With an incredible reenactment of one of America’s cold cases, Hulu delivered the first two episodes of the “The Act” on March 20. The series offers true crime drama at its most exploitative.
This unsettling yet interesting episodes dig deep into the odd lives of mother-daughter duo who schemed the world with a sham of illnesses used to further benefit themselves from others.
To be more broad, daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard was allegedly manipulated by her own mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, to extend such lies throughout her preadolescence. It then eventually became ongoing until she obviously stabbed her to death.
So far, the beginning of this series holds a few heartbreaking moments in which Gypsy is characterized as an innocent child who was rather pulled away from society and of course from having a childhood of her own.
At the same time, she was considered as a murderer not a victim who also had intentions of arranging meetings with men online.
It became quite disturbing to know how literal Dee Dee took her daughter’s “illnesses” when knowing that it would put her daughter’s life at risk.
Such actions ranged from having a cabinet filled with only pills prescribed to Gypsy, to placing a feeding tube in her stomach and forcing her to spend part of her life in a wheelchair.
But who else would give an outstanding performance better than Joey King’s role as Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee?
This wild venture of course couldn’t have been fulfilled without AnnaSophia Robb and Chloe Sevigny who played the roles of neighbors Lacy and Mel. Former Disney Star Calum Worthy makes a spot later on in the series as Nick GodeJohn, a boyfriend Gypsy made online whom held a part in Dee Dee’s homicide.
The cast, specifically King and Arquette, executed their roles as the Blanchards perfectly.
It’s evident to say that there was a lot of hard work put into these parts. If we were to further go into detail, it can be said that the actresses captured an exact interpretation of movements and speech the actual individuals would’ve done which is quite chilling.
Although many know the event well enough, they probably don’t know facts nor the circumstances that occurred. This is where to show would come in.
“The Act” offers more details into this burden and it rather leaves are minds unsure of the next scene. The series spins off flashbacks and current events, such as the finding of Dee Dee’s homicide, back and forth.
The horrifying thriller is fascinating to watch from beginning to end a couple of times, or let’s just say more than twice.
Hulu will continue to premiere new episodes every Wednesday at 9 p.m., so don’t put off watching this series. It isn’t too late to watch the first two episodes to catch up. Once watching them, you won’t be able to stop watching.
