.
11. Here we go again in the last ep. She should have already died twice now. What happened should have for sure finished her but I guess she's immortal.
12. The main character is a nobody with 0 friends and she has an obnoxious personality. Her acting wasn't horrible, but it was very hard to watch.
13. This is supposedly a survival thriller, yet we probably see about 2 actual survival scenes in the whole series.
14. The ending was predictable and how every survival (not in this case) movie goes. The whole series is a snooze fest, but perfect for background noise!
What you will find with this series:
Liv is so busy with her material life and running from her childhood trauma that she has become cold and distant to all of those around her. This gives her control over her life but only over the shallow parts of life ... career focus.
Liv has some trauma from her childhood related to her moms mental illness. She yearned for her moms acceptance but her mom was too narcissistic with her illness that she couldn't reflect back the love her daughter needed. Her mom refused to address her illness and caused a lot of pain to Liv and her dad. And Liv not understanding it in her youth took out her moms abandonment on her dad.
Liv is barely able to take care of herself in the wild. Her time in Girl Scouts as a child instilled some skills that she is able to use. I found the survival scenes to be gritty and mostly real for what the series needed to be. The NWT are no joke and survival would be tough but not impossible. As far as being dumped unprepared into the wilderness I found her situation to be pretty hopeless but found her actions to be realistic given her predicament. Many people commenting find her walking in circles to be unrealistic .... Obviously they have not been in the wild where there are no landmarks to follow for miles, there is a reason people use compasses in the woods. Your natural gate has a dominant leg and that leg covers a bit more distant than your other leg. So yes given enough room you would easily walk in a circle if you had zero experience walking through a forest.
Amongst all of the above Liv goes through a transformation into adulthood. Anyone who knows about serious trauma ... you need to face your pain and process it to move on otherwise you are stuck at the same maturity level you were at when the trauma was indicted.
In this sense Liv is so afraid of being abandoned that she never lets anyone get close. She didn't realize just how much her dad did to be there for her even if he was not always at his best.
In both flashbacks and her thoughts about what she wish she could say and do now you see how Liv was in her past towards people, arrogant ... cold ... distant. A person driven to perfection at work ... yet clumsy with her personal relationships. And with her reflections you see her open up to those people who were in her life to say what she really means ... to express her thoughts.
Through those flashbacks and reflections you see Liv begin to work through her trauma to define who she is rather than her trying to live under the yearning approval from a mother who long left her behind. And what emerges is a new Liv who is more confident with herself and how she sees herself in the world. For anyone who has been in a life threatening situation you will recognize this type of growth and the epiphanies that come with it ... the learning of what is really important in life.
I have to say this series is way above average. I can understand that most people will take a shallow approach to it and not see the work as it's meant. Partly because they can't connect with how people process trauma, partly because they don't know the mental growth that comes from life and death situations.
I notice a lot of reviews are based upon that kind of expectation. If that is what you're looking for thisbis not for you. If you are able to stay open minded and unbiased, this is a great story that deals with a plethora of topics including rebirth, self discovery, and the flashbacks are needed in order to set the scene of mental torture leading to lack of self worth and reevaluation of one's life choices. This is not an action packed horror/thriller, it is a slow but meaningful exploration of human nature and spirutual survival.
The excessive flashbacks works only if they have the real material or it support explains the current events, here it didn't have neither his nor that ...
My final suggestion, save the time and avoid.
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