For those missing the Pretty Little Liars comes Light As A Feather, Hulu’s original teen drama series that has finally made its way onto All4 six months after its US premiere.
Based on author Zoe Aarsen’s Wattpad sensation Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board, the 10-episode saga follows a group of high school girls whose worlds are turned upside down when the leader of the bunch Olivia (Peyton List) dies in a freak accident predicted by new girl Violet (Haley Ramm) after a round of the titular slumber party game. Though Violet insists she had nothing to do with Olivia’s death, the rest of the group attempts to uncover the mysterious happenings that seem to follow Violet wherever she goes.
After a bit of a slow start, Light As A Feather eventually throws in a mystery that it begs you to solve. The characters aren’t anything special — it’s hard to root for any of them, and some are grating to the point of actually making you wish them ill fates — but the series doesn’t suffer too much because of it.
Central character McKenna (Liana Liberato), a shy but popular high school senior, a member of the series’ central friendship group and Violet’s new best friend, is perhaps the most grating of them all, but still it matters not. Almost all of the intrigue comes from the supernatural mystery that is neatly woven through the centre of it. Likewise, the sloppy drama that comes with screen teens and make-believe high school friendship group politics is a continuous delight.
Though the mystery keeps you guessing, the series is still undeniably trashy as hell. But that is in no way a bad thing to those that get a high from watching teenagers fall out and attempt to frame each other for murder on screen. Light As A Feather adds a touch more horror than this particular corner of the teen drama genre is used to — some scenes are pretty gruesome and it loves to play around with its more fantastical elements — but lovers of the likes of Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars ought to lap it up.
