By MAGNOLIA LAFLEUR | Reporter
Former Palisadian and Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman stars in the anthology series “Roar” on Apple TV+, which aired on Friday, April 15.
Based on short stories by the Irish author Cecelia Ahern, and created by “Glow’s” Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, “Roar” gives viewers eight standalone stories of what Ahern perceives “what it means to be a woman today.”
Ahern is known for stories that focus on people at their highest point of pain, the unsettling side of humanity and their ascension from dark spaces.
“I’m drawn to writing about loss, to characters that have fallen and who feel powerless in their lives,” according to Ahern’s website. “I am fascinated and inspired by the human spirit, by the fact that no matter how hopeless we feel and how dark life can be, we do have the courage, strength and bravery to push through our challenging moments.”
The show unveils dark storylines that involve beastiality, macabre scenes of teeth coming out of bloodied wounds, and teenage “incels” in basements.
Described by Apple TV+ as “dark comedic feminist fables,” the show weaves each story around gender roles, autonomy and identity. In Kidman’s episode, she eats photographs to preserve her memories.
“Featuring a unique blend of magical realism, familiar domestic and professional scenarios, and futuristic worlds, these eight stories mirror the dilemmas of ordinary women in accessible yet surprising ways,” according to Apple TV+. “How they emerge from their respective journeys speaks to the resiliency that exists within themselves and with all women.”
Kidman is joined by a star-studded cast which includes Issa Rae, Cynthia Erivo, Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Meritt Wever and more.
“There’s a lot of darkness and edge in a lot of these stories, but I think we’re always trying to find some degree of growth or hope or momentum for these characters,” Flahive said in an interview with IndieWire. “Because I think mostly, we want to leave them different or better than we found them.”
Kidman most recently starred in the Oscar nominated film “Being the Ricardos,” and has starred in several television shows including “The Undoing,” “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers.”
“Roar” is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
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