Genre: Comedy
Actor: Belinda Stewart-Wilson, Blake Harrison, David Schaal, Emily Atack, Emily Head, Greg Davies, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, James Buckley, Joe Thomas, Robin Weaver, Simon Bird
To appreciate The Inbetweeners, you’d have to understand that it was a product of its time. The British R-rated show was created in the late 2000s, back when being gay and male harassment were treated as mere jokes, as opposed to serious matters. So in that way, it can feel a bit dated. But in its own curious and funny way, The Inbetweeners is both an example and a subversion of toxic masculinity, which tends to harden at around the age the characters are in. Beneath their vulgar and perenially horny exterior, there is something softer and more vulnerable aching to be seen. At least among themselves (and us the audience), the four young lads at the heart of this show can show both parts without being judged. Yes, The Inbetweeners is crude and raunchy and unafraid to be as authentic as its teen leads, but at its core, it’s simply a come-of-age story that follows four guys figuring out their place in the world.
