PSA: If You Love ‘Fleabag’, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s First Show, ‘Crashing’, Is Now On Netflix
It's been a little overshadowed, but 'Crashing' is well worth your time.
While it seems like most of the waking world is in love with Killing Eve and Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, her first show, Crashing, has been a little lost in the mix. But all six episodes have quietly arrived on Netflix Australia — and we’re just here to say we strongly recommend smashing it out.
Much like Fleabag, Crashing was adapted from two of Waller-Bridge’s own plays, and sees her star in the lead role.
While more of a stock-standard sitcom than Fleabag, the show carries much of her trademark humour and perspective, bristling with similar themes of female envy, feminism and not knowing what the fuck you want out of life.
As a short synopsis, it follows the ukelele-playing Lulu (Waller-Bridge) as she moves into a disused hospital in London to be a property guardian. Alongside a cast of dumb 20somethings, she also lives alongside her childhood friend and long-standing crush, Anthony (Damien Molony), who has an uptight girlfriend who might not really be right for him — and tries to copy Lulu’s outrageous antics. But our favourite character might be Will (Lachie Chapman), a gay Australian who uses more ocker phrases than your alcoholic uncle.
Think of it as Friends meets Girls meets Skins. If that turns you off, add in a sprinkle of Peep Show‘s awkwardness and push it all together with Waller-Bridge’s sharp writing, which while incredibly funny, always portrays its characters with empathy. There’s a lot of depth underneath Crashing‘s quirky surface — especially in a character’s coming-out arc, which depicts internalised homophobia with all the murkiness it contains.
Best of all, each episode clocks in at 20 minutes, making the show a perfectly bingeable 2 hours.
Meanwhile, Waller-Bridge is currently writing on the new Bond film, and has announced she will star in Killing Eve‘s new season — as someone Villanelle kills (How meta!).
Tide the time over with Crashing; you won’t regret it. Watch the super short trailer below.