Netflix's latest entry to time loop is Natasha Lyonne's Russian Doll. The American comedy web television series is created by Lyonne, Amy Poehler, and Leslye Headland. The series has been getting astonishing reviews for its content and the phenomenal performance by Natasha Lyonne.
Spoilers ahead:
Natasha Lyonne's Russian Doll follows a woman who repeatedly dies and relives the same night (in this case, her birthday) in an ongoing loop. The series star Lyonne as Nadia is a young freelance software developer in New York City who finds herself in a time loop on the eve of her 36th birthday.
In Russian Doll, Nadia is shown dying several times via different circumstances. The first time she dies after getting hit by a car on a crossway. She later freezes to her death, then she dies multiple times just by falling down the stairs of her friend's house. Every time she dies, she instantly comes back to her friend's apartment where she is standing in front of the bathroom mirror.
By the end of the third episode, Nadia has died and been reborn for a total of 12 times. In the last scene of the episode titled, "A Warm Body," we see Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett), who is also stuck in a time loop, just like Nadia.
Throughout the series, Nadia is trying very hard to find out the reason behind this weird phenomenon. At first, she blames it on the drug which her friend, Maxine (Greta Lee) offered her. But after meeting Alan in an elevator, Nadia understands that there is some deep meaning behind these events in her life. Together with Alan, Nadia goes on a journey of self-exploration and eventually finds out why she is dying and living the same day again.
In the popular media-services provider, we have seen several other movies that have explored the concept of time loop. Bill Murray's Groundhog Day has remained a fan favourite because it served the concept of time loop in the best way possible. In recent years, we have seen Tom Cruise's The Edge of Tomorrow also dealing with the same factor. So, what makes Natasha Lyonne's Russian Doll any different?
The answer lies with Natasha Lyonne. The 39-year-old Lyonne portrayed the role of Nadia so convincingly that for a moment you actually forget that she was the same actress who once featured in movies like Scary Movie 2 and American Pie 2.
Natasha Lyonne's Nadia makes Russian Doll possess all the elements of a pure binge-watch — it does not make you think twice but at the same time, it answers all the questions perfectly. The protagonist may have found herself in the time loop but you won't find anything repetitive, which in the time loop concept, is a rare treat.
Russian Doll is funny, sexy, dark, and at the same time, it is mournfully sad -- a perfect way to celebrate life. It makes you think twice about your life decisions and how they affect us in the long run.
