A fan of suspense, thriller, and dark romance? The popular Netflix exclusive “You” should fit the bill.
You is a series written by Greg Berlanti and Sara Gamble, based on the book of the same name by Caroline Kepnes.
Captivating audiences since it first aired in 2018, You explores unhealthy obsession, identity, burning desire, and dark romance,
This is a series begins where a charming bookstore clerk Joe Goldberg, played by talented actor Benn Badgely, meets and falls in love with a young woman, Guinevere Beck, played by Elizabeth Lail.
It may start out innocently enough, but over time, it delves into the blurred lines between romance and danger, love and lust, and much more.
And over time, his dark obsession leads him to commit increasingly horrific acts.
He initially starts off by looking her up on facebook, finding her apartment, and slowly beginning to stalk her, doing such things like watching her through her apartment window, stealing her stuff when he leaves, watching her as she goes to restaurants with her friends, and murdering those that get in his way.
Another habit of his is keeping things he steals in boxes, such as clothes, jewelry, photos, and other of her belongings.
He keeps this box inside of a small opening in his bathroom ceiling.
While he does all this, he uses the fact that it’s “love”, as constant reassurance for this behavior.
The core theme of the show is obsession, which is woven into its narrative.
One of the key parts of the show is Joe’s internal monologue, we know what he’s thinking at all times, making it much easier to read him like a book, seeing how twisted he can truly be at times.
For instance, after meeting Beck’s abusive boyfriend, Benji, he thinks that he is not fit for someone like her.
So, in his mind, the only correct solution is to trap him in a box for days, killing him after a period of time.
This action shows how hypocritical he is, showing that he believes he’s some kind of savior, believing he’s saving her.
Another conflict that comes up during this first season is Beck’s best friend, Peach, is also obsessed with her, having multiple photos of her saved on various devices.
However, in Joe’s mind, instead of trying to warn Beck about it, he takes it upon himself to sneak into Peach’s home, where she and Beck are staying.
He watches them through various hallways and rooms, up until, after Beck leaves, Peach catched him, and corners him with a gun.
Though we don’t see the conflict it ends wuth Joe instead shooting her, and writing a suicide note to make it seem like she died on her own terms.
Eventually, Beck sees the peeled back bathroom ceiling, and finds the box of her stolen items.
Deeply disturbed, Beck tries to run, but he knocks her out, trapping her inside the basement of his bookstore.
After Beck manages to trick him into opening the basement store, he attempts an escape. But, she finds the basement door to be locked, and with no escape, Joe kills her.
This was only a brief recap of season one out of four, so if you would like to know the rest, I recommend watching the show yourself.