This month’s female-centric VOD releases and noteworthy webseries may range in genre, topic and tone, but all four projects showcase women at their most talented. “Fantail,” our most dramatic pick, comes to us from New Zealand writer Sophie Henderson, focusing on one young woman’s hard-fought journey to find her father. Also hailing from New Zealand is the sharply comedic webseries “Flat3,” which follows the lives of three roommates navigating life in New Zealand the best they can. While the two projects seem to differ in every which way, they share more than just location: both stories center around women searching for something, be it their family or themselves.
On the comedic front, SNL favorite Kate McKinnon’s newly launched webseries “Notary Publix” has already garnered major attention and well-deserved praise. Here are a few new and upcoming VOD releases and promising women-centric webseries that are available for your binging pleasure right now.
VOD
“Fantail” — Written by Sophie Henderson
(Available now)
“Fantail” started out as a theater monologue,
and its journey to a completed film was filled with lots of hard work on the
part of husband-and-wife team Curtis Vowell and Sophie Henderson. Henderson
wrote the screenplay, developing it from a simple monologue to a
full-length feature film. Shot in just twenty days and on a limited budget, the
film carries a story with a simple premise — that of a young woman working at
a gas station, hoping to save enough money to take her younger brother to
find their father — and makes it about something bigger. The New Zealand
couple explore dynamics of family, connection and race in their debut.
“See You In Valhalla” (Available April 24)
Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”) stars in this
family dramedy about the tensions that lie just beneath the surface, waiting
for a tipping point. For the Burwood family, that moment comes when one of
their own dies under strange circumstances. Johana Burwood comes back home to
deal with the fallout and encounters members of her family in comedic and
strained ways. Exploring the dynamic of dysfunctional families and secrets
coming to light, “See You In Valhalla” is a portrait of a different kind of
modern family — one that is likely to resonate deeper than sitcom fare.
Webseries
With just one webisode released so far, “Notary Publix” has
quickly become the most talked about web series of the season. Co-created by
SNL favorite Kate McKinnon and her sister Emily Lynne, the comedic series
follows the lives of two extravagant and absurd notaries, also played
by the sisters.
As one can expect, the webseries will be peppered with appearances by McKinnon’s fellow ‘SNL’ castmembers
and writers. The promising first episode features ‘SNL’s’ Aidy Bryant as Erin
Oatmeal, the duo’s big-haired, acrylic-nailed rival notary. New episodes of the
series will be available every Tuesday on IFC.com, as well as the Above Average YouTube channel.
“Flat3”
Coming to us all the way from New Zealand, the premise of “Flat3”
is one we’ve seen before: twenty-somethings trying their best to navigate
their way through life on a tight budget. But it’s the predominately female cast’s
undeniable chemistry and contagious energy that makes this show feel fresh and
original. The series follows “three Kiwi-Asian flatmates — Lee, Jessica and
Perlina — as they figure out who they are, what they’re doing, and whose turn
it is to buy toilet paper.” There’s no word on a fourth season yet, but with
three seasons up online right now, there’s more than enough “Flat3” to hold you
over until the girls (hopefully!) pick up right where they left off.
