Orange Is the New Black
2013
Original language: English
- drama
- comedy
- crime
The story
A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman to a women's prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-warmed fluorescent corridors and muted institutional greens give way to flashbacks in golden-hour Brooklyn and Chicago, so the show moves between two kinds of light and two kinds of confinement. The camera is mostly handheld and close, lingering in cramped cells, laundry rooms and the commissary, with quick cuts and a restless, jostling energy. Its music leans on bright, bouncy pop and sudden needle-drops that undercut the grim setting. The vibe is busy, warm and wry, with a tough edge: a comfort rewatch that rewards attention, ideal for a binge across several evenings. Its arcs follow a privileged newcomer slowly learning to live among women from very different lives, and the bonds that form in the cell block give the sprawl its heart. Violence is occasional and sometimes sudden, with fights and a few harrowing scenes, but it is not gory; sexual content and nudity appear regularly, and the show deals frankly with abuse, addiction and cruelty. It suits viewers who want dark comedy with real emotional weight and a large ensemble cast, rather than anything gentle.
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