Netflix fans loving 'unhinged' period drama with 'absurd' characters starring Derry Girls star
Netflix viewers are absolutely enthralled by the darkly comic miniseries The Decameron, lavishing praise on its "absurd" characters and "hilarious" dialogue.
The Decameron is a captivating short series that draws inspiration from a collection of stories from 14th-century Italy penned by Giovanni Boccaccio. Amidst the backdrop of history's most devastating pandemic, The Black Death, the narrative centres around an affluent family's antics as they navigate survival with a liberal dose of sharp wit and humour.
Charting the lives of both aristocrats and their servants as they retreat to a villa to luxuriate out of harm's way, the miniseries quickly descends into mayhem. With a 15 rating, The Decameron boldly embraces its dark comedic elements through explicit sexual content, coarse language, violence, and grisly details, securing its place as a fan favourite.
One assessment from Rotten Tomatoes hails the programme as a "strange and amusing limited series", stating: "Characters that once seemed irredeemable are likeable, if not loveable, by the final episode. Absurd and enjoyable, the series manages to stay light while investigating the dark underbelly of humanity."
Amidst the dread of the Bubonic Plague, audiences witness the characters' desperate fight for survival while asking themselves who truly 'deserves' to survive, providing a mix of mirth and morose moments, reports the Express.
One viewer commented: "While the show is loosely based on a 700-year-old book, I found The Decameron fresh and engaging." They added that the plot and characters felt like they were faithful to the 1300s without being stodgy. "The characters are absolutely absurd, but that is part of their charm."
Launched in 2024, the series boasts a star-studded cast, including the hilarious Tanya Reynolds from Sex Education, alongside Zosia Mamet, best known for her breakout comedic role as Shoshanna Shapiro in HBO's Girls. But the talent doesn't end there; viewers can also look forward to seeing Derry Girl's very own Saoirse-Monica Jackson portray a handmaiden, Misia, alongside Beecham House actor Amar Chadha-Patel.
The dynamic casting of The Decameron has received plenty of accolades, with some even describing the characters as "unhinged".
One review stated: "A period historical series that throws all the comedy and romance tropes out of the window, escalated by the enjoyable performances of a diverse cast untangled from any political narrative. This series is proof that even a story with unpredictable direction and story arcs makes for a hilariously entertaining one."
Another viewer remarked: "The Decameron is a darkly funny, beautiful look at the stripped-down elements of humanity in the face of an unbearable world state."
With Kathleen Jordan at the helm, the unique storyline was in safe hands, as the filmmaker had just come off the back of another Netflix hit, Teenage Bounty Hunters. The humorous historical drama covers a vast amount of territory in its brief eight-episode run, but it seems the series was never meant for an additional season and concludes where the original 14th-century tale does - making it utterly binge-worthy.
If you're keen to see how this much-talked-about show unfolds, all episodes of The Decameron are available to stream on Netflix now.
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