Apple TV Plus’ latest anthology series, Roar, posseses the absurdity and darkness of Black Mirror, yet showcases empowering feminist messages within its surrealist narratives. Based on a 2018 short story collection by Cecelia Ahern, the anthology is a far cry from her usual romance-riddled narratives. Consisting of eight women-led episodes, and portrayed by a stellar cast, Roar explores the complicated themes of love, loss, ambition and identity.,
If you and your loved one(s) are planning to snuggle up and maybe give this series a go, here’s the order of what not to watch, starting from the episodes that are most likely to weird you out.
1. The Woman Who Was Fed By a Duck
Lamented and pressured over her non-existent relationship status, Elisa (Merritt Wever) unexpectedly finds love with a talking duck (voiced by Justin Kirk) who she meets at the park. He’s everything she’s ever needed until he isn’t, proving to be no better than his human counterparts. Arguably one of the weirdest episodes in the anthology, there is a profound message of perseverance and self-love within this “Duck Tales” romance.
2. The Woman Who Found Bite Marks on Her Skin
Career woman Ambia (Cynthia Erivo) struggles to find stability between her corporate job and her new role as a mother, relying on her husband (Jake Johnson) to help shoulder the responsibility. As the stress and guilt grows, so do the random bruises and bite marks that appear on her body. The episode is a grotesque metaphor for how anxiety can literally eat away at you, one where the struggle to balance between profession and parenthood is depicted with frankness and accuracy.
3. The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder
One of the more darker picks of the anthology, it opens with the arrival of two detectives at the crime scene of a murder. The deceased, Becky (Alison Brie), is found strangled with little evidence to suggest who killed her, even to Becky herself, whose spirit is still somehow stuck in the land of the living. After a series of misallegations, however, Spirit Becky helps put the pieces together while she processes feelings about her death. The episode deals with the ugliness of women-hating incel culture and the violent crimes committed against women.
4. The Woman Who Ate Photographs
Robin (Nicole Kidman) is confronted by two uncomfortable realities at the same time: her dementia-diagnosed mother (Judy Davis) moving in with her, and her son leaving for college. Her only solace comes in the form of eating photographs, which allow her to relive fond memories of the past. Kidman delivers a deeply poignant and raw portrayal of a woman at crossroads, burdened under the weight of age and crippling loneliness.
5. The Woman Who Disappeared
Best-selling novelist Wanda Hill (Issa Rae) heads over to Los Angeles to discuss optioning her novel into a film. Once she gets there, she discovers that her incredibly personal novel will be reduced to a VR experience, sensationalising her story for the white masses. She voices her concerns but finds that no one can hear or see her, slowly becoming invisible to all the white people around her. The episode provides honest insight into how a person of colour navigates a white man’s world, and the commodification of their experiences for entertainment.
6. The Woman Who Was Kept on a Shelf
Model Amelia (Betty Gilpin) has been groomed as a “pretty face” all her life until she finds refuge in the arms of a rich man (Daniel Dae Kim) that seems to cherish her with love. Except her husband wants her to devote all her time to sitting on a shelf, as his prized possession which he can gaze at while he works. As time passes, Amelia begins feeling isolated, devoid of attention from her husband, and tries desperately to reintegrate back into the real world. The allegorical depiction of the “trophy wife” provides an acute study of Becky’s struggles with identity and autonomous choice.
7. The Woman Who Returned Her Husband
After 37 years of marriage, Anu (Meera Syal) is fed up with her husband’s lack of regard and indifference, and decides to return him to the store. Yet, the revolving door of husbands that come after don’t seem to be a right fit for Anu, and she finds herself reflecting on what went wrong in the first place. The concept is deliriously comical and unique, probing how communication and honesty is essential to keeping any relationship afloat.
8. The Girl Who Loved Horses
If there was one episode of Roar that perfectly captured the saying “friendship, trust, and pixie dust,” this one has it in the bag. Horse-obsessed Jane (Fivel Stewart) and her friend Millie (Kara Hayward) set off on a revenge-driven mission to kill her father’s murderer, Silas McCall (Alfred Molina). It’s the most wholesome of the eight-part series, putting a unique spin on the classic Western with friendship and camaraderie at the forefront.
With each episode spanning a 30-minute length, Roar is a testament to womanhood with an almost magical realist take. Some episodes feel like a gut punch, while others leave you lukewarm. Despite their incoherence, however, the performances by the cast are sure to keep you watching till the end.
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