Bad Behaviour

I remember seeing the ads for this and thinking "wow this could be bad." but I watched it all in one sitting and it ended up being really good? That was the surprising thing. It was just daring to be different and daring to change the normal of just a 'school drama', the director and cast did a fantastic job at bringing this to life, congrats.

What this shows is that you can never really hide from the past and make sure the future looks safe when its not and unfortunately while everyone else let go of the past Jo couldn't. Jo is the epitome of 'can't let go' and it really shows when she meets the people from her past who have let go their previous lives at the school.

You can run from the past but you cannot hide from it.

It's fair to say, this is a different direction to the typical Australian Bildungsroman.

The show is incredibly dark, gritty, at times brutally tragic, but clever and overall, unapologetic. Watching it feels like an Australian version of "Euphoria" meets "Yellow Jackets", with similar tones and themes from each. The pace works for the longer episodes, and the dialogue depicts Australian teens well.

The young female cast shine in this. For me, the character of Emma (played by Abbey Morgan) was a standout. The character of Alice was also particularly likeable and found the tormented relationships although sad, genuinely believable. It also allows the audience to think about how they would cope as 15 year olds left in the woods to their own devices just how challenging that environment would be. The setting itself is beautiful, with contrast between the Melbourne city to the stunning Victorian High Country.

It's definitely not going to be for everyone and the warning at the start of each episode is warranted, but overall, a bold new Australian show that is far from the generic with a phenomenal female cast that is sorely needed on our screens.

As others have pointed out, this brief series is not particularly joyful and so, if you think you might struggle to watch kids and adults bullying each other, then Bad Behaviour might be better avoided. However, for me, it was the powerfully credible depiction of the suffering endured by characters in the show that made it worth watching. I felt that it accurately conveyed the struggles of teenage years and the dark plot was engaging without being gratuitously disturbing.

The cast performed with great sensitivity and the use of the same actors across both timelines was seamlessly executed. This highly convincing duality of character portrayal was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the series.

Once again, Australian television delivers a distinctive series that focuses on complex themes, stunning scenery and excellent acting, without stringing the viewer along unnecessarily.

It's definitely not horror genre, but it does remind me of a horror movie. It's just a whole series of uncomfortable, painful and awful experiences one after the other. I think if you enjoy watching awful things happen, then you would enjoy this. But if you want something more than that, then you will likely not enjoy this.

Having said that, the cinematography was great and I thought most of the acting was excellent, especially Kavenagh.

I also loved that a gender neutral character was included without making a big deal about it. A conversation between people using them/they super naturally is really lovely and still quite a progressive thing I think. So, I appreciated that.

But as I said, the storyline was just too constantly painful for me to give a higher review.

I think most negative reviews stem from the fact that the protagonist is one of the most despicable human beings ever to grace a tv screen.

Every second is pure agony to watch. These girls are mean, they are weak and spoiled.

The fact that this show makes me feel all this hate and dismay clearly shows how well the characters are portrayed and acted.

Sadly it makes the show almost unwatchable.

If you like "Yellowjackets" or the much more obscure "Ondskan", here you can "enjoy" similar feelings, but a lot less watered down, and for hours on end.

I did not like watching this. But I respect the artistry. 8.5/10.