Teen suicide is a big problem. It is the second biggest cause of teen death in North America. A problem that has to be addressed. And yet it is such a delicate subject. Netflix had the cajones to take it on. Head on. There was some controversy and discussion surrounding the series, but because it was done so well I think those worries subsided quickly. It also provides parents with a great jumping off point for a topic that might be hard to broach otherwise. Some parents were worried about it claiming that the series was too dark for young people and glamourizes suicide.
Definitely not an easy watch, but essential, in my opinion. The pain for everyone involved (the person taking their own life, friends, family, parents, etc.) is dealt with. Powerful and emotional look at the issue from many sides.
Jay Asher wrote the book the series is based on. While there are some differences between book and series (it is not really possible to translate a book to screen without some alterations) fans of the novel will not be disappointed. That is mainly because it is well done. While the whole cast is strong, the two leads, Dylan Millette and Katherine Langford, are stellar.
Coming home from school one day, Clay (played by Dylan Millette) finds a box on his front porch. Inside are seven cassette tapes which were recorded by his deceased classmate Hannah (played by Katherine Langford). She had committed suicide two weeks previous. The tapes detail the 13 reasons why Hannah killed herself. Each reason is attached to a classmate and Clay is the second last to get the tapes.
Listening to them rips Clay apart. So much so that he is not sure he can get through them all. Another of Hannah’s friends Tony (played by Christian Navarro) is around all the time and helps him along the way.
Special Features:
- Hannah & Clay: An Unfinished Love Story
- Justin Foley: Not Your Typical Jock
- Discovering Jessica Davis
- Bringing the Book to Life
- 13 Things About Me:
- Dylan Minnette and Justin Prentic
