Leena Watts
The Santa Clarita Diet is a black comedy horror series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show follows married realtors Sheila and Joel Hammond, played by Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, whose lives are turned upside down when Sheila becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh. The show received positive reviews from critics and fans, who praised its excellent cast, frequent laughs, and engaging premise. Despite its success, the series was cancelled after three seasons due to Netflix's cost-plus budget model.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Horror-comedy, dark comedy |
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Stars | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo |
| Plot | An ordinary husband and wife realtor team undergo a dramatic change when the wife becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh |
| Number of seasons | 3 |
| Number of episodes | 30 |
| Episode length | 30 minutes |
| Platform | Netflix |
| Rating | TV-MA |
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What You'll Learn
The show's unique premise
The Santa Clarita Diet is a unique show that blends elements of horror, comedy, and satire to create an engaging and entertaining premise. The show centres around a seemingly ordinary husband and wife realtor team, Joel and Sheila Hammond, living in the suburban town of Santa Clarita, California. Their mundane lives take a drastic turn when Sheila undergoes a mysterious transformation, dying and becoming a zombie with an insatiable craving for human flesh. Despite her undead state, Sheila continues her career and family life, presenting a unique twist on the typical zombie narrative.
What sets the show apart is its exploration of suburbia and the mundane through the lens of the supernatural. The Hammonds' ordinary lives, complete with their careers in real estate and their teenage daughter, Abby, serve as a stark contrast to the chaos and gore that unfolds as a result of Sheila's new condition. This juxtaposition creates a darkly comedic tone that is both formulaic and unique, as noted by reviewers. The show also incorporates elements of satire, critiquing consumer culture and the consequences of unchecked consumption, drawing parallels between the living and the undead in a thought-provoking manner.
The Santa Clarita Diet also benefits from strong performances by its lead actors, Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, who portray Sheila and Joel, respectively. Their chemistry and comedic timing have been praised, with Olyphant's performance specifically noted for adding a layer of humour to the show. The supporting cast, including Liv Hewson as Abby Hammond and Skyler Gisondo as the teenage neighbour, Eric Bemis, have also been commended for their contributions to the show's comedic timing and overall appeal.
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The chemistry between Barrymore and Olyphant
The Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix original horror-comedy series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a suburban couple living in Santa Clarita, California. The show centres on the couple's lives as they turn gory and macabre when Sheila becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh.
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant's offscreen chemistry is widely regarded as the spark for the show. The actors are longtime friends in addition to being co-stars and co-executive producers on the series. Their ribbing and yin-and-yang chemistry is key to their portrayal of a married couple. Barrymore has said that she felt "safe" working with Olyphant, and Olyphant has praised Barrymore's fun and silly personality.
The actors' chemistry is evident in their portrayal of a loving and supportive couple, even as they deal with absurd and comical amounts of blood and gore. Barrymore and Olyphant's characters serve as a rock for each other, even as they navigate the challenges of their new lives. Their relationship has been described as "pitch-perfect" and "inspiring", with viewers noting the pair's amazing chemistry and comedic timing.
The show's second season saw the stakes get even higher, with Olyphant remarking that the storylines were "inspired" and "refreshing". The actors' ability to ground the increasingly crazy and taboo storylines is a testament to their chemistry and commitment to their characters.
Overall, the chemistry between Barrymore and Olyphant is a key element of the show's success, providing a balance of sweetness and endearment amidst the gore and macabre humour.
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The well-written characters
The Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix original series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as married realtors, Sheila and Joel Hammond. The show centres around the couple's quiet lives, which are turned upside down when Sheila unexpectedly starts exhibiting symptoms of becoming a zombie.
The show has received praise for its well-written characters. On IMDB, one review states that " [e]very character on this show is so well written". The review goes on to praise the performances of Olyphant and Barrymore, as well as Skyler Gisondo, who plays the teenage neighbour, Eric. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, has also spoken about his intention to create a central message about the dangers of narcissism and the importance of limits, which is reflected in the well-written characters and their development throughout the show.
Fresco has also revealed that he chose to make the central characters realtors because he liked the "forced friendliness" inherent to the profession. He has stated that he wanted to juxtapose the controlled and organised nature of the Santa Clarita community with the complete chaos that ensues after Sheila's transformation. This contrast is further emphasised by the profession of the central characters, who are forced to present themselves as happy and friendly, despite their personal lives spiralling out of control.
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The show's blend of horror and comedy
The Santa Clarita Diet is a black comedy horror show that blends horror and comedy. The show follows the lives of married real estate agents Sheila and Joel Hammond, played by Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, whose lives are turned upside down when Sheila becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh. The show explores the couple's struggle to balance their home and work lives as they try to hide Sheila's "condition" and search for a cure. The show's blend of horror and comedy is seen in the morbid humour and the gore that "might not be to everyone's taste", according to Rotten Tomatoes.
The show's creator, Victor Fresco, has said that he wanted to comment on how people and humanity are the "ultimate zombies, destroying and consuming without consequence". He also wanted to explore the idea of empowerment and its relationship with narcissism. The show's blend of horror and comedy is also reflected in its advertising campaign, which parodied weight loss products commonly advertised on social media. The campaign sparked criticism in Germany, where Netflix promoted the show with posters depicting a human finger sliced up like a popular German fast food dish.
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The show's critique of consumer culture
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy sitcom created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show centres on a husband and wife real estate team, Joel and Sheila Hammond, whose lives are upended when Sheila becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh. As the family tries to navigate Sheila's new primal and impulsive personality, they must also deal with their neighbours and cultural norms.
The show has been praised for its excellent cast, frequent laughs, and engaging premise. The unique blend of comedy and horror has been particularly well-received, with critics describing it as having "a big heart that bleeds – profusely – for its lovable characters".
While the show's critique of consumer culture is not explicitly stated, it can be inferred through the lens of the Hammond family's profession as realtors and their interactions with their neighbours. The choice of setting Santa Clarita, a suburban area known for its middle-class residents, and the profession of the main characters as realtors, constantly interacting with clients and dealing with the "forced friendliness" inherent in the profession, serve as a backdrop for exploring societal norms and expectations.
The show satirises the image-conscious and status-obsessed nature of consumer culture, where the outward presentation of success and happiness is prioritised over genuine human connection. The Hammonds' struggle to maintain their image as normal, everyday suburbanites despite the bizarre and grotesque changes in their lives can be seen as a critique of the superficiality and materialism that often characterises consumer culture.
Additionally, the show's exploration of the characters' cravings and desires, whether it's Sheila's craving for human flesh or the characters' desire for social acceptance and success, can be interpreted as a commentary on the insatiable nature of consumerism and the pursuit of instant gratification. The dark humour and gore of the show, while entertaining, also serve to highlight the excesses and absurdities of a culture driven by consumption and the pursuit of perfection.
Overall, while not explicitly stated, the show's setting, characters, and themes can be interpreted as a critique of consumer culture, exploring the tensions between societal expectations, materialism, and the darker impulses that drive human behaviour.
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Frequently asked questions
The show has received a rating of R due to its graphic content, including intense blood and gore, as well as sexual references.
The show is about a married couple, Sheila and Joel, who are realtors living a quiet life in Santa Clarita, California, with their teenage daughter, Abby. Their lives take an unexpected turn when Sheila dies and comes back as a zombie with a craving for human flesh.
The Santa Clarita Diet is a horror-comedy hybrid.
The show was created by Victor Fresco and was streamed on Netflix.
The show received a rating of 89% based on 19 reviews, with an average score of 7.85/10.
