Michaela Coel turns her attention to her friendships, work, and activism in the new trailer for “I May Destroy You.” Although its tone is lighter than the previously released teaser, the spot once again focuses on the aftermath of a sexual assault. This time, Arabella (Coel) has accepted that she has been attacked, and is trying to fill in the gaps of her memory while contending with the trauma.
Arabella’s friends take her to see a specialist when her stress spikes, and remind each other to listen and “make her feel good.” They’re also there to offer emotional support and advice. “Surround yourself with people who affirm you,” one pal tells Arabella.
Even with her support system, “sometimes it gets a bit much,” as Arabella puts it. Her therapist recommends exercise and hobbies, but since she doesn’t even “know what handicrafts is,” Arabella decides to publicly discuss her assault. She turns to activism online and in real life. “There’s so much injustice and my job is to speak the truth,” she announces in a speech.
Coel created, wrote, and executive produced “I May Destroy You.” She previously wrote, created, produced, and starred in coming-of-age comedy series “Chewing Gum.” She received two BAFTA Awards for her performance.
“Black Earth Rising,” “Been So Long,” and “Black Mirror” are among Coel’s other credits. She discussed her own experiences with sexual assault and harassment when she delivered the MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival in 2018.
“I May Destroy You” premieres June 7 on HBO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrUGIQ2ItE8
