BECOMING WRETCHED
Ratched One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Fans of psychological drama and thrillers should be familiar with the classic novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and its film adaptation which stars Jack Nicholson as a patient at a mental institution. The film is considered by many to be among the greatest ever made and it undoubtedly features one of the most underrated antagonists in the history of film. The plot involves Mildred Ratched, a nurse at a mental institution who is controlling and jaded, and ultimately an outright monster to her patients. The character in the original 1975 film was played by Louise Fletcher, who won an Academy Award for her performance.
Therefore, it was nice to hear that Netflix recently released Ratched,a new eight-episode series that gives nurse Ratched her own mini-series in which viewers get to see some of the backstory of how and why she became quite so cruel. This time around, her character is played by Sarah Paulson and despite the show featuring stunning visuals and great performances by Paulson and other cast members, I found the story somewhat messy and a missed opportunity for the creators.
The plot is set in 1947 when Ratched arrives in California seeking employment at a leading psychiatric hospital where new and unsettling experiments on the human mind are taking place. As part of her cunning plan, Ratched presents herself as the perfect version of what a dedicated nurse should be. However, we soon learn that she is a master manipulator. As the story progresses, the audience gets to learn Ratched’s real motive for taking up the job (she has a hidden agenda and a connection to someone there).
If you’re wondering whether you should rewatch One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest before watching Ratched in order to understand the whole story or to get the full experience, I don’t think it’s necessary. This new show does not mimic, imitate or relate to the original film or book in any way at all. In fact, I think they are different beasts altogether. Ratched was created by Ryan Murphy, the same guy who gave us the American Horror franchise. While Ratched was made to create a certain air of mystery and tell a story in retro, Hitchcockian psychological thriller type fashion, I felt like this was just another season of American Horror Story. Moreover, Ratched, just like any other Ryan Murphy creation, has strong LGBTI themes and characters.
One of the very first things that you’ll notice is how vivid the colour palettes in the show are with matching themes like blue and yellow or red and green. The interior, the lighting and the costume design complement one another but also play off each other. The music score in each episode is another highlight and should resonate with its heavy emphasis on orchestral brass and strings that amplifies what music from that era would sound like. At times, the music may sound similar to what is heard in Disney films — lively and cheerful — but it can drastically change into something eerie and suspenseful, something you might expect in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. With that said, the mood and tone of this mini-series is detached and is nothing like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Ratched starts out quite strong but then gradually fizzles out towards the end of the season, which is a little disappointing. The main storyline is wrapped up pretty much halfway through the series and the final few episodes feel clumsily thrown together in an attempt to create a second season. However, what will keep you entertained are all the supporting cast members such as Judy Davis as head nurse Betsy Bucket, who is a rival of Ratched, and Sophie Okonedo as Charlotte Wells, a newly diagnosed patient with a dissociative identity disorder who shines in every scene she is in. The show also stars Sharon Stone in the role of tempered wealthy lady Lenore Osgood and she is just as iconic as you would imagine. But a great cast cannot save this series. I think some of the characters used felt a bit wasted. The show could have been better if they fleshed out some of the characters more. Of course, Sarah Paulson’s performance is top-notch but the way that her character is written is messy. The characterisation is so muddled and constantly in flux that it changes from scene to scene. It just doesn’t make much sense.
Again, you can’t really compare Ratched with the original film because they’re different. If you’re looking for a prequel to Cuckoo’s Nest, you will probably be disappointed. But if you’re a fan of American Horror Story or just looking for casual entertainment and some suspense, you might actually enjoy this.