PREMature (2015) User Reviews

Roller coaster of emotions

[dasbaisden · 10/10 · 25 February 2015]

If you've been on a roller coaster then you'll appreciate the anticipation, excitement, fear, wanting more after the thrill of the ride is over. PREMature is the TV drama incarnate that evokes these emotions and more through the brilliant writing, score and of course its actors.

I found myself reminiscing and relating to the drama as it unfolds as it is so real, uncomfortable yet engaging to watch. I am excited to see how the stories unfold and get to know the characters better. It's refreshing to have a British drama on TV and other digital formats which is accessible worldwide that isn't afraid to push boundaries and change perceptions.

How important is PREMature to popular culture right now? VERY in my estimation. We live in a society where we communicate digitally and hardly engage in face to face and meaningful conversation and the dialogue on screen between the characters there is a real connect with intelligent, deep and purposeful exchanges.

PREMature for me was an emotional roller coaster because one minute you escape into the pleasant childhood reminiscent memories, then suddenly dragged back to reality with all the serious real life themes that we either suppress, turn a blind eye too or fail to acknowledge.

I'm grateful that this intelligent drama is on TV. Hope you will when you watch!

Just saw the first episode

[Monica_UK · 10/10 · 27 February 2015]

Honestly I didn't actually know what to expect because this series really came out of nowhere. In fact I just read that it made it's budget through kickstarter so I can only guess they didn't have much for marketing - which is fine to be honest because it seems the money went into where it matters cos visually it looks pretty damn good.

I saw a couple trailers leading up to the premiere episode which I missed but fortunately caught a repeat on a channel I never heard of before or never knew I had until this series popped up on my Facebook page.

The episode: right from the get go, I was immersed with the explosive opening and when I say explosive I don't use that term lightly - it actually is explosive. The opening credits followed over one of the funniest and most randoms scenes I've ever seen on a TV show in recent memory (which I won't spoil). The episode went onto set up all the main characters really well and the pace was so tight. I felt at times that I couldn't really look away cos so much was going on and these little things in character's looks that appeared minor at first, actually had another layer to them. I'll probably re-watch the episode because it seems like it's gonna be one of those series that needs full attention.

The camera work was pretty unique, some of the angles look really fresh especially for a show on TV. I felt like I was spying on some of these characters especially a scene with Nina (I believe she's Prem's sister) and her boyfriend. It's actually strange seeing Asians in a series like this cos it's so different from what I'm used to seeing them in (I'm sure there are films out there like this or the style but I haven't seen them).

One major high point for me was the music! The music fitted so well I found myself bopping my head at times. This was a big highlight and again different from what I normally hear.

All of the actors seem new as I haven't ever seen them before which helped make them quite believable. It felt quite fresh cos I couldn't attach any of the actors to previous roles I might have seen them in. The main character Prem (PREMature - interesting title) has a scene towards the end that made me think about things in my own personal life, again I won't disclose spoilers but I'll just say that it was really powerful and added to the meaning of the episode title "Bad Eggs".

Going on this first episode, I'm really looking forward to the next one - really excited to see where all these characters are going. The dark humour mixed with the serious issues really fits well and I can only guess things will get darker - I HOPE!

I kinda like this series being low-key - it's like a secret lol

Thanks and maybe you will find my review useful :D

Beautiful & Tragic

[barrypooh · 10/10 · 6 March 2015]

I had the privilege of attending the private screenings on the eve of the series TV premiere. My good friend who was one of the kickstarter backers for the show invited me as her guest. Beforehand, I knew nothing of the series and intended to maintain this heading into the screenings for the most impartial and unbiased viewing experience possible.

Right off the bat, the opening sequence had me hooked. There was a great sense of unease and I can only interpret this as the intention of the director. This feeling was consistent throughout all 6 episodes. At times I felt that it wasn't just a drama series I was watching but in fact an experience where I needed to catch my breath due to the intensity of back to back scenes presenting an array of dramatic and powerful imagery. I wasn't prepared for any of it to be honest and this was enforced by the very unpredictable and volatile nature of the tone.

I'll stray away from spoiling anything as this is something that really needs to be enjoyed and engulfed by a viewer with patience, an open mind and one prepared for some extraordinary surreal moments that take you on a journey to actually reflect on yourself and assess choices you've made in your life.

A few particular stand outs were the photography, some unique shots that created an illusion of voyeurism and fluidity. The performances were equally on par from fresh talents I've not seen before. In fact, most of the cast were in attendance and it was strange seeing them in person after seeing what their characters go through on screen. The writing is beautiful, organic and unrestrained. Coming from an urban area of London with a mix of people from all backgrounds, I felt I recognised what I saw on screen as an honest depiction and I commend the filmmaker for this.

This series has a lot to say and I think it's one of those shows that demands repeated viewings which I intend to do (and look forward to).

A must see for those looking for a unique drama that most certainly breaks conventions and likely deceives any pre-conceptions one may have going into watch PREMature.

Hats off to a dedicated cast and crew. Wonderful work. Thank God for those moments of humour (dark though).

Very real in today's world.

[steffimendes · 8/10 · 14 May 2015]

Although I missed the first episode, I could luckily catch up on YouTube. I have to say I don't watch any British soaps on TV, expect for quiz shows, but this one's an exception! PREMature portrays some of the actual problems that we see in some families, schools and generally in society. Watching the first episode for me personally was like an eye-opener as it made me realize that there are people my age facing more problems than I am, which leaves me with no right to complain about anything but appreciate. The very first few scenes were quite interesting and took me a while to figure out what was going on. But by the end the story became clearer. I really liked some of the camera angles and the style of shooting which made it more engaging and realistic. For example, the style of shooting that they used in the classroom scenes helped give a better perspective, giving a feeling that you're sitting with them. PREM (the main character) is going through a really tough time, and the next episodes will reveal how he copes, which I can't wait for. PREMature wasn't a let down for something that hasn't got a lot of marketing and I loved it. I really recommend watching it.

Flawed but strong & different

[faisaliman · 10/10 · 26 August 2015]

I just got done seeing the final part about 30min ago and still thinking about it. Although there were a few things I wasn't keen on in some earlier episodes, I think I got to understand those things during the final one.

I was wondering about how the relationship was really like between Prem and his sister as they didn't really show much of it apart from a few scenes here and there but then in this final episode, that opening kind of said it all. Probably cos I'm used to watching things that explain the story a little more in their lines, this show got me thinking a lot throughout it and I don't think I was ready. I had to adjust quickly by the time I got to the 2nd and 3rd part. I think I wanted to see more of what life what like before Prem's Nan died and have a bit more back-story but after talking to a mate, he suggested I re-watch the show cos there was a lot going on and you had to give it your full attention.

The parts I thought were really strong were the performances. These people were real to me and it never really felt like acting. The camera shots were different and took a bit of time to get use to as I didn't really see this style that much in other shows I watch. It was weird when these scenes would pop up and then you'd realise that they weren't actually part of the real life scenes but inner thoughts shown to the audience. There was always something crazy or deep going on and it felt like I needed to take a minute and breathe.

Highlight was definitely ep4, I won't spoil anything but that was one of the most unique things I've seen a while. I felt like I was tripping at times watching the scene unfold.

What I personally like about shows in general is that they should start really strong, stay strong and end even stronger. Some shows I watch I can kinda predict that the middle episodes are gonna be like filler and not really develop the main story. They kinda stretch it out and it gets a little boring. That's what made PREMature different and that's what I really appreciated, every part of the show was meant for something bigger.

I will say to end this review that the closing scene with Prem and his mate Will was fierce and I ain't sure if there's gonna be more but it ended even stronger then when the show began so props to them.

Documentary about life under a magnifying glass

[pennysachi · 9/10 · 29 August 2015]

I class this series more as a documentary although conventionally it is a drama. The reason I do this is due in part to the truthfulness in illustrating on screen some incredibly authentic character arcs and performances. Life isn't neat and as much as we like to imagine we're in control of it, the hard fact is that we are never really in control of life apart from the decisions we make from the choices provided at that present time. This is something I noticed throughout PREMature, many decisions were made at particular and significant times that re-defined the direction of characters and their journeys. One of these examples that stood out was the subplot involving Will and the female student Jemma regarding the leak of the video clip. This part of the story began earlier in the show and re-emerged in the finale. It was actually something I had forgotten about and when I was reminded in the scene between Prem and Will where the latter admitted to his guilt in the leak of the clip, it hit me hard that these characters were always carrying burdens that were often unseen and would become visible in times of extreme hardship.

At times I found some of the accents a little distracting particularly Nina's boyfriend (whose character was actually really refreshing) but I can understand that if I was observing something that was aiming to depict a more concerted view of life in a dramatised portrait, then it perhaps was more about me needing time to adapt to the variations in accents. Being based in the North I'm still aware that London is a metropolis with perhaps the most diverse culture in its population and PREMature was exemplifying this? Or maybe I'm giving more credit to the makers then I should. Who knows.

The music score was a truly great fit. I couldn't place my finger on the type of genre it was due to it being varied in tone and style. Overall it lifted many scenes illuminating emotions and performances.

The depiction of the relationship between Prem and his teacher had me feeling slightly weary in the first half of episode one. However, I was relieved to see that it wasn't going down a tired and familiar route. This relationship (and there were many) was one of my favourites. There was a lot of love and care between them in almost father son capacity. They were learning from each other's trials even if they did not express every detail of their lives to each other verbatim, the understanding and empathy was more intrinsic as if they were soul mates. The true tragedy of this was that in the end, one could not be there for the other and this twist of fate allowed Prem to find solace in Will.

The documentary style of the camera angles and lingering moments on characters' faces provided me with a very intimate viewing experience. I noticed a lot of close frames of the actors almost shutting out the rest of the world so I could be engaged with them. This made for many memorable moments and I interpreted that the doom and gloom I felt the series might end on was lifted with the ending of Prem confiding in Will.

A tough, brutal and often beautiful but rewarding watch is PREMature.

Powerful.

Unrelenting in Presentation and Unforgettable in Story

[gregoridanu · 9/10 · 15 November 2015]

No spoilers.

PREMature is one of the those dramas that if by chance, you manage to catch it, you're curious from the get go.

This was the case with me when I caught the middle of the 5th episode late night on TV. I watched about 3/4 minutes of it and stopped, so I could google the show. Reading about it, I got a little more curious!

I finally got around to watching the show from the very beginning and only had intentions to watch the first episode. Normally with shows, I give them a chance because admittedly, I have little patience these days and that sucks, I know.

About 4/5 hours later, my Saturday evening is gone and I'm sitting there in front of my laptop after the final episode thinking to myself, "okay, let's process this slowly." The reason is, I was overwhelmed emotionally and just invested in the world of this drama and it wasn't much of a stretch because of the legitimacy of what I saw. It's difficult to explain and I would venture to say that this is more of an experience rather than a show. There was something very different that I felt and maybe it was because of how real it felt or maybe how just tragically honest it all was.

I give this show a 9/10 and not a 10/10 because I wanted just a little more from one or two of the smaller characters. Maybe that's just a personal thing and it's in credit to the show as I felt really involved with those particular characters. I wanted to know more about the bullies as I'm sure they weren't there just as nihilistic figures.

That said, this was just relentless and experiential.

Message I took was that life sucks, but there is hope and we find this through our relationships with certain individuals in ours lives to make it through the hard times.

Have used clips from this series in my classroom

[stellaevans-10484 · 10/10 · 19 March 2024]

As a teacher, visual aids have been an instrumental delivery system for demonstrating core content in lessons for my sixth form students. Over the past term, I've actually used clips from PREMature to assist my psychology lessons in the area of childhood trauma.

This series is a particular standout drama because of the mental frailty that is demonstrated through the writing and the performances. Now the show was made back in 2015 at the cusp of an entire generation diving fully into the realm of social media and all of the positives and negatives that come with it. PREMature was a frontrunner in the sense of bringing substantive and paramount issues in one of the most realistic depictions of teenhood that I've seen in a non-documentary.

The impact of divorce on a child can be so damaging throughout adolescence that it curbs our adulthood in ways that can be self-harming. This theme of divorce runs through the 6 parts but it is the bullying theme that is so visceral. It was actually this that pushed me to include clips of the show in my class because how the bullying storyling was packaged and made digestible for a classroom full of teenagers who could perhaps build a new understanding of trauma and its effects in a way that a textbook couldn't. (Sorry for the long sentence.)

I saw first-rate performances by unrecognisable actors bringing to life very recognisable characters and circumstances in such a natural way. The complexities, which were the basis of my using clips in classes were interwoven into this series by means of an organic reality - what i've come to learn as world-building.

The music is different and moody and uplifting at points. The camerawork is documentary-esque with most shots looking like photographs where many of them hold onto the close ups to the point where it borders on intrusive.

It might not be the lighthearted bingewatch that many might prefer but PREMature is a powerful piece of storytelling and for me, a teaching tool in classes.