A few weeks ago, I binged the new Netflix series Russian Doll. Starring and directed by Orange is the New Black’s Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll is a crazy, matrix like story with a mix of darkness, sci-fi, and satire.
Following New Yorker Nadia, who keeps dying and coming back to life on the night of her birthday, the show has you questioning how time, dimensions, and the mind truly work. The show is a confusing montage of events including a missing cat, drugs, and multiple deaths.
Russian Doll keeps you intrigued with a cast of colorful characters, and Natasha Lyonne’s familiar sarcastic banter. The show also explores issues with mental illness and family structure. Although it may leave you snickering in some scenes, there are also many “WTF” moments, some that are very bleak to watch.
According to Lyonne’s interview on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Russian Doll is a project 7 years in the making. Lyonne states that it is partly based on experiences in her life.
With hundreds of twists and turns and alternate realities, the end of the show may have you confused, but understandably so. It leaves you wanting more and might have you spiraling into an existential crisis.