Flatshare, Paramount+ Review: A romantic comedy perfect for a cost-of-living crisis

Adapted from the 2019 novel of the same name by Beth O’Leary, a new series from Paramount+. shared apartment – in which two hot young things are forced to share an apartment and a bed, just not at the same time – seems very relevant. Because when every rom-com needs a ridiculous vanity to bring their love interests together, a cost-of-living crisis naturally fits into the 2022 TV series.

To get away from the hustle and bustle of traditional cohabitation, housemates are planning to live completely separate lives in a one-bedroom apartment in London. Webzine writer Tiffany (Jessica Brown Findlay) spends her evenings and weekends alone, while night shift hospice worker Leon (Anthony Welsh) uses the apartment to take a nap during the week and spends Saturdays and Sundays with his girlfriend Kay.

Both have good reason to agree to their inventive agreement – after breaking up with the obvious love of her life, Justin (Bart Edwards), Tiffany can’t afford to rent the entire apartment on her own. Meanwhile, Leon is saving up money to pay his brother Richie’s legal fees (he’s in jail for armed robbery).

Since the rough outlines of their timeshare are barely agreed upon, Tiffany and Leon have to work out the details. Their passive-aggressive conversations about refrigerator shelves and changing toilet paper will be familiar to most, and they communicate exclusively through post-it notes. shared apartmenttarget audience is millennials. Of course, when Tiffany wandered around East London, in the office of the cocky, edgy magazine she works for, filling Leon’s fridge with organic milk she can’t afford, I felt like I was being noticed.

shared apartment sticks to tried and tested techniques, but the six-episode format means there’s time to get to know the characters. Slightly pretentious and selfish, Tiffany is ultimately creative and loving, especially attached to her best friends Maya and Moe. Leon, on the other hand, is more conscientious, determined to prove the innocence of his brother and the dedicated hospice residents he cares for. for, especially 13-year-old Holly, who wants to enjoy her life, although it probably won’t be for long.

Despite their outward differences, these two complement each other more than they think. Breaking up with Tiffany affects their work, while Leon’s work affects his relationship… if only they could teach each other something about their blind spots, right? Be careful what you wish for: When Tiffany answers a call from Richie in prison and tells his story in her journal, their lives collide in person for the first time. The keywords are good intentions, switched wires and plot denouement.

Adding emotional excitement to practical excitement, Justin, the ex-Tiffany, is back in the picture. Wavering between simple humiliation and grandiose displays of affection – “no one will ever love you the way I love you” – his emotionally abusive behavior delivers some of the series’ most poignant and nuanced moments; Less believable is the elaborate weekend trip to Brighton that Holly orchestrated as a ploy to create romance between Tiffany and Leon.

shared apartment it is a novel written by numbers, but it has enough brilliant moments to make up for any flaws in the formula. Before heading out on a date with her ex, Tiffany stuffs a neatly rolled fork full of spaghetti into her mouth, chews it casually, and completely banishes any hint of the petite leading lady (but makes her even cuter).

For better or worse, rom-coms live or die depending on the attractiveness of their main characters and the chemistry between them: I am happy to report that not only Findlay and Welsh make a very good impression of two lovers, but I am in love with them. it’s both of them too.

The hearty Leon of Wales brings the fugitive Tiffany Findlay back down to earth, and the characters do an admirable job of making the undeniably bizarre post-it method of communication seem romantic, not just ineffective.

Between its amazing cast, tough characterization, and just the right amount of spaghetti surprises to keep viewers guessing, shared apartment, the best-selling status meant that his adaptation had a high bar—consider it fulfilled. Only.