Getting bodily can get more and more macabre 

Weird however addictive, “Bodily 100” has clocked up greater than 100 million hours of watch time in its first three weeks of streaming, writes NICK OVERALL. 

WHAT if we did “Squid Sport”, however in actual life?

One can simply think about the greenback indicators within the Netflix government’s eyes once they heard the concept.

It’s just about what “Bodily 100” is – a brand new South Korean actuality present the place 100 individuals compete in gruelling bodily and psychological challenges with the intention to be the final one standing and declare an enormous money prize.

And no, in contrast to the present that impressed it, the sin bin isn’t in a coffin.

For latecomers, “Squid Sport” was the South-Korean collection that got here storming on to the streaming market in late 2021 and rapidly turned the world’s hottest present.

The weird premise noticed the story’s characters plucked off the streets by mysterious figures and pitted in opposition to one another in more and more macabre kids’s video games on a distant island.

Win, and the cash-strapped contestants saved their likelihood alive at taking dwelling hundreds of thousands of {dollars}; lose, nonetheless, and the penalty was loss of life.

Quick ahead 17 months, and “Bodily 100” hits Netflix, a present that takes the identical basic concept of a single victor who outlasts 99 others in a collection of maximum challenges.

They understand it, too. Within the first episode, two of the contestants themselves say they really feel like they’re in “Squid Sport”.

It’s confirmed a success. In its first three weeks of streaming the present has already clocked up greater than 100 million hours of watch time.

It’s a weird, however admittedly addictive watch. The coterie of ripped athletes all take the competitors they’ve signed up for extremely severely. 

In a single recreation, they fiercely wrestle each other for management of a ball. In one other, they hold for so long as they will on metallic bars suspended above a big pool of water.

We’ve seen this premise show well-liked earlier than. Suppose all 44 seasons of “Survivor” – and that’s simply the American product.

Netflix has taken this successful formulation and packaged it in a bingeable format that’s not interrupted by adverts (for now, anyway). It’s additionally value noting that the competitors is definitely an entire lot extra sportsmanlike than the present that impressed it.

For individuals who need their tv darker although, season two of “Squid Sport” is rumoured to be getting a launch date quickly.

Like many, I used to be shocked by simply how compelling season one was. Although I used to be a little bit dissatisfied once I found it wasn’t about sporting cephalopods. 

JUMPING over to the facet of streaming that doesn’t ask on your bank card, SBS On Demand has a brand new true-crime thriller this month properly value trying out.

Throughout 5 expertly crafted episodes, “The Stroll-In” tells the true story of a neo-nazi plot to assassinate a British MP in 2018. For individuals who didn’t catch it on the time, 23-year-old Jack Renshaw made headlines around the globe when he disturbingly purchased a machete with the intent to homicide Labour politician Rosie Collins.

It got here on the peak of tensions that had been supercharged by a looming Brexit vote – a second which deeply fractured the British political panorama.

The present stars Stephen Graham as Matthew Collins, an activist who gathers intelligence for anti-fascism organisation Hope Not Hate. The collection charts his trials to take down the far-right extremist group Nationwide Motion, who on the time had been feared to be devising terrorist actions. 

For sure, “The Stroll-In” doesn’t precisely make for straightforward viewing, but when a up to date and political true-crime thriller raises your eyebrows that is one to not miss.

TOUCHING down at dwelling, Australia’s latest streaming drama present is popping some heads. Streaming on Stan, “Unhealthy Behaviour” takes viewers to the horrifying world that’s an all-girls boarding faculty. Based mostly on the ebook of the identical title by Rebecca Starford, the coming-of-age story follows 15-year-old Jo and her makes an attempt to navigate the politics of her dormitory.

As many will know first hand, it’s no simple feat. The present is unflinching in its exploration of the cruelty of highschool.

From “The Getting of Knowledge” to “Puberty Blues”, the Aussie teen drama has had loads of display screen time however “Unhealthy Behaviour” nonetheless manages to carve itself out as a poignant coming-of-age story that makes for an uncomfortable however addictive piece of streaming.

These teenage women are horrifying sufficient to present the monsters in “The Final Of Us” a run for his or her cash.