Ratched
Ratched
In 1947, Mildred Ratched begins working as a nurse at a leading psychiatric hospital. But beneath her stylish exterior lurks a growing darkness.
Callum reviewed11h ago
ChatGPT said:
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (out of 5) Ratched – Mercy, Malice, and the Monster in Pastels
Ratched peels back the starch-white veneer of Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and shows us what made her — or perhaps, what was always there. Sarah Paulson is magnificent as the cold, calculating nurse whose every smile hides a scalpel. This isn’t a story of innocence lost, but of control perfected; she was never sweet, only quieter about her dominance.
The show explores repression, both emotional and societal. Ratched’s hidden sexuality and her need for power intertwine until they’re indistinguishable — control becomes her substitute for love. Each frame drips with colour and style, a contrast to the cruelty lurking underneath. It’s Hitchcock by way of American Horror Story, elegant and unsettling in equal measure.
Sadly, we never got more than a single season before Netflix pulled the plug — a mercy killing or a tragedy, depending on how deep you wanted to go into Ratched’s psyche. The real chill comes from knowing that the character was inspired by an actual nurse — a reminder that real monsters sometimes wear spotless uniforms.
Pairing: A chilled martini — sharp, controlled, and icy enough to hide the taste of something darker underneath.