Everyone knows the names of the big tentpole shows on Netflix: Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Wednesday, and so on. But Netflix produces so much content that there’s always the chance that some show or movie that no one has ever heard can come out of nowhere and blow up. It happened recently with a detective show called Detective Hole, and now it’s happened with a new drama series called Unchosen, which has dominated the charts since it first dropped on April 21.
Unchosen was the most watched show on Netflix during the week of April 20-26, amassing 10.4 million views in the first six days of availability and becoming the number one most watched show in 69 countries. What has people so hooked?
Unchosen is a crackling drama full of lust and longing
Or at least, that’s how it starts
Unchosen is set in a compound operated by the Fellowship of the Divine, a British cult modeled after real-life high-control religious communities like the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. We meet Rosie (Molly Windsor) and Adam (Asa Butterfield), a young couple who abide by the teachings of the church, which demands subservience from women and forbearance from most forms of modern technology.
Rosie and Adam’s lives are upended when their daughter Grace wanders off during a storm and falls into a river. She’s saved by a mysterious stranger named Sam (Fra Fee), who is an outsider to the community, an “unchosen.” Nevertheless, Rosie finds herself attracted to Sam. They begin an affair and Rosie starts questioning everything about the cult and her loveless marriage to Adam, even considering leaving the community for good.
It’s easy to see at least part of the reason why Unchosen appeals to people. The idea of two people who shouldn’t be with each other but who are drawn together anyway is a dependable staple of romance fiction; it’s the engine that powers shows like Bridgerton, North & South, and many others. Will the passion be consummated? Will the lovers get to be together in the end, or will cruel fortune rip them apart? When done well, those questions are a sure-fire way to keep people watching.
That said, Unchosen throws quite a few wrenches into the works.
Unchosen mixes together sex, violence, and religion in a way that’s irresistible
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Unchosen complicates things in the final stretch of its first season. Adam and Rosie have a terrible marriage, but Adam has issues of his own that only become apparent as the show goes on. And while Sam initially presents himself as a dashing stranger, he’s far from a knight in shining armor here to whisk Rosie away from her secluded life. While I won’t drop explicit spoilers, Sam has more than his fair share of demons and might end up being the most loathsome character on the show, although he’s given some nuance as well. There are no cut-and-dry answers on this show.
If the first several episodes of Unchosen trade on the appeal of forbidden sex, the final couple swap that out for violence and action. Some fans found that switch grating and predictable, and critics are split on the show; some see it as a bargain basement thriller that makes poor use of the cast, and some as a bingeable delight that’s sure to entertain people even if the plot can get a little bogged down in cliches.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what the reviews say, because the ratings don’t lie. Unchosen has been the first or second most-watched series on Netflix worldwide ever since it first dropped, so it’s clearly connecting with people. And since the first season is only six episodes long, it doesn’t make any onerous demands on your time. If you get hooked on this show, you can binge the whole thing in an afternoon, and if you’re like any of the other millions of people who have helped it become a huge success, you just might.
Unchosen is stacked with great actors
And they know how to get the most out of the material
One thing even the naysayers agree on is that the acting in Unchosen is top-notch. Molly Windsor projects both vulnerability and grit as Rosie, Asa Butterfield plays against type as the conflicted Adam, and Fra Fee vacillates between alluring and intimidating as Sam. And they may be the weakest actors in the cast. Former Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston is on hand as church leader Mr Phillips, and he effortlessly slides into the role of charismatic demagogue. Matching him beat for beat is Downton Abbey veteran Siobhan Finneran as his wife Mrs Phillips, who hides a secret that becomes crucial later in the season.
The show will also be interesting to anybody looking to gain insight into how cults operate. Early on, Adam’s brother Isaac (Aston McAuley) reveals that he has a smartphone, which is forbidden in the Fellowship of the Divine. Even though he uses that smartphone to save a child, something everyone can agree is a good thing, he’s punished in a creepy way that recalls techniques used by actual cults, which is one of the first things that gets Rosie rethinking her situation.
Plus, the show is gorgeously photographed; it’s grim and dark, which adds to the atmosphere, but not so much that the colors feel muted. Unchosen is a well-made show all around.
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Whither season 2?
Unchosen was advertised as a limited series, but once a show achieves this kind of success, anything is possible. Netflix hasn’t confirmed a second season yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way to continue this story. In the meantime, there are plenty of other fantastic, finished shows on Netflix to binge.
