Netflix’s newest crime drama Clickbait is all the rage.
Having debuted yesterday, FlixPatrol reports the TV series is the second most popular show on Netflix in the U.S. today. Globally, Clickbait rounds out the top five.
An eight-part miniseries from Tony Ayres (The Slap) and Christian White, each episode complicates the mystery of a kidnapping broadcasted on social media. Former Entourage star Adrian Grenier is at the center of the ensemble cast as Nick Brewer, a family man abducted for alleged wrongdoings.
Forced to admit his offenses in progressively horrifying videos, family secrets unravel as each episode cuts to a different perspective: ranging from his sister (played by Zoe Kazan) to his wife (Betty Gabriel), sons (Cameron Engels, Jaylin Fletcher), and others. While the internet watches, detective Roshan Amiri (Phoenix Raei) seeks out answers wherever he can find them.
Accountability on the internet is the central theme of the series, forcing characters and viewers alike to grapple with horrific violences by someone they do (and don’t) know. It’s a gruesome premise, which will no doubt turn some viewers away.
Australian screenwriter Tony Ayres is no stranger to unraveling social fabrics. He was the showrunner and director of The Slap, a once sensational Australian drama about the secrets of a friend group of middle-class families. Christian White’s influence is evident. The screenwriter previously worked on small horror films such as Relic and bends the production toward the tone of a thriller.