An ‘addictively compelling’ thriller series that follows a group of teenagers trying to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash is now streaming on a free streaming service.
First hitting screens in 2021, the premise of Yellowjackets was inspired by the Andes flight disaster and the Donner Party.
Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the first season follows the teenagers in the aftermath of the plane crash in 1996, while the second is set 25 years later and focuses on the survivors’ attempts to piece their lives back together.
A synopsis for the series teases: ‘Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls’ soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness.
‘The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.’
It stars a large ensemble cast including Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, and Samantha Hanratty as the core teenage survivors, while Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, and Christina Ricci play their adult counterparts.
The first season was critically acclaimed, with reviews calling it ‘addictive and unsettling’.
‘Yellowjackets sets up a fascinating mystery that feels inspired by the rawest parts of Alive, The Lord of the Flies, and Lost, which are now stitched together into this gory potboiler,’ IGN Movies wrote in its review.
‘Feels like a hybrid of other shows that nonetheless forms its own compelling teen/adult psychological study, with some dashes of horror and cannibalism added to the mix,’ Vulture wrote.
‘There is something incredibly bingeable about [Yellowjackets] in that the writing keeps building on itself, growing in potency as we get to know these characters better and better, courtesy of one of the best ensembles of the season,’ RogerEbert.com explained.
Meanwhile Variety warned viewers the show would ‘creep under your skin’.
Viewers also called it a ‘revelation’, and ‘must-watch’ that left them ‘on the edge of their seats’.
Yellowjackets has since been followed by a further two seasons, with a fourth and final also due to air this year. The series also currently boasts an impressive 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This week the first two seasons were released on ITVX, now making the streaming service the exclusive UK free-to-air destination for the hit US series.
Throughout its run Yellowjackets has picked up 10 Emmy nominates, including outstanding drama series and acting nominations for Lynskey and Ricci; three Writers Guild of America Award nominations; five Television Critics Association Award nominations, a Peabody Award nomination, and a Critics’ Choice Award.
But for those who have yet to tune in – be warned – season two eventually saw the teenagers descend into full-blown cannibalism in the wilderness.
Speaking to Metro last year, Lynskey warned viewers that she would ‘wouldn’t watch it with dinner or lunch’.
Asked how she felt about the fact flesh eating tended to be people’s plot point of choice when discussing the show, the New Zealand born star, 45, thoughtfully replied: ‘I understand it’s fascinating to people.
‘[But] it’s not what I typically lead with. It’s also the least interesting thing to me.’
Melanie continued: ‘I think that once people start watching the show, they see how many layers there are to it.
‘There was a time early on when season one was airing and people were like, “You need to look at Reddit. It’s so fun”.’
She went on to add: ‘Near the end of the season, people [on Reddit] were like, “Where’s the cannibalism? There’s not enough cannibalism”.
‘And I was like, really? It should be other things making you want to watch the show.’
Yellowjackets is streaming on ITVX and Paramount Plus.
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