Kissing Game

In the provocative Brazilian series, Kissing Game, viewers are transported to a rural town in Brazil where life is soon sent into a frenzy as a malicious contagion spreads through the community. From the international streaming powerhouse, Netflix, comes this six-episodes-long series that first made its thrilling mark in 2020.

Diving into the heart of the plot without revealing any spoilers, Kissing Game is as much a social commentary as it is a dystopian horror-focused series. The story revolves around a group of teenagers living in a rural community who become the epicenter of a dangerous, contagion-spreading epidemic that gets transferred through kissing. As the mysterious, deadly and horrifying disease quickly makes its way through the group, the series explores the terrifying aftermath and the drastic steps society is willing to take to attempt to curtail its devastating effects.

Center stage in this insidious drama are the teens of the small farming town who live out the reckless abandon associated with their youth, and with it, they become the perfect bed for the spread of the illness. The seemingly innocent act of kissing at a party suddenly leads to life-changing consequences that turns their world upside down. It makes sense why the original Portuguese title of the show literally translates to 'The Kissers', highlighting the central element around which the story revolves.

While the series is primarily set against a backdrop of a catastrophe, it also depicts a microcosm of larger society, showcasing friction between generations, economic groups, and untreated mental health issues. To make things even more unnerving, the underlying, ever-present sense of paranoia, and harrowing existential dread is amplified by vivid cinematography and a uniquely unsettling score. Despite being a horror series, Kissing Game doesn’t shy away from dark humor, extending the narrative from the struggles of the younger generation to the adults, pushing them to question their own responsibilities and moralities.

Even though Kissing Game can be classified as a gore-filled teenage horror series, it possesses wider appeal as it robustly investigates societal themes and interpersonal relations. The series challenges the notion of 'superior' societal classes, prejudice, conspicuous consumption, the role of digital media in spreading panic and disinformation, as well as the ability of society to overlook clear issues due to fear and stigma.

Another fascinating aspect of Kissing Game is its integration of aspects of modern culture. The series cleverly employs an atmospheric, synth-driven score and neon-drenched visuals, giving an eerie, futuristic edge to the small-town setting. The teens' reliance on, and manipulation of, digital platforms to navigate their world is an interesting commentary on current societal trends around social media.

The acting is commendable across the board. The young cast ensemble, featuring new talents, excellently portray their characters’ individual struggles against the bizarre epidemic, their navigation of the troubling disease, and the effects it imposes on their families, relationships, and understanding of life and death.

The series is a pulse-pounding ride from start to finish with a fair share of gore, fights, cliffhangers, and last-minute saves. The carefully woven plot leaves no room for the viewer to predict what's coming. While it does have disturbing and gruesome scenes, the show is as cerebral as they come, practically inviting the audience to think, decipher, and delve deep into the narrative's layers. The flashes of intense imagery and escalating tension keep viewers at the edge of their seats, making Kissing Game a perfect binge-watching material for those who can stomach the horror.

In summary, Netflix's Kissing Game offers an engaging contradiction of a dread-inducing, contagion-spreading plot supplemented by a deep exploration of societal issues that transcends the small Brazilian town where it's set. It's a startling, unique blend of dystopian horror, drama, and social critique that is sure to resonate with many viewers around the globe.