13 Reasons Why
2017
Original language: English
- drama
- mystery
The story
High school student Clay Jensen lands in the center of a series of heartbreaking mysteries set in motion by a friend's tragic suicide.
What it’s like
Cool, washed-out suburban daylight over a glossy American high school, with blue-grey hallways, sun-faded lockers, and parking lots under overcast skies. The camera leans on close handheld framing and lingering two-shots, and flashbacks shift into warmer, grainier tones. Cassette tapes and their recorded voices give the show a tactile, nostalgic texture, and its soundtrack runs to moody indie pop and piano swells that often feel heavier than the scenes they sit under. The pacing is slow and deliberately drawn out, with long pauses that build dread between episodes of revelation. Emotionally it stays in a sustained register of grief, guilt, and unease, following a teenager as he listens to a dead classmate's account of what drove her to end her life. Intensity is high and unsparing: suicide is central and shown on screen, and rape, sexual assault, and bullying are depicted in graphic, distressing detail. This is not gentle viewing and suits people who want a serious, uncomfortable teen drama about trauma and its aftermath, with viewers who can take hard material and should approach with care.
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