Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby has revived the hopes of moviegoers everywhere for another fabulous summer of escapist entertainment. But the blockbuster success of that film might not be the only movie currently airing on television that you should be considering this season. In fact, the best of Netflix’s global hit series, Películas, are currently available for streaming, and their addictive tales of romantic entanglement promise to make even the darkest summer imaginable a summer to remember.
Set in a world where cinema is highly regarded and social media is a relatively new phenomenon, Películas follows the fortunes of several Los Angeles romantic doubles who live stream their daily lives on Instagram. Though centered on a small screen, Películas is in many ways a cinematic experience, full of eye-catching camera moves and sumptuous production values. The show’s creators, Jee-woon Kim and Park Seo-joon, have even cited the Italian neorealist film stars Rossellini and Rossellini as their inspiration, drawing on their famous Risotto and mercury lights sequences to create similarly stunning visuals for their series. It even makes for one of the most attractive TV pics you’ll ever see!
The House of Gucci
To celebrate its 100th episode, Películas premiered last week on Netflix with a special gucci-themed episode. The luxury goods house collaborated with the series’ creators to produce a memorable scene, and it brought the glamorous house store to life with breathtaking visual effects, meticulous sets, and gorgeous costumes. Though the episode was a real treat, it was also a poignant moment for the show, as it was revealed that one of the main characters, Lilli, actually works for Gucci.
The luxurious nature of the Gucci episode made it clear that Kim and Seo-joon have a deep understanding of style and fashion. Lilli is a style chameleon, dressing as Gucci clothes compositions change at will, while her outfits are almost always punctuated with bling and flair. The designer Tommy Hilfiger was featured in the Películas celebrity duo scene, and his outfits offer further style inspiration. The scene was filled with stylish entities, from Madame Tussaud’s famous cabinet of avatars to Kate and Laura from The Kardashian Crocodile Dance Party, whose exuberant personalities and fabulous fashions make them stand out even among their famous friends.
From the Italian Ombra to La Dolce Vita
The Películas team traveled to Italy to film many of the show’s key stages, and the magnificent destinations the series visits make for stunning photo opps. From the Venice Canal to the Tuscan Hilltowns and leisure locales, each destination brims with beautiful places and photo op potential. Of course, the show’s neighborhoods are filled with fashion and style – characters frequent the streets dressed in the latest streetwear and luxury fashions. Though Películas is full of glitz and glam, its introspection mines the series for great acting and writing and lending it a more thought-provoking element.
Take the series’ first installment, Ombra, for example. This epic soap opera’s premiere was filmed in the picturesque city of Venice, where the lead actors portray shocking family matters, nefarious black mafia family rumblings, and shifting relationships among the city’s residents. Though the show is sheltered from the real world by filming in a studio, it nevertheless captures the spirit of a summer on the Venice Canal. The cast members are primed and pumped to act on the streets of this beloved city at night, bathed in postcard-perfect picturesque light from the Venice Lights.
From La Bella to Lilli Lemon
The Películas team’s next trip was to Milan, and the premiere of the second installment, La Bella, embodies this city’s style and ambiance. Though the show is set in the United States, it visits Milan for one of its key stages, a celebration of summer in the city’s Piazza Trinità dei Montecitorio. The Películas premiere in Milan is a summer of festivals, with local artists, dancers, and bands performing live music from morning to night. The cast members look dazzling in their summer finishing touches, dressed in florals and plaids, taking in the music and the spectator action. Though the premiere of La Bella featured a celebratory open-air concert in Piazza Trinità dei Montecitorio, this particular venue was specifically chosen to portray the boasting and bellicosity of the North Italian style known as la Spada. The premiere of the highly anticipated third installment, Lilli Lemon, brims with style. This time around, the writer/director Jee-woon Kim brings his sense of adventure and the beautiful Italian city of Naples to the series. Though Lilli Lemon premiere was a stunning premiere event in Neapolitan style, the city’s warm summer ambiance and vibrant nightlife make itself evident in the show’s everyday life – even for the men, who often linger in the city’s picturesque piazzas and spend a lot of time in Naples – whether they are on Instagram or not.