Lola Upside Down

Lola Upside Down is a captivating Finnish drama series, originally released on the MHz Choice channel in 2016. Based on the bestselling novel "Lola's life" by Monika Fagerholm, this beautifully executed series delves effortlessly into a dazzling kaleidoscope of interconnected stories, creating an enchanting blend of human experiences, seasonal influences, and emotional constellations.

The plot is set in a small, eccentric seaside town in southwestern Finland, predominantly during the 1980s. A place whose inhabitants are alive with small-town dynamics, personal histories, and collective secrets, it is here in this isolated town where the setting becomes almost as vital a character as the people themselves.

The titular character, Lola, is a charismatic, bold, and fiercely independent girl, whose relentless spirit tends to create ripples in the placid waters of the town. As the series progresses, Lola’s life and experiences form the linchpin, reverberating through the diversified narrative, thus threading multiple storylines together.

In this captivating drama, viewers get to witness the quirks, antics, and dramas of the tight-knit community, focusing not only on Lola's life but also on individuals closely connected with her. The show portrays a world where everyone is incredibly intertwined by a mixture of relationships - rooted in love, friendship, rivalry, longing and resentment, thus painting an elaborate canvass of human emotions and connections.

Lola Upside Down raises occasional nods to the magical realism genre, posing existential questions that challenge the characters and viewers alike. The series intelligently demystifies how the past can hold power over the present, how secrets can mold a community, and how human frailties and strengths co-exist, making it an enticing blend of psychological exploration and human narrative.

The show boasts high production values, featuring stunning cinematography that captures the placid beauty of the Finnish coastal sceneries, while also highlighting the often isolating, limiting realities of small-town life. Beautifully agnostic seasons of the year become almost metaphorical, often magnifying the characters' moods and situations.

Lola Upside Down also showcases exceptional performances from its ensemble cast. With nuanced performances that echo the depth and intricacies of their characters, the cast breathes life into this emotionally charged series. The show also has a gripping narrative style; it ingeniously moves back and forth in time, revealing bit by bit, the layers of its characters, and the reason for their current circumstances.

One of the unique aspects of Lola Upside Down is its strong, complex female characters ranging from various generations. The show deals with the themes of womanhood, selfhood, and the power dynamics within society from a distinctly feminine viewpoint. It remarkably interweaves the personal narratives of these women into its landscape, hinting at the larger societal attitudes and expectations of womanhood.

The series, however, doesn't shy away from exploring the deeper, darker corners of life. Themes of domestic violence, addiction, and family dysfunction are handled with sensitivity and depth, providing a meaningful context to the characters and their actions. It tells a tale of how people cope with the traumas of their past and their continuous journey of finding peace and resolution.

In conclusion, Lola Upside Down is a compelling blend of mystery, drama, and psychological exploration. It effectively portrays the complexity of human relationships within a small community and the emotional makeup of its characters, all the while maintaining an entrancing tale of secrets and explorations. It is a show that will draw in viewers, not only with its vivid storytelling but also through its authentic characters and their intricate relationships.