In 1999, an author named Lemony Snicket began publishing the tale of the Baudelaire Siblings, a trio of children who led a very unlucky life. The stories were collected under the title A Series of Unfortunate Events, and received great fame and popularity around the world and even had a film made comprising the first three tomes (though we probably shouldn’t mention that here.)
Recently, Netflix released their own adaptation of the Baudelaire Saga, and oh boy is it a treat!
As previously mentioned, the plot follows the three siblings as they travel from one series of unfortunate events (ohhhh, that’s where the title comes from!) to another after their parents are killed in a house fire and they are sent to live with their cousin Count Olaf, an abysmal actor who wants to get his hands on the children’s vast fortune.
Despite the tragic nature of the tale, the series contains a lot of deadpan humour and clever writing, with much making reference to the unique writing style of Snicker (played by Patrick Warburton) as he narrates the story and gives exposition to a number of the exploits and twists that come up throughout the narrative, all delivered in the style of an investigative detective as he attempts to unravel the mystery of what happened during the fire and subsequent adventures.
The three young protagonists are also wonderful actors (well, two out of three, but it’s hard to criticise the third when they’re just a baby), both of whom are able to portray their characters as intelligent and resourceful without coming across as precocious or annoying, something of a challenge both for writers and the young actors in other scenarios. However, it is the villainous Count Olaf (played by Neil Patrick-Harris) who is often able to steal the scene, albeit in such a way that it doesn’t upstage the rest of the cast. His incredibly transparent attempts to steal the fortune of his wards causes no end of delight to the viewer as the rest of the cast, aside from the children, play up to the Adults are Useless trope, completely ignoring his fiendish mutterings or outrightly laughing them off instead of helping the children, leaving them to save the day.
On top of the fantastic acting, the series also has a wonderfully unique visual style. Despite the fact that a lot of the exterior shots look to have been filmed in front of a green screen, the overall mise en scene generated by the shots helps lend a surreal quality to the show. Of particular note is the distinct juxtaposition of Count Olaf’s house compared to his neighbours’, the vibrant colours and quaint, picturesque cottages slowly diffuse into a greying, run-down landscape which one would more commonly associate with a haunted house, or somewhere several murders have taken place.
Ultimately, there is plenty here for all to enjoy; be it the narrator’s po-faced delivery, or Olaf’s hammy acting. The humour is subtle but abundant, and the story proceeds at a rapid pace that carries you along quite comfortably. You will not be disappointed by this series, unless you’re hoping for a happy ending, in which case, I wouldn’t hold your breath.
A Series of Unfortunate Events is available on Netflix now.
