The Decameron, first written in 1353 by Giovanni Boccaccio has often been classified as a culturally significant part of literature, and today, has been turned into an 8-part Netflix series.
If you’re wondering about this series being yet another pandemic story, then you are both right and wrong, but for the sake of praising The Decameron, let’s just say you’re wrong.
When the streaming platform first released the teaser of The Decameron, starring Zosia Mamet, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Jessica Plummer, Tanya Reynolds, and Karan Gill amongst several other talented actors and actresses, people were shocked and excited all at the same time. Keeping those emotions intact, here’s our review of Netflix’s raunchy black comedy!
A Visual and Humorous Treat
It is time to travel back to 14th-century Italy amidst the Black Death, the infamous bubonic plague pandemic. The Decameron follows the lives of a group of Italian nobles, and their servants, who in hopes of dodging and remaining safe from the plague have fled to the lush countryside in a luxurious home.
Of course, this also reflects a part of the panic plenty suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but don’t worry, The Decameron isn’t a scary story about the lack of hospital beds. P.S. Do keep a lookout for the opening credits!
The whimsical music and dialogue from the very first scene of the series are more than enough to establish the backdrop, whilst also instilling faith in the viewers that this is going to be a fun ride, from start to finish. Zosia Mamet opens the series, sharing the screen with Saoirse-Monica Jackson, setting the unserious tone of The Decameron, and from that moment on, things only get better.
Now, of course, the Black Death isn’t meant to be an unserious time and isn’t a subject of laughter, but one can’t hold their emotions back during this series, especially not with the humor which has tagged along with plenty of tragedy, and this is only the beginning of The Decameron.
While the first episode might have you hooked, remind yourself that there’s plenty more to come, with some of your favorite faces in film and television.
The actual plot of The Decameron starts after the nobles, their servants, and some others have made their way to the luxurious villa, and everything that follows after is chaos, humor, and innuendos that one must strive to keep up with.
And amid the chaos, don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for the brilliant cinematography, color, and overall setting that make this series a visual treat.
In a cast this large, it was a little difficult to keep track of whose performance we liked the most, but if there was one name that came up ever so often, it was Zosia Mamet as Pampinea, and a special mention also goes to Douggie McMeekin.
All eight episodes of The Decameron are a riot, in the best way possible, and while there are plenty of raunchy scenes filled with comedy and some shockers, there is a subplot in the backdrop that helps string the series of events together.
Conclusion
The Decameron is extremely different from anything that has landed on Netflix in the last handful of years, which is something that adds to the thrill of this series. We would love to know in the comments below what you think of this series!