Patterns is available to stream on Dekkoo and rent or buy on Prime Video.
Our lives are full of complex, intersecting patterns; some are problematic, while others are joyous or new as we weave the tapestry of our lives. These patterns make us who we are and often define our daily lives, but they also help us connect with others, discover new relationships and find stability in a world that can often feel uncertain. Written by Asad Moghal and Daniel Mannheim and directed by Rex Gensy, Patterns offers eight interlinked short stories exploring these universal but diverse life patterns. Our stories take us from unrequited love to coming out, middle-age disappointment and a lockdown relationship from hell in a delightful, if at times, uneven anthology series that celebrates new British talent behind and in front of the camera.
Moghal and Mannheim’s screenplay is a delight as they dip and dive into their characters’ lives before delivering a final episode that subverts all expectations as it explores the process of creative writing, character development and the need to eventually say goodbye. Throughout the series, Moghal and Mannheim examine the foundations of the human condition, from our need to be ourselves despite our fear of rejection to the unspoken words and feelings that often surround our friendships and the difference between love and lust. Comedy threads through each story, with occasional echoes of shows ranging from Inside Number 9 to Queer as Folk and Friday Night Dinner, and while some episodes stand head and shoulders above others, there is a hell of a lot to love in the show’s celebration of new and emerging talent. The performances of Rufus Shaljean, Jake Watkins, Rufus Gleave, MJ Lee, Tayler Marshall, Rebecca Norton, Jack Armstrong and Nina Senicar are truly delightful among a strong ensemble cast, including a beautifully delivered cameo from rugby legend Ben Cohen.
As with any shoestring-budget series, there are areas where Patterns stumbles, from a score that often feels out of place and disconnected from the comedy on screen to the pacing of several episodes. However, despite these weaknesses, Patterns is crafted with love and, as a result, remains engaging, funny and tender in its exploration of relationships, family life and friendships from our early teens to our twenties and beyond.
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Patterns | United Kingdom | 2023
Summary
As with any shoestring-budget series, there are areas where Patterns stumbles, from a score that often feels out of place and disconnected from the comedy on screen to the pacing of several episodes. However, despite these weaknesses, Patterns is crafted with love and, as a result, remains engaging, funny and tender in its exploration of relationships, family life and friendships from our early teens to our twenties and beyond.
