What the Fork!

If, like me, you watched Bojack Horseman and instantly fell in love (if you haven’t, do it!) with this animated modern classic then listen, or rather, read, carefully, as this article guides you through more perception-altering, heart-wrenching, gut-splitting but above all, life-changing shows that will leave you in contemplative silence when the final black screen appears after the last scene/episode.

The appeal of Bojack Horseman for most people was/is that it uses the animation form to navigate difficult social, political and personal topics. It exposes so many of the faulty faculties of modern life: from the effects of toxic parenting, cancel culture, discussions of sexuality and feminism etc. through the fictional lives of anthropomorphic or ‘real-people' cartoons who co-exist in the binary, fictional land-sea world of the show. This means it transcends the limitations of a non-animated show attempting to provide the same social commentary because the animation form gives it a sense of comforting surrealism.

Indeed, surrealism and psychedelic visuals and scenes are a huge component of Bojack Horseman. Through this, there is an exploration of the misleading nature of the tortured psyche and memory and even history. ‘Undone’ on Prime Video, shares the same sense of the protagonist and other characters being haunted by a personal past, that is also an American past, and thats why if you enjoy Bojack Horseman on Netflix, you will enjoy Undone on Prime Video.

Directed by Hisko Hulsings, Undone features a visual and musical arrangement reminiscent of Spirited Away. It is a tour-de-force of emotion and enlightenment. Hulsings perfects the technique of ‘rotoscoping’, immersing you in dream states rooted in reality. Through this, there is a mix of genres and mediums that disrupts the natural processes of conventional television.

Undone grips you immediately from the first episode with surrealism and fourth-wall-breaking. It features cyclic episodes that spiral into each other, taking you, the viewer, to different dimensions where the real and the surreal, the dead and the living, the sane and the insane become increasingly difficult to distinguish from each other.

But like Bojack Horseman, the animation form creates a shield so you never get too lost in the complex unravelling of the storylines. Yes, like in Bojack Horseman, there are multiple storylines because the lives of other characters are intertwined through their relation to the protagonist. This supports the ‘human quality’ of both shows so you can relate to the characters and see yourself, your relationships and modern culture reflected and evaluated from a safe-distance facilitated by the animation-style.

Once you’ve watched Bojack Horseman and Undone, you’ll likely experience a crisis of existentialism, but do not be alarmed; The Good Place on Netflix will remedy your philosophical headache. Unlike Bojack and Undone, The Good Place is not animated, but it does feature the same surrealism in its visuality. The Good Place will get you thinking, laughing and crying about life and the afterlife as it is imagined by creator Micheal Schur. If not for the free crash course in philosophy, then enjoy The Good Place for the brilliant performances by actors and actresses such as Kristen Bell, Ted Danson and Jameela Jamil.

In times like these, when there is so much strife in the world and like Eleanor Shellstrop of The Good Place, we often ask of the universe, ‘What the Fork?!’, why not be mindful of what you’re consuming?. Bojack Horseman, Undone and The Good Place are shows with high-quality content. These shows might be complex, but that is because they are a reflection of the perfect imperfections of humanity. Bojack Horseman, Undone and The Good Place remain supremely entertaining in plot, visuals and the perfect execution of duty by the acting cast and the directing/producing crew. These shows will educate and inspire you. Above all, Bojack, Undone and The Good Place will leave you thinking and feeling a little differently about yourself and how you exist in this world where we all play the main character in our own private shows.

Bonus Tip: If you watch Bojack Horseman and you think, mmhh horse-people are my thing, then why not check out the unmissable ‘Sorry To Bother You’ on Netflix if you haven’t already!

With satirical punches to modern capitalism navigated through magic realism this movie is a trip (literally) you cannot miss. With the absurdity of Bojack Horseman , it makes viewing real life issues easier from a distanced , metaphorical point-of-view, but keeps enough of its human presence and urgency to let you know that it is a mirror desperately held up to modern society.