Netflix has released the first trailer for its One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest prequel-of-sorts, Ratched. The series will follow the twisted origin story of the infamous nurse from the classic film, Nurse Ratched, now played by Sarah Paulson in the role originally made famous by Louise Fletcher in an Oscar-winning performance.
The show takes place in 1947 as Mildred Ratched arrives in California in order to find a job at a psychiatric hospital. She finds one where new and unsettling experiments have begun on the minds of patients.
Mildred presents herself as the perfect image of what a dedicated nurse should be, but the wheels are always turning in her brain as she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system and those within it.
Ratched was created by Evan Romansky, and is executive produced by Ryan Murphy. Judging from the trailer above, if you’re already a Murphy fan you’re already on board with this quasi-American Horror Story spinoff. If you’re not into Murphy’s shows, Ratched probably isn’t going to move the needle much for you.
The show looks stylish, and Paulson is always great, but there is the nagging feeling that this series didn’t really need to exist, at least not in this form. Was anyone clamouring for a Nurse Ratched origin story? Is the fact that this is connected to a famous character from a 45-year old film really going to influence much of Netflix’s key demographic?
The show doesn’t seem significantly connected to the original character anyway, so hopefully it can step out from the film’s shadow. And hopefully Romansky can make the series his own and not just be Murphy-lite.
The series hits Netflix on Friday, September 18.
#Peace.Love.Ratched
